maize silage 12

Pioneer ® brand

Silagefor

Maize - more environmentally friendly Pg. 4

Maize delivers more profit Pg. 8

Pioneer Premium Seed TreatmentTM Pg. 18

Pioneer® brand Inoculants Pg. 20

Pioneer® brand Lucerne & Bettagraze Pg. 22

The New Zealand family owned maize seed business

100% New Zealand grown feed is grown on NZ farms, for NZ livestock. It keeps jobs at home, pays taxes and saves overseas funds. Don’t compromise production and profit by running short of feed. Keep a stack on-farm all year round.

Contents

Pg.18

Pg.4

Pg.27

Pg.6

Pg.37

Pg.8

Maize - more environmentally friendlyFarm profile: Profitable & environmentally friendlyMaize delivers more profitFarm profile: More home-grown feed delivers more productionIMPACT™: More research, better resultsFarm profile: Maize grain & maize silage maximise cow potentialFarm profile: More days in milkFarm profile: Maize silage stabilises production

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RIGHT PRODUCT, RIGHT PADDOCK.™

Growing & harvesting cost guidelineMaize silage drymatter costHybrid performance summary

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YOUR FARM TOOLS

Pioneer maize breedingHybrids for maize silageChoosing the right hybrid for your farmHybrid recommendations by region Hybrid trait characteristic table

2728373940

HYBRID SELECTION TOOLS

Abbreviations

* Research has shown best-practice dairy farm systems feeding maize silage are more profitable.Cover: Matamata dairy farmer Paul MacKenzie.

SM Pioneer Premium Seed TreatmentTM

Pioneer® brand InoculantsPioneer® brand Lucerne Pioneer® brand Bettagraze

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OTHER PRODUCTS

g = grams m = metres cm = centimetres N = Nitrogen kg = kilogram MS = milksolids ha = hectare eff = effective bags/ha = bags per hectare kg/ha = kilograms per hectare kgDM = kilograms of drymatter kgDM/ha = kilograms of drymatter per hectare kgDM/cow/day = kilograms of drymatter per cow per day kgDM/ha.mm = kilograms of drymatter per hectare millimetre kg/MS = kilograms of milksolids kg/MS/cow = kilograms of milksolids per cowkg/MS/ha = kilograms of milksolids per hectare kgN/ha = kilograms of nitrogen per hectare kgN/cow = kilograms of nitrogen per cow $/ha = NZ dollars per hectareMJME = megajoules of metabolisable energy MJME/kgDM = megajoules of metabolisable energy per kilogram of drymatter t/ha = tonnes per hectaretDM = tonnes of drymatter tDM/cow = tonnes of drymatter per cow tDM/ha = tonnes of drymatter per hectare c/kgDM = cents per kilogram of drymatterc/MJME = cents per megajoule of metabolisable energy

RIGHT PRODUCT, RIGHT PADDOCK.™

Pioneer Long Look

We strive to produce the best products in the market.

We deal honestly and fairly with customers, employees and business associates.

Pioneer’s Long Look Philosophy (as adopted by Genetic Technologies Limited in New Zealand) has four simple statements of business policy.

We vigorously market our products, but without misrepresentation.

We provide helpful management information to assist customers in making optimum profits from our products.

MORE RELIABLE, PROFITABLE AND ENvIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE FARMING wITH MAIzE

The future of dairying is promising. Strong economic and population growth is expected to lift global demand for milk by 100 billion litres by 2020*. To take advantage of this opportunity, the challenge for New Zealand farmers is to build higher producing and more resilient systems which are profitable, environmentally sustainable and globally competitive. Significantly more feed will be required to grow the volume of milk produced on New Zealand farms. Maximising pasture harvested will continue to be a priority, but evaluating the type, cost and amount of supplements fed will become increasingly important.

More than twenty years of research and on-farm experience has demonstrated that maize silage integrates into the framework of a pastoral dairy farm system offering a range of benefits unmatched by other supplements. Maize efficiently uses water and nitrogen to produce high yields of quality drymatter at a cost-effective price. It can be grown to capture the nutrient value of dairy-shed effluent, reducing on-farm nutrient build-up and the subsequent risk of nitrate leaching and cow health problems. Maize silage fills feed deficits profitably and sustainably, increasing per cow and per hectare production.

Continuing to increase maize yields will over time grow farmer profitability. Improved hybrid genetic yield potential is a key. During the last two seasons Pioneer® brand products has substantially increased its local research effort with the introduction of IMPACT™ (Intensively Managed Product Advancement, Characterisation and Training) trials. Up to 100 potential products can be tested in a single IMPACT™ trial allowing growers faster access to the most advanced global genetics and Pioneer’s hybrid yield advantage. Pioneer brand maize hybrids offer the broadest range and combination of plant attributes to meet New Zealand’s diverse growing environments and every grower’s specific needs. New hybrids such as P9400, P0021, P0791 and P0891 are taking silage yield and quality to a new level. There is a right Pioneer product for every paddock.

Whether it is the weather, payout or regulatory environment, change is a recurring constant in farming. Frequent re-evaluation and fine-tuning will help ensure Kiwi dairy farmers’ on-going success. The Pioneer® brand products Forage Specialist team are available to help you make the most out of your maize silage investment (see page 17).

Secure your future farming success by planting and feeding maize.

With very best wishes for the 2012-13 season.

Sincerely

Will YatesManaging Director

* Theo Spierings, Fonterra Chief Executive

MAIZE - MORE ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLYTo survive and thrive into the future, New Zealand dairy farm systems must be profitable and sustainable as well as globally competitive. Our dairy land is expensive compared to farm land prices overseas. Increasing milk production per hectare is a key to profitability and the long term competitiveness of the dairy industry but is it environmentally sustainable? Recent research shows growing and feeding maize silage provides a win-win solution for both farmers and the environment.

Rightly or wrongly, dairying is receiving a significant portion of the blame for the deteriorating quality of the country’s waterways. From a water quality perspective,

cow urine is the main culprit. AgResearch data shows urinary nitrogen is the source of 69% of the nitrogen lost on a typical dairy farm. The amount of nitrogen in urine is influenced by the amount of excess protein in the dairy cow’s diet. As cows graze protein-rich pasture, they produce nitrogen-rich urine patches which can contain more than 1,000 kg of nitrogen per hectare. Bacteria convert this nitrogen into highly leachable nitrate which can quickly drop out of the root-zone of shallow rooted pasture species into underground aquifers, eventually resurfacing in lakes, rivers and streams.

Effect of feed type on cow nitrogen output

Recent research shows growing and feeding maize silage provides a win-win solution for both farmers and the enviRonment.

* Based on 1 tDM/cowSource: Adapted from Ledgard, 2006.Nitrogen Management - why it is important and what can we do about it?Proceedings of the Dairy3 Conference 4:23-31

Maize SilagePasture Silage Cereal Silage

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Urine

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Feeding maize silage - a relatively low crude protein feedstuff - reduces the amount of nitrogen in urine and can greatly reduce leaching losses.

Increased stocking rates and more bought-in supplements contribute to an increase in soil nutrient levels. This has been implicated in a rising incidence of milk fever and grass staggers on some farms. Maize crops produce high drymatter yields and require high levels of nutrients, especially nitrogen and potassium. They can be grown in high fertility dairy paddocks, including those with a history of dairy-shed effluent application, usually without the need for additional fertiliser to be applied. The benefits are two-fold; a reduction in soil nutrient levels as well as high yields of low cost maize silage.

While maintaining water quality is a key focus for all of New Zealand’s Regional Councils, those in drier districts are also focused on making sure there is enough water to supply all the community’s needs. The dairy industry has an increasing demand for water. Irrigation increases the reliability and yield of summer pastures. However, irrigating pasture isn’t the best use of limited water resources. Ryegrass has a relatively low water use efficiency, a measure of how much drymatter a plant produces for every unit of water it uses. Also, applied water quickly drops out of the reach of shallow-rooted pasture plants.

In contrast, maize tops the field in water use efficiency. On an annual basis, maize produces more than twice as much drymatter as perennial ryegrass for every unit of water used. When considering summer water use alone, maize is up to three times more efficient when compared to ryegrass.

Increasingly, pressure is coming on New Zealand dairy farmers to farm in an environmentally, as well as economically sustainable way. This means one thing is certain – due to its unique ability to optimise the use of both soil nutrients and moisture, maize will increasingly feature in dairy farm systems in the future.

MAIZE - MORE ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY Good effluent management is a critical part of building sustainable dairy farm systems. Liquid and solid waste can be used to grow maize silage providing high yields of low cost drymatter.

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35

Maize 34.0

Clover

Lucerne

Fescue

Perennial ryegrass

Annual water use efficiency of maize and pasture species in New zealand and Australia

Source: Adapted from Neal et al, 2007. Water use efficiency, productivity and profitability - How do forages compare?Proceedings Australasian Dairy Science Symposium.

05MAIZE FOR SILAGE 2012-2013

Water use efficiency (kgDM/ha.mm)

18.5

18.8

20.0

16.2

ProFItablE and EnvIronmentaLLy FRIENdLyA highly productive system is reaping financial and environment rewards for Paul and Chris MacKenzie. The MacKenzies’ farm 83 hectares at Waharoa in the Eastern Waikato. In the 2010-11 season, their 356 cow split-calving Friesian and Friesian cross herd produced 227,000 kgMS (637 kgMS/cow and 2,734 kgMS/ha). This year they have lifted cow numbers and are on track to produce 250,000 kgMS (3,012 kgMS/ha).

Excellent facilities, including two Herd Homes®1, a mixer wagon and well-designed and planned feed bunkers, are central to the success of the operation. While production is impressive the system itself is relatively simple to run. Contract milker Nic Coppard (21) manages the day-to-day operations, assisted by farm worker David Candy (20). This leaves Paul and Chris free to pursue off-farm interests.

“A lot of high input systems appear to be labour intensive and I didn’t want that”, says Paul. “Our aim was to build a simple system that did not require a lot of time to manage.”

Cows are dried off 50 days prior to their expected calving date. They spend 30 days on a dry cow diet comprised of 3-4 kgDM pasture plus 8-10 kgDM supplements including maize silage, straw and a range of by-products. Three weeks prior to calving they are moved onto a transition diet.

Two-thirds of the herd, including all of the heifers, calve between 20 February and 1 May. The balance of the herd consists of carryover cows and spring calvers which start calving on 1 September.

Once cows have calved, intakes are lifted to 21-22 kgDM/cow/day. Typically pasture intake is around 6 kgDM with the other 15 kgDM being a mix of supplements including maize silage, straw, palm kernel extract and by-products. Each morning Batt latches open the paddock gate at 3am allowing the cows to wander back to the Herd Home®1 where they consume their supplement allowance prior to the 5am milking. Once cows are milked they return to the paddock. This process is repeated prior to the afternoon milking.

Paul & Chris MacKenzie,Waharoa, Eastern Waikato

Above: Pioneer Field Officer Jim Barr (left) with dairy farmer Paul MacKenzie on his Matamata farm.

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View the full storywww.pioneer. co.nz/video

1Registered trademark of HerdHomes® Systems Ltd.

“A lOt Of hIgh InpuT sYsTEMs appEar To bE lAbour intENsIVE and I dIdN’t want ThaT”, sAys PauL. “our aIM was To buiLd a simpLe systEm that dId NOt rEquIrE A lot Of TiME To managE.”

Last season the MacKenzies grew 15 ha of Pioneer® brand maize silage and this season they have planted 25 ha (30%) of the farm in maize. Pioneer® brand 36M28 is the hybrid of choice because it produces good yields, stands up to wind and can be planted at the end of September and harvested around 20 February.

“We can get 24 tDM/ha of low cost maize silage that is good quality and safe to feed”, says Nic. “It fits in well with our pasture renewal programme and allows us to increase the total amount of feed we harvest from every hectare.”

Dairy effluent from under the Herd Homes®1 is applied to the paddocks prior to maize planting.

“Growing maize allows us to use our effluent in an environmentally-friendly manner”, says Paul. “Dairy effluent is ideal for growing maize and we are growing crops with no or very little additional fertiliser.”

Last year’s analysis of the farm system using Overseer shows the farm leached just 28 kgN/ha. This is the level of

nitrogen loss currently being achieved by low-stocked organic systems. It is also delivering excellent profit per hectare.

“It’s a flexible system that is based on margins”, says Paul. “Each time we buy in feed we get the chance to check whether the numbers stack up.”

Watching healthy, well-conditioned cows produce high milk yields is satisfying for everyone involved.

“We are producing more than 600 kgMS per cow using the same animals that used to produce 350 kgMS in an all-grass system”, says Paul. “I enjoy farming like this and I’d be reluctant to go back.”

So what does the future hold for this farm which in many ways is already ahead of itself?

“I wouldn’t rule out further intensification if it was sustainable”, says Paul. “It’s a cheaper option than buying more land.”


maizE dElIVERs MORE proFItTen years ago New Zealand farmers debated the benefits of incorporating supplements into their all-grass dairy farm systems. Today supplements are an accepted part of the feeding management on most farms. When farmers get together nowadays the discussion is more likely to turn to which supplement to use, how much to feed and the likely returns.

One of the key benefits of maize is its high yield potential. Plant scientists have calculated the theoretical genetic yield potential to be more than 50 tonnes of maize silage drymatter per hectare. Local plots including a trial planted at DairyNZ’s Scott farm have produced more than 30 tDM/ha. New Zealand maize silage yields are increasing over

time and farmers can commonly grow maize silage crops that yield 18–28 tDM/ha for 21.5 - 13.9 c/kgDM in most dairy districts. Research has shown that maize silage can be grown on high fertility dairy land (including paddocks with a history of effluent application) without the need for additional fertiliser1. This reduces maize silage drymatter cost by around 4.65 c/kgDM (see page 25).

Growing maize silage as part of a pasture renewal programme improves pasture persistence by reducing the level of weeds and residual carryover ryegrass seed. It breaks the lifecycle of insect pests (including black beetle) making it easier to establish new, higher yielding ryegrass species.

Plant scientists have calculated the theoretical genetic yield potential to be more than 50 tonnes of maize silage drymatter per hectare.

New zealand maize silage yield trend 1961-2011

Source: New Zealand Yearbook and Pioneer® Brand Products New Zealand Research Programme.

Year

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1961 19811965 19851969 19891973 1993 2001 20091977 1997 2005

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1Soil testing of every paddock is always recommended.

There is a strong relationship between the amount of pasture harvested on dairy farms and their profitability. Stocking rate is a key driver of pasture harvested. More cows per hectare increases grazing pressure and pasture drymatter yield. However, one downside of highly stocked farm systems is the risk posed by the significant and unpredictable variations in pasture growth rate which occur almost every season. Put simply, more cows on each hectare means a bigger feed shortfall when the grass isn’t growing.

Maize silage can be used to fill these feed deficits and to extend lactation length. Feeding maize silage can also lift pasture yields. When cows eat supplements they decrease their pasture intake. This is known as pasture substitution. Substitution rates are higher with forages like maize silage than they are with concentrate feeds (e.g. grains, dairy meal or palm kernel extract). Every farmer knows the old adage “it takes grass to grow grass.” By altering maize silage feeding rates, farmers can successfully manipulate pasture cover levels preventing overgrazing. The combination of maize silage and a well-designed stand-off pad with feeding bins allows farmers to keep cows off wet pastures, reducing pugging damage and subsequent losses in pasture

production without compromising milk production or animal welfare. Many profitable dairy farms (see pages 6 & 16) run a relatively higher stocking rate and feed high quality, low cost maize silage to help maximise pasture harvested and per cow production. Energy in autumn pasture is used inefficiently for gaining body condition score. Energy from maize silage is used 50% more efficiently. The benefits of having cows in better condition (the target is condition score 5 for mature cows and 5.5 for two and three year old cows) is substantial. A cow calving at condition score 5.0 will produce 12 kg more milksolids annually than a cow that calves at condition score 4.0. Cows that are fatter at calving cycle earlier, have higher in-calf rates and are more likely to give birth to a heifer calf the following year.

More than twenty years of research and on-farm experience has demonstrated that maize silage integrates into the framework of dairy farm systems, offering a suite of benefits that no other supplement can match. Together maize silage and pasture will help keep New Zealand farmers profitable and environmentally sustainable into the future.


Kevin & Michele Alexander,Hukerenui,Northland

Above: Pioneer Area Manager Craig Booth (left) with dairy farmer Kevin Alexander on his Hukerenui farm.

mORE hOmE-grown FEed DELIvErs MorE pROductionKevin and Michele Alexander milk 340 Friesian cows on 148 hectares (eff) at Hukerenui in Northland. All cows are wintered on farm with calves and yearlings off-farm. Production in the 2010-11 season was 163,000 kgMS. The 2011-12 season’s target is around 169,000 kgMS (497 kgMS/cow and 1,141 kgMS/ha).

The farm, like many others in the area, is winter wet and historically this has affected pasture cover levels and cow condition score. The Alexanders started growing and feeding maize silage more than 10 years ago and this year they have grown 15 ha, of which 13 ha is on farm. The main crop is Pioneer® brand 33M54, selected for its high total drymatter yield potential. There is also a paddock of Pioneer® brand 37Y12 which will be harvested early.

“Feeding maize silage in the autumn allows us to achieve our target of condition score 5.5 at calving”, says Kevin. “At the same time we can extend lactation, put more milk in the vat and increase pasture cover levels.”

Maize is grown as part of the farm’s pasture renewal programme. Paddocks are identified 12 months ahead of planting and they evenly spread effluent and shavings from the stand-off pads, on top of grazed pasture from November onwards. Paddocks are soil tested and sprayed out in September of the following year and liquid effluent and any necessary solid fertiliser is applied.

Soil testing and nutrient budgeting are essential steps in the effluent management and maize growing programmes.

“The value of the nutrients in our effluent is equivalent to the cost of a new car every two years”, says Kevin. “Growing maize is a great way of getting the value out of cow manure and we use it to soak up excess soil nutrients.”

“To maximise energy yield per hectare we choose high-yielding hybrids and plant them at optimum populations”, says Kevin. “We also work closely with a number of support people including Pioneer Area Manager Craig Booth, our seed merchant and the local contractor to ensure the job is done right and on time, so we achieve our maize silage yield target of 25 tDM/ha.”

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Right planting - test planter serviceTo help you maximise profit from your investment in Pioneer genetics and seed quality, the free Pioneer Test Planter Service is available to growers and planting contractors. Co-ordinated by your local Pioneer Area Manager, the test planter service includes seed meter performance testing, inspection and precision calibration.

Call 0800 PIONEER (0800 746 633) to request a free test planter service.

In a typical season, maize silage is fed in concrete bins on a pad from early autumn, through the winter and into spring. Cows start calving on 10 July and maize silage is used to help drive the herd to a high spring peak.

“Maize silage allows us to calve earlier so we can extract as much milk from the cows as we can before pasture quality starts to drop in late October”, says Kevin. “It is a great product allowing us to feed our cows well while manipulating pasture cover levels to maximise yield and quality.”

Pasture surpluses are identified early and conserved as silage. When the maize silage stack is finished, normally after mating, pasture silage and some palm kernel are used to drive summer milk production.

Reducing cow numbers has enabled the Alexanders to drive per cow and per hectare productivity through better feeding and constantly improving cow efficiency and health traits. They continue to be focused on maximising the amount of pasture grown and eaten as well as increasing maize silage yield and quality.

Kevin describes their current system as perhaps “a 1980s-style stocking rate with higher performance per cow and per hectare.” So where to from here?

“The future holds more of the same with an on-going emphasis on ensuring we achieve a better margin”, says Kevin. “We constantly assess all technologies, both old and new and try to keep our system flexible. Finally, above all we are working to manage our environmental footprint in all we do.”

“thE valuE OF The nutriEnts in Our EffluEnt is equivalEnt To ThE cOsT OF a nEw cAr EvEry TwO YEArs”, sAys KEVin. “GrowIng MAIzE Is A GrEAT waY of gEtTinG ThE ValuE Out Of cow MaNuRe And we use iT tO soak uP ExcEss soIl nutriEnts.”


impACT™: mOrE REsEArch, bEtTEr REsuLtsIMPACT™ is the latest innovation to enhance Pioneer’s Research Programme. IMPACT™ stands for Intensively Managed Product Advancement, Characterisation and Training trials. This programme is an advanced method for evaluating maize hybrids in research plots.

IMPACT™ trials are planted in a range of environments with different soil types and disease pressures. As the name implies, these trials benefit from intensive management, close observation and evaluation throughout the growing season by a specialist IMPACT™ team.

“IMPACT™ takes the number of on-farm trials and the amount of data to a whole new level”, says Barry McCarter, Maize Product Manager for Pioneer® brand products. “It allows us to bring a large number of proven, industry-leading maize hybrids to the New Zealand market so we can better understand which of these products offer the best performance in New Zealand’s many and varied growing environments. The end goal is to best position specific Pioneer hybrids to growers’ individual needs and growing conditions.”

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“Providing the best maize silage hybrids to New Zealand farmers is not all about numbers, but also about the quality of the exPerimental hybrids and the research programme that is used to evaluate them.”

Pioneer Hi-Bred International Global Breeding Programme

The New Zealand Maize Silage Hybrid Evaluation Programme

New Zealand Maize Silage Grower

130,000 new hybrids evaluated each year

Selected experimental and commercial hybrids tested and compared in 230 on-farm

silage trials

23 proven, high yielding Pioneer® brand maize silage hybrids available to local

growers in spring 2012

It is only right - replant risk policy*

The IMPACT™ programme, which is managed by research agronomist Michael Henderson, represents a significant and additional investment in resources and equipment. Silage plots are planted using a specialised pneumatic 4-row research plot planter with GPS guidance for increased accuracy and precision. A research forage harvester measures hybrid yield as the plots are being harvested.

Plant scientist, Dr Rowland Tsimba measures and analyses data gathered from Pioneer’s New Zealand Research Programme.

“Providing the best maize silage hybrids to New Zealand farmers is not all about numbers, but also about the quality of the experimental hybrids and the research programme that is used to evaluate them”, says Tsimba.

“The aim of our trialing programme is to identify the best maize genetics for New Zealand growing conditions. We achieve this through the combination of a comprehensive field research programme as well as

rigorous data evaluation and statistical analysis of the results it generates.”

The IMPACT™ plot programme tests up to 100 potential products in any one trial. The top performing candidates from the IMPACT™ programme are identified and advanced to the Product Advancement (PAT) strip trial programme. PATs test and evaluate 10 to 15 products at a time. The Pioneer® brand products sales team use the information from the research and product evaluation programme to help customers plant the right product in the right paddock.

Over twenty years ago the Pioneer Research Programme was introduced to ensure New Zealand maize growers had access to the very best performing products identified from Pioneer’s global breeding pool. Twenty years on, we still have the same commitment; however with IMPACT™, growers now have faster access to the most advanced global genetics together with Pioneer’s hybrid advantage.

Silage IMPACT™ trials being harvested. Pioneer Research Officer, Mark Richards collecting and preparing drymatter samples.


The Pioneer team believe it is only right to share some of your farming risk. So if within two months of planting, your maize or sorghum crop needs replanting for whatever reason, we will provide replacement seed at half price regardless of which brand you initially planted. Simply advise your merchant representative or Pioneer Area Manager of the problem.

*This policy is for planting within the same season and applies to any brand of hybrid maize and hybrid sorghum summer feed. It does not apply to lucerne or greenfeed maize seed blends. Seed treatment will be as per your original order.

Feeding a combination of maize silage and maize grain helps Bay of Plenty farmers Doug, Beth and son David Leeder maximise the return on their investment in cows.

The Leeders milk 600 Friesian and Friesian cross cows on 230 hectares (eff) halfway between Opotiki and Whakatane in the Eastern Bay of Plenty. In the 2011-12 season, the farm is on track to produce 250,000 kgMS (1087 kgMS/ha and 417 kgMS/cow).

The farm, which comprises 75% flat land with drainage pumps and 25% steep hill country, is hard to manage in a wet winter. For the past 10 years, the Leeders have used maize silage fed on a stand-off pad to fill feed deficits.

“Maize silage is a cost-effective feed buffer”, says Doug “and it fits in well with our pasture renewal and effluent management programmes.”

Doug is looking for a short maturity hybrid with excellent grain and total drymatter yield. This year he has planted 12 ha of Pioneer® brand 36M28 on farm and will also purchase around 4 ha of maize silage from a local contract grower.

“We are looking for a hybrid that produces a high drymatter yield with plenty of grain”, says Doug.

In mid-November 2010 a new cow shed with an in-shed feeding system was commissioned allowing the Leeders to feed kibbled maize grain at rates determined by each cow’s milk production level. This has allowed them to extend lactation, improve condition score and lift reproductive performance. Per cow production has risen from 350 to over 400 kgMS/cow.

“Each cow represents a $2,000 investment and we get a better return by feeding her fully”, says Doug. “Kibbled maize is a high energy feed that represents much better value for money than processed concentrate blends.”

Doug & Beth Leeder,Eastern Bay of Plenty

Above left: David (left) & Doug Leeder on their Opotiki dairy farm.Above right: Doug (left) & David inspecting their maize crop with Pioneer Area Manager Robin Billett.

maizE gRaIn & MAIzE sIlAgE maxIMisE cow pOtEntial

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“maizE silAgE is A cOst-EfFEctIve fEEd buffER.”


Maize silage is playing an important role in West Coast farmers Gary and Stacey Graham’s plans to increase farm production and profit.

The Grahams farm 380 ha at Atarau in the Grey Valley. In the 2010-11 season their 1,075 cow herd produced 380,000 kgMS (380 kgMS per cow and 1000 kgMS/ha) and the Grahams future target is to double production by milking 1,525 cows and producing 500 kgMS/cow.

“We’ve been a low input system but now we are using maize silage to help us intensify”, says Gary. “It’s all about a more efficient use of our land and cow resources. We’ve done the numbers and we can make more money out of a higher input system.”

The Grahams planted 18 hectares of maize for silage on their run-offs for the first time in 2009. They increased the area to 36 hectares in spring 2011 and are planning to plant 60-70 hectares in 2012. Their hybrid of choice is Pioneer® brand 39G12 which “grows well on the Coast” producing 20-21 tDM/ha. Crops are harvested early enough to enable the autumn establishment of a forage rape crop which produces 3-5 tDM/ha of late winter feed.

“Maize silage is an excellent way to get cost-effective feed off our run-offs”, says Gary. “It is an easy crop to grow as long as you do the basics right and follow the recommendations of the local Pioneer team.”

Maize silage is fed in bins on a low-cost gravel stand-off pad near the farm dairy. It is used to extend lactation with two-thirds being fed in the autumn and one-third in the spring.

“Feeding maize silage in the autumn allows us to milk longer, put condition on cows and extend the rotation length. We’re also using it to move our calving date forward to 1 August so we get more milk in the spring.”

“It’s pretty easy to do the figures to show that using maize silage to increase days in milk is profitable”, says Gary. “It’s not rocket science!”

Gary & Stacey Graham,West Coast, South Island

Above right: Pioneer Field Officer Duncan Gillanders (right) with dairy farmer Gary Graham on his Atarau farm.

mORE daYs In MILk



“maizE silAgE is an ExcellEnt waY To GeT COst-EFfective fEEd ofF ouR run-OFFs.”

Maize silage has helped Gerard and Denise Wolvers stabilise milk production, delivering profit and peace-of-mind even when the grass isn’t growing.

The Wolvers, assisted by farm manager Wayne Buckley, milk 780 Friesian and Friesian cross cows on 203 ha (eff) 18 km south of Te Awamutu. In the 2010-11 season they produced 325,000 kgMS and in the 2011-12 season, they should produce over 350,000 kgMS (1,724 kgMS/ha or 448 kgMS/cow).

Pioneer® brand maize silage is purchased from a local contractor and is fed during the lactation at 1.7 tDM/cow.

“Maize silage delivers excellent energy levels and is safe to feed”, says Wayne. “We use it to fully feed the cows to keep condition on and allow them to realise their genetic production potential.”

Maize silage also helps to maintain farm pasture persistence and yield.

“The last few tough seasons have

shown that by feeding maize silage, we can avoid overgrazing and protect our pasture base”, says Gerard. “This allows us to maximise our pasture yield potential.”

The Wolvers have an in-shed feeding system, but they don’t use it.

“The feed pad allows us to keep cows off pasture and we can feed high amounts of supplements if we need to”, says Gerard. “We always have maize silage in the stack so we are not worried about whether or not we can source extra feed when we need it.”

A combination of higher milk yields, low animal health costs, less cull cows and more heifers to sell means the system is very profitable. However, Gerard believes there is more to farming than just money.

“If I was perfectly honest I would say I am prepared to sacrifice a bit of profit for the peace-of-mind and satisfaction this system delivers.”

Gerard & Denise Wolvers,Te Awamutu, Waikato

Above: Pioneer Area Manager Grant McDonald (left) with dairy farmer Gerard Wolvers on his Te Awamutu farm.

MAIZE siLAGE stabilisEs pROductIoN

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“wE alwaYs have MAiZE siLagE In thE stack...”

The Pioneer® brand products team recognises that no two farms are the same – no two farmers have the same production, financial and lifestyle goals. Pioneer Forage Specialists work individually with farmers to help them achieve their unique farming goals.

To request your free, no obligation Forage Specialist visit, call 0800 PIONEER (0800 746 633) or visit www.pioneer.co.nz

or scan this QR codeusing your smartphone

Pasture Harvest Check

SM

The Pasture Harvest Check estimates how much pasture is being harvested. It can help determine whether you have the appropriate stocking rate and volume of supplements for your farm system and production targets.

The Farm System Check determines whether your feed supply matches cow demand and your production target. It helps maximise feed utilisation, optimise supplement response rate and improve farm productivity.

Farm System Check

SM

As dairy farm systems feed more supplements, it becomes increasingly important to ensure the diet is balanced for energy, crude protein and minerals. Pioneer Forage Specialists can help you to achieve your production targets using the feeds you have on hand.

NutritionCheck

SM

The Run-off Efficiency check can help you determine how much drymatter you are harvesting from your run-off. Your local Forage Specialist can also suggest ways you can increase its efficiency.

This check highlights whether your maize, pasture or cereal silage is well ensiled and identifies ways to decrease storage and/or feed-out losses that can save you money and improve your return on investment.

Feed pads are a significant investment. Your local Forage Specialist can help determine whether building a feed pad will pay dividends for you.

Run-off Efficiency Check

SM

Silage Stack Check

SM

Feed Pad Check

SM

Pioneer Forage Specialists have practical on-farm experience coupled with comprehensive farm systems, silage making and nutrition knowledge and experience.

Pioneer Forage Specialists use a number of SM tools and calculators to assist farmers to analyse and fine-tune their dairy farm systems. These include:


Pioneer Forage Specialist Paul Greenbank with Waiuku dairy farmer Campbell Shuker.

New Zealand research has shown that establishing a high maize plant population is critical for achieving maximum silage yields. Choosing the right insecticide seed treatment is the most important step in reducing the risk of insect damage to seedling plants, thereby increasing crop yields and grower profitability.

Key benefits of treated seed

The key benefits of insecticide treated maize seed are:

Precise amount of insecticide applied to every seed.

Proven insecticides that reliably perform and protect your maize crop from insect attack.

Low insecticide dose rate for minimal impact on the environment.

Maximum safety for the planting contractor/operator.

Compliance with Pioneer’s global ISO 9001:2008 accredited quality control standards is at the forefront of all conditioning, grading and seed treating operations at our Gisborne production plant, ensuring you receive the best quality seed every time.

1. Quality control

Precision treating technology administers the precise required dose of seed treatment to each and every seed. Treatments are accurately and evenly applied using multiple applications, giving consistent chemical loading on every seed.

2. Precision application

18

Pioneer Premium Seed Treatment™ is a stamp of approval guaranteeing growers that advanced technology & the greatest of care has been used to apply their seed treatment. This ensures Pioneer® brand seed has the greatest opportunity to achieve its maximum yield potential.

Quality seed treatment maximises crop yield and protects growers’ maize seed investment.

To carry the Pioneer Premium Seed Treatment stamp of approval, every bag of treated Pioneer® brand maize seed must meet the following stringent quality control standards:

Pioneer Premium Seed Treatment™

Poncho®* is the industry standard insecticide seed treatment for maize. It controls all three major maize insect pests (Argentine Stem Weevil, Black Beetle and Greasy Cutworm1) in a single treatment.

By specifying Pioneer Premium Seed Treatment you can be 100% confident your Pioneer® brand maize seed has the best possible chance to achieve its full yield potential.

*Registered trademark of Bayer CropScience. 1Trial data supplied by Bayer CropScience.

The use of film coatings and advanced drying processes ensures all components of the treatment ingredients adhere to every seed, significantly reducing dust and improving planter operator safety.

3. Advanced film coatings

For your protection every bag of Pioneer® brand seed is mechanically stitched closed with green and white bi-colour tamper proof string. This ‘locks-in’ the Pioneer warranty, the Pioneer replant risk policy and guarantees the amount (80,000 kernels) and quality of seed in each and every bag.

4. Pioneer warranty


Tag code: 1039 07/12

Treated Maize Seed1. Seed treated with Poncho must not be used for human or animal consumption.2. Treated seed may be harmful to seed eating birds, and should be properly planted and completely covered by soil.3. Excess seed is not to be left in areas accessible to birds.

Withholding Period: Stock must not graze maize within 42 days of planting.

WEAR GLOVES AND A DUST MASK WHEN HANDLING SEED® Registered Trademark of Bayer CropScience

Key benefitsProducts that reduce heating and spoilage at feed-out time.

Patented bacterial strains and crop specific products.

Comprehensive, global, product-specific research2.

Quality assured with an ISO 9001:2008 accredited quality control system.

Guaranteed bacteria levels on the label of every bottle.

Exclusive Appli-Pro® inoculant applicator technology for more consistent and precise inoculant application.

Extensive local technical back-up including Forage Specialists, Animal Nutritionists and a Veterinarian.

The bacteria in Pioneer® brand inoculants have been proven to improve silage quality resulting in more milk or meat for every tonne of forage you ensile.

Only Pioneer inoculants can offer you the complete package of key benefits.

11C33 Maize silage specific Improves maize silage quality and drymatter recovery. Reduces silage heating at feed-out time. Allows silage to be fed out up to a day in advance1.

11CFT Maize silage specific Revolutionary maize silage inoculant for high feed value and improved drymatter recovery. Reduces silage heating at feed-out time1.

1132 Maize silage specific Produces top quality maize silage for high producing dairy cows and specialised beef production.

1127 Pasture silage specific Produces top quality pasture silage and improves drymatter recovery and animal performance.

11H50 Lucerne silage specific Produces top quality lucerne silage for all high producing livestock operations.

1174 Multi-crop inoculant Lower cost multi-crop product which improves drymatter recovery and silage quality.

Pioneer® brand inoculant bottle sizes

Pioneer® brand inoculant range

250 50

250 50

250 50

250 50

250 50

50

Large Small

20

Pioneer® brand Inoculants

Quality Pioneer® brand inoculants provide the right strains of lactic acid producing bacteria in ideal numbers to ferment your crop.

KEEPING YOUR MAIZE SILAGE COOL

I want to reduce silage heating at feed-out time and feed my silage out up to one day in advance1.

11C33

I want to improve fibre digestibility and increase cow intake.

I want to reduce silage heating at feed-out time and feed my silage out up to one day in advance1.

11CFT

I want to maximise the return on my silage investment. 1132

I want a lower cost, multi-crop product which will improve silage quality and reduce losses.

1174

I want to maximise the return on my pasture silage investment. 1127


1174

I want to increase silage quality and reduce fermentation losses. 1174

I want to maximise the return on my lucerne silage investment. 11H50


1174

I want to increase silage quality and reduce fermentation losses. 1174

Mai

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Past

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Cere

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Othe

r*

Farming challenge Solution

*Other - by-products, forage sorghum 1While silage can be fed immediately after harvest, maximum aerobic stability gains will be made when it is fermented 30 days prior to feeding. 2Trial results available on request.


Pioneer® brand inoculant options

Important: Ratings based on both Pioneer Agronomists and Research Scientists and historical field observations.

Disease resistance profilesHR = Highly resistant (more than 50% resistant plants) R = Resistant (31% to 50% resistant plants) MR = Moderately resistant (16% to 30% resistant plants)LR = Low resistant (6% to 15% resistant plants)S = Susceptible (up to 5% resistant plants)

Nitragin* Plus lucerne seed coating

Pioneer® brand 54v09 lucerne

Pioneer® brand 54v09 delivers improved genetics coupled with a superb disease resistance package for high yield potential and improved persistence.

HRRMRLRS

Forage yield 9

9Field appearance

7

Phytophthora Root Rot HR

Verticillium Wilt HR

Bacterial Wilt HR

Fusarium Wilt R

Spotted Alfalfa Aphid R

Stem Nematode HR

Pea Aphid HR

Relative forage quality

Key benefitsNew improved genetics.

Excellent field appearance and superior relative forage quality.

Ideal for grazing as well as for ensiling and producing high quality hay.

Excellent winter-hardiness with a superb disease resistance package that includes high resistance to the major New Zealand lucerne diseases – Phytophthora Root Rot, Verticillium Wilt, Bacterial Wilt and Stem Nematode.

Characteristic ratings

Pioneer’s new and exclusive Nitragin* Plus seed coating ensures excellent seedling establishment and nodulation.

Key benefits

Light 9% coating delivering more pure seed for every kilogram of coated seed you purchase.

Three stage layering which maintains separation between the fungicide and the Nitragin* Plus Rhizobia.

Highest Rhizobia activity and a guaranteed shelf-life of 2 years from coating.

Superior seed adhesion with minimal dust, making planting easier, more accurate and safer.

Nitragin* Plus is recommended for the establishment of all Pioneer® brand lucerne crops. * Nitragin is a registered trademark of EMD Crop BioScience and/or its affiliates.

22

The right quality seedDelivering the right quality seed to you is a key goal. All Pioneer® brand maize seed grown and sold in New Zealand is rigorously tested for genetic purity.

If it is not right, it is not sold. You can see the difference in the size of your silage stack and the performance of your cows.

1 = Poor, 9 = Excellent – Based on Pioneer research comparisons with other Pioneer® brand lucerne cultivars.

Key benefits

Rapid early growth.

Quick regrowth after cutting or grazing.

Delayed flowering for increased versatility and ease of management.

High sugar content, fine stems and a high leaf-to-stem ratio for excellent palatability and good feed value.

Versatile – can be grazed, cut and fed, or harvested for silage or hay.

Available with Mesurol®2 bird repellent at no extra charge. This reduces the risk of bird damage to seedling crops.

Pioneer® brand Bettagraze

Plant at 5 cm depth when soil temperature is at least 17°C and rising.

Drill and roll Bettagraze into a fine, moist seed-bed at 3-5 cm depth. Broadcast sowing is not recommended.

Plant at 25-45 kg/ha. Crops planted at higher rates will have thinner stems and a higher yield potential.

Graze Bettagraze behind a wire or cut it 35-45 days after planting when the crop reaches around 1 metre in height. Leave a residual of 15 cm for maximum regrowth.

Recut or graze after 4-5 weeks when the crop is at least 0.8 m and no more than 1.2 m in height.

Monitor nitrate and prussic acid levels especially in crops that have been drought stressed or frosted.

Always spray out Bettagraze crops before autumn frosts and/or regrassing.

Achieving high Bettagraze yields

Plant Bettagraze in warm growing environments only.

Choose paddocks with good water holding capacity. Soil test to determine crop fertiliser requirements.

Spray out the paddock and cultivate.

1

2

3

5

6

7

8

9

10

Bettagraze is a late flowering, late maturing sorghum x sudan grass hybrid that is proven to produce high yields with the first grazing or cut, just 35 to 45 days1 after planting.

Average yield per cut in Bettagraze compared with Pacific Sprint3

Two replicated trials (kgDM/ha)

Pioneer® brand Bettagraze Sprint

2,648

3,428+ 780 kgDM/ha per cut yield advantage to Pioneer® brand Bettagraze

1Crop must be at least one metre in height.2Registered trademark of Bayer CropScience.3Highly significant (P<0.01) yield advantage to Bettagraze.


4

Bettagraze trial yield data

Growing Costs Average fertility High fertility My farm ($/ha)

Pre

plan

ting

Cost of leased land ? ?

Soil test, other 7 7

Spraying out pasture (incl. glyphosate) 70 70

Lime @ 2.5 t/ha + application 160 0

Base fertiliser 366 0

Cultivation 360 360

Plan

ting

Pioneer® brand 34P88 maize seed @ 1.301 or 1.352 bags/ha 469 487

FAR maize seed levy ($7.20/80,000 kernels @ 1.301 or 1.352 bags/ha) 9 10

Seed insecticide treatment (Poncho®3) @ 1.301 or 1.352 bags/ha 147 153

Starter fertiliser 236 0

Planting 148 148

Post

pla

ntin

g Pre emergence weed control (herbicide + application) 107 107

Sidedress application 62 0

Sidedress nitrogen 204 0

Interest on maize expenditure (7 months @ 7%) 96 55

Total growing cost $2,441 $1,397

Harvest Costs

Harv

estin

g Harvesting and stacking 989 989

Covering 173 173

Pioneer® brand 1132 maize specific inoculant 274 274

Total harvest cost $1,436 $1,436

Total Growing & Harvest Costs

$3,877 $2,833

Average costs ($/ha)My Costs ($/ha)

Calculate growing & harvesting costs for your farm

2012/13 Average costs (exclusive of GST)

Growing and harvesting cost guideline

Recent research has shown that high fertility dairy farm paddocks including those with a history of effluent application may require no additional fertiliser. Different yield environments also influence the recommended planting rate for Pioneer® brand maize silage hybrids (see page 40).

The table below gives indicative maize silage costings for both high and average fertility maize silage growing environments. High fertility environments include dairy paddocks coming out of long-term ryegrass-clover pasture, as well as paddocks with a history of effluent application. Average fertility environments include run-out pasture paddocks and repeat cropping blocks.

Always soil test maize paddocks and apply nutrients according to the results.

Use the “My costs” column in the table below to enter your own growing and harvesting costs for the coming maize growing season.

1 Average fertility

2 High fertility

3 Registered Trademark of Bayer CropScience.

24

To view an electronic version of the growing and harvesting cost guideline visit www.pioneer.co.nz or scan this QR code using your smartphone.

Maize silage costs

Drymatter and megajoules of metabolisable energy

Maize silage drymatter cost

1. Cost to grow, harvest and store the crop are estimates only.

2. Average land rentals have not been included because of large regional variations (provision has been made for you to consider land rental in your own costing column).

3. The costs and benefits of regrassing have not been included.

4. Cost for Pioneer® brand 1132 is based on inoculating a 22 tDM/ha crop.

5. Farmers growing Pioneer brand maize for silage for sale are usually responsible for costs up to and including the nitrogen sidedressing application.

6. Maize silage cost per MJME assumes an average maize silage energy content of 10.8 MJME/kgDM.

7. The amount of pasture lost during the maize growing season will vary between paddocks, farms and districts. The value of pasture lost during the maize growing season has not been considered in the calculation of the maize silage drymatter cost.

8. Costs are estimates based on a sample of contractor rates, other typical industry charges and product costs. All costs exclude GST and are indicative at 1 May 2012. See www.pioneer.co.nz for updated costs.

Average fertility paddock High fertility paddock

per kgDM in the stack (c/kgDM)

per MJME (c/MJME)

per kgDM in the stack (c/kgDM)

per MJME (c/MJME)

16 24.2 2.24 - -

18 21.5 1.99 15.7 1.46

20 19.4 1.80 14.2 1.31

22 17.6 1.63 12.9 1.19

24 16.2 1.50 11.8 1.09

26 14.9 1.38 10.9 1.01

28 13.8 1.28 10.1 0.94

30 - - 9.4 0.87

1 Average fertility

2 High fertility

3 Registered Trademark of Bayer CropScience.

Mai

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(tDM

) in

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stac

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Assumptions


The right support - full technical farmer assistanceTo ensure you make the greatest possible profit from your investment in Pioneer® brand products, there is always a Pioneer technical sales professional close at hand offering to help you.

With over 1,200 years combined experience serving and supporting New Zealand farmers, your local Pioneer Service and Support team can provide the right solution to most farming challenges you may face.

Pioneer professional support is only a phone call away.

( 0 8 0 0 7 4 6 6 3 3 )

Maize hybrid performance summary

COPY TO COME FOR THIS PAGE03 MAY UPDATE

Good crop management practices certainly help achieve high yields, but the most important decision at the start of the season is to select and plant the highest yielding hybrid suited to the growing situation being considered. The product performance and positioning information below will assist farmers to make informed hybrid selection decisions this spring.

Yield and income advantage to the named Pioneer® brand hybrid

Pioneer® brand

Other brand

Number of comparisons

Drymatter difference (%)1

Yield(kgDM/ha)

Statistical significance

Milksolids income ($/ha)2

31G66 PAC624 13 1.32 + 3,327 + 1,996

33G26 CTL108 131 -1.32 + 2,826 + 1,696

33G26 Olympiad 43 0.17 + 2,380 + 1,428

33M54 CTL108 59 -1.09 + 3,595 + 2,157

33M54 Olympiad 81 -0.26 + 2,595 + 1,557

34P88 DKC57-83 59 -1.88 + 1,733 + 1,040

34P88 Maximus 66 0.21 + 3,663 + 2,198

34P88 NZ6121 22 -0.02 + 2,584 + 1,550

35A30 CTL104 86 -1.88 + 934 + 560

35A30 Maximus 84 1.91 + 1,692 + 1,015

36M28 CTL100 88 -2.40 + 1,386 + 832

36M28 CTL104 99 -1.06 + 728 + 437

38H20 CTL85 139 -2.74 + 1,916 + 1,150

38H20 DKC37-12 123 -0.59 + 2,134 + 1,280

38H20 DKC43-72 54 -0.75 + 1,319 + 792

38V12 CTL85 138 -2.70 + 2,038 + 1,223

38V12 DKC37-12 127 -0.59 + 2,150 + 1,290

38V12 PAC504 13 2.75 + 1,140 + 684

P0021 CTL100 34 -0.48 + 1,493 + 896

P0021 CTL96 21 1.06 + 2,694 + 1,616

P0021 PAC504 28 -1.33 + 2,316 + 1,389

P9400 PAC504 33 0.37 + 1,240 + 744

Comparison Results Maize hybrid comparisons

Maize hybrid performance comparison chart

1Positive drymatter differences indicate that the Pioneer hybrid had a higher average drymatter percentage at harvest. Such hybrids are usually shorter in maturity than the comparison. Negative drymatter differences indicate that the Pioneer hybrid had a lower average drymatter content at harvest. Such hybrids are usually longer in maturity than the comparison hybrid.2In this table milksolids income is calculated assuming a milksolids response rate of 100g milksolids per kg of maize silage drymatter fed and a milksolids price of $6.00/kg.

Source: Pioneer® Brand Products New Zealand Research Programme.

= very highly significant yield advantage to Pioneer= highly significant yield advantage to Pioneer= significant yield advantage to Pioneer

Scientific designation

26

Pioneer® brand hybrids for maize silageOur goal is simple yet complex: Help farmers plant the right product in the right paddock.

Pioneer® brand hybrid maize products offer the broadest range and combination of plant attributes to meet specific needs. They are not ‘one-size-fits-all’ products.

Introducing more choice.

Two ranges of maize hybrids Elite Performers and Proven Performers.

The Elite Performer range includes the latest and leading edge hybrids most recently released from the New Zealand Research Programme.

Incorporating Pioneer’s latest germplasm, these products have dominated New Zealand trials. The Elite range offers farmers industry leading yields, improved stability, productivity and flexibility.

Elite PerformersPioneer® brand

The Proven Performer range includes hybrids that have been trusted and have delivered yield stability and peace-of-mind to farmers over a number of seasons.

Proven PerformersPioneer® brand


To deliver yield gains, Pioneer breeders across the world are making breeding advancements without using genetic modifications. Some of the latest developments include;

By planting Pioneer® brand maize seed in New zealand, growers can be confident they are accessing the latest genetics and technologies enjoyed by many farmers around the world.

Brown mid-rib (BMR) hybridsBMR silage hybrids have been available in the USA for many years. While they have more digestible fibre, previously available BMR hybrids have not been popular with growers because they produce lower drymatter yields and generally have poorer agronomic performance. Pioneer have developed BMR silage hybrids that combine the BMR fibre digestibility advantage with excellent yields, high starch content, strong drought tolerance and a robust disease and pest package.

Nitrogen-use efficient hybridsHybrids with improved nitrogen use efficiency are being developed to produce more drymatter yield per unit of available nitrogen. Decreasing the amount of nitrogen needed per tonne of maize produced improves farmer profitability while reducing the environmental impact of nitrogen.

Optimum AQUAmax® hybridsOptimum AQUAmax® hybrids help minimise the risk of decreased yields due to drought stress, delivering yield stability even in dry seasons. The first Optimum AQUAmax hybrid in New Zealand is P0791. See page 32.

Pioneer maize breeding: The continuing pursuit of yield excellence

Pioneer® brand hybrids for maize silage

28

ELITE PERFORMER

CRM 78

ELITE PERFORMER

CRM 84

Growers in the cooler environments of the Lower North Island and South Island have been waiting for a hybrid that delivers top drymatter yields in the available growing season.

A surprisingly tall plant with excellent early growth, very good standability and staygreen delivering silage with superb energy and whole plant digestibility.

Best used in high altitude Central North Island, Taranaki, Lower North Island and South Island in environments where 39G12 is considered too late in maturity.

Excellent yields, sound drought tolerance and outstanding early growth.

An exceptional choice for tonnage and energy in shorter season environments.

39G12 is a dual purpose grain and silage hybrid that delivers high quality, grain-dense silage with excellent readily available energy and superior whole plant digestibility.

Widely established in Taranaki, Lower North Island and South Island.

An early companion to 39T45, 39F58, 38V12 and 38H20.

Combines excellent agronomics with top silage yields.

Short stature with sound standability, drought tolerance, very good resistance to Northern Leaf Blight, Common Rust and superior whole plant digestibility.

39T45 may be planted to achieve early harvest in the Southern Waikato, for general plantings in the Lower North Island and Canterbury and as a mid to full season hybrid for South or higher altitude Canterbury and North Otago.

Companion with 39G12, 39F58, 38V12 or 38H20.

Distinctively the earliest of the earlies!

Short in stature - long on performance!

Benchmark hybrid – combines tonnage and energy!

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39T45 39G12ELITE

PERFORMER

CRM 72

39V43

Max 99

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Max 99G

rain

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Max 99

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9

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5

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6

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6

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IMPORTANT NOTE: Hybrid comparisons are only valid within a range of + or - 4 CRM. These descriptions mainly feature product strengths. When choosing hybrids, also review carefully the trait ratings found in the table on page 40. Contact your local Pioneer Area Manager or merchant representative for further advice.


Superior ratings for Northern Leaf Blight, Common Rust and early growth.

Moderately tall with an impressive chunky cob delivering high grain content silage with digestibility cows love.

While defensive and widely adapted, 39F58 is best placed in moderate to high yielding situations.

A popular choice in South Waikato, Northern and Central Taranaki, Manawatu and into the South Island where it increasingly becomes a full season option.

Companion with 39T45, 38V12 and 38H20.

Strong early emergence, excellent roots, sound stalks and impressive drought tolerance, which together with superior staygreen add appeal to this silage stalwart.

38V12 has been proven to deliver stable, top-end yields, while maintaining comparative yield advantage in moderate to challenging environments.

38V12 has a broad area of adaptation including coastal Taranaki, Rangitikei, Wairarapa and the warmer districts of the South Island.

Companion with 39F58, 38H20 and P9400.

Delivers great silage yields. Exceptionally well balanced hybrid that delivers.

39F58 38V12 PROvEN

PERFORMER

CRM 86

ELITE PERFORMER

CRM 88

Max 99G

rain

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8

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Max 99

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6

A tall plant with strong resistance to Northern Leaf Blight, dependable drought tolerance, superior roots, stalks and staygreen.

The solid profile of 38H20 makes it an excellent choice from Kaitaia to Timaru! In the north it may be considered for the production of early feed or when late planting is necessary. From Taranaki, Manawatu and south into Canterbury 38H20 will be an important hybrid choice for all normal planting dates.

Companion with 39F58, 38V12 and P9400.

Tested, tried and proven!

38H20

ELITE PERFORMER

CRM 91

Max 99

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PROvEN PERFORMER

CRM 94

ELITE PERFORMER

CRM 95

A tall dense plant producing high grain content silage with superior energy and digestibility.

Has strong early growth, dependable drought tolerance, standability and staygreen.

Sound disease resistance package.

Performs best in moderate to high yield environments in Northland, Waikato, Taranaki and Lower North Island.

Intermediate in maturity between 38H20, 38V12 and 37Y12.

The plant profile includes superior drought tolerance and above average Northern Leaf Blight resistance. Produces high grain content silage with superior digestibility.

38P05 is reliable and adapted to a wide range of environments from Northland to Canterbury. Particularly suitable for high wind run or dry coastal production. The preferred product for more challenging yield environments and light soils.

Companion with 38H20, 38V12 or P9400.

Adapted to high yielding environments and variable or light soils that require drought tolerance.

A top choice where cold wet soils challenge emergence and early growth. Offers superior Northern Leaf Blight resistance.

37Y12 is highly competitive in the Lower North Island as a mid to late maturity option but is also well positioned in Northland, Waikato and the Bay of Plenty as a stable, defensive early hybrid.

Companion with 38H20, 38V12, P9400 or P0021 depending on maturity requirements.

Stands tall – delivers big time!

Exceptional performer! Produces silage with excellent energy and digestibility!

Reliable widely adapted veteran.

37Y1238P05ELITE

PERFORMER

CRM 94

P9400

Max 9Max 99

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A relatively short plant with excellent grain yields results in silage with superior energy and digestibility.

Produces an eye-catching ear on plants with sound standability and staygreen, bundled together with top disease resistance.

An excellent option in moderate to high yield environments in Northland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Gisborne, Hawke’s Bay, Taranaki and Lower North Island.

May be companioned with P9400, which is earlier or 36M28 as a later option.

Strong early growth, sound agronomics, disease resistance and delivers consistently high grain content silage with superior digestibility.

Mid maturity option for Northland, Bay of Plenty and Poverty Bay.

In the warmer localities of the Waikato 36H36 may be considered for the production of mid to early maturing silage, for early planting at altitude or for late planting.

In the Lower North Island 36H36 becomes a full season option.

Mid maturity but top of the class for quality silage yields!

widely adapted, consistent performer.

P0021ELITE

PERFORMER

CRM 100

36H36

PROvEN PERFORMER

CRM 100

Max 9Max 99

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Max 9Max 9

8G

rain

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Dual purpose product, for silage or grain, producing outstanding silage yields with excellent whole plant digestibility and readily available energy.

Has strong early growth and develops a tall plant with dependable agronomics and strong Common Rust resistance.

In Northland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty and Hawke’s Bay 36M28 may be considered a mid maturity silage hybrid. In the warmer parts of the Lower North Island 36M28 is full season requiring early planting to realise its yield potential.

Companion with 35A30, P0791 or P0021.

Impressive yielding “all rounder”! Dominates plantings in this maturity.

ELITE PERFORMER

CRM 103

36M28

Max 9Max 99

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32

ELITE PERFORMER

CRM 106

Combines great all round agronomics with dependable staygreen and drought tolerance. Also has strong Northern Leaf Blight and Common Rust resistance.

A tall plant for its maturity with low ear placement. Produces silage with superior energy content and digestibility.

Adapted to a wide range of environments including Northland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty and East Coast.

Companion with 36M28 and P0791 or P0891.

Produces a tall plant with a chunky ear delivering impressive yields of soft textured grain.

Excellent silage appeal is enhanced by superior drought tolerance, staygreen and solid disease resistance.

Produces outstanding yields in northern production areas through to Bay of Plenty and East Coast. Bred to perform in the dry, it is also competitive in moderate to high yielding situations.

Companion with 36M28, 35A30, P0891 or 34D71.

Broadly adapted - strong agronomics – top silage quality.

Optimum AQUAmax® technology delivers top of the line drought tolerance. Yield and grain! Cows will love it!

P0791ELITE

PERFORMER

CRM 105

35A30

Max 9Max 99

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Max 9Max 99

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The most advanced maize drought tolerant technology– Optimum AQUAmax® is available in New zealand.

Optimum AQUAmax hybrids are exciting new products that offer growers additional choices to help minimise risk and maximise crop productivity under drought stress. Developed and tested utilising Pioneer’s extensive drought technology research and proprietary Accelerated Yield Technology (AYT™) system, Optimum AQUAmax hybrids help deliver a yield advantage in water-limited environments.

Simply stated Optimum AQUAmax hybrids:

• Maximise water access through an extended rooting system.

• Help minimise the risk of decreased yields due to drought stress.

• Deliver yield stability even in dry seasons.



ELITE PERFORMER

CRM 107

Very good ratings for stalk strength, staygreen and Northern Leaf Blight.

Exceptional yields in moderate to high yield environments.

34D71 silage is an excellent source of energy with superior whole plant and fibre digestibility.

34D71 is adapted to Northland, the warmer parts of Waikato, Bay of Plenty and Northern Hawke’s Bay. An excellent option where the risk of Northern Leaf Blight is considered high.

Companion with 36M28, 35A30, P0791 and P0891.

The Northern Leaf Blight resistant option!

P0891 has shown excellent grain and silage performance in all northern production regions in New Zealand.

Produces high starch content silage with excellent digestibility ratings.

P0891 is well adapted from moderate to high yielding paddocks. With sound root and stalk lodging ratings is well adapted to high plant populations, but these should be adjusted to match yield expectations.

Has very good drought tolerance and staygreen combined with above average resistance to Northern Leaf Blight.

Companion with 36M28, 35A30, P0791, P1253 or 34P88.

Good agronomics and grain yields for the production of consistent quality silage. Widely adapted in northern maize growing regions, 34K77 has defensive attributes for tough conditions.

With its sound drought tolerance this hybrid is an excellent option in drought prone soils and in challenging lower yielding environments prevalent from Huntly West and the Hauraki Plains through the Bay of Plenty.

In early planted, higher yielding environments use P0791, 34D71, P0891, 34P88 or P1253.

Tough to take the drought!Exciting hybrid with a well-balanced agronomic profile.

34D71 P0891 34K77 PROvEN

PERFORMER PROvEN

PERFORMER

CRM 109CRM 107

Max 9Max 99

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7

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Max 9Max 99G

rain

yie

ld9

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7

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7D

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ht t

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6

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Max 9Max 99

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in y

ield

8

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ield

6

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7

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6

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34

ELITE PERFORMER

CRM 109

Delivers exceptional silage and grain yields for Northland, Waikato and Bay of Plenty through the Northern Hawke’s Bay.

Tall hybrid with dependable stalks, superior drought tolerance and pleasing staygreen providing a wide harvest window.

Produces grain-rich silage with excellent readily available energy and superior whole plant digestibility.

Companion with 33G26, 33M54 and P1253 or with P0891 and 34D71 which are earlier.

Similar in maturity to 34P88 but slightly shorter with lower ear placement.

P1253 is well adapted to higher yield potential situations and should be planted early to optimise its performance opportunity.

Has excellent staygreen and a strong agronomic package.

Produces impressive yields of high grain content silage with superior readily available energy and whole plant digestibility ratings.

An excellent companion for 34P88.

Impressive yield! Impressive energy! Impressive digestibility!

Top end performer with balanced agronomics.

P1253 34P88

CRM 109

Max 9Max 99G

rain

yie

ld9

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6

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7D

roug

ht t

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ance

7

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Max 9Max 99

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9

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8

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6

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ELITE PERFORMER


34F95 is tall, very similar in type and appearance to 34P88.

Provides strong agronomic stability through superior drought tolerance, staygreen and dependable stalk strength. Has good Northern Leaf Blight, Common Rust and Head Smut resistance.

Produces exceptional silage with excellent digestibility and energy content from Northland, Waikato and Bay of Plenty through into Hawke’s Bay.

Companion with P0891, 34P88 or P1253.

ELITE PERFORMER

CRM 109

34F95Impressive combination of agronomics, leaf disease resistance and silage yield.

Max 9Max 99

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ELITE PERFORMER

CRM 116

A very tall, full season hybrid with superior early growth, dependable drought tolerance and solid agronomics delivering top silage yields.

33G26 is excellent in warmer northern regions for contract silage producers, dairy farm run-off production or for on-farm growers with early planting opportunities.

The first choice for farmers wanting to greenfeed a portion of their crop.

For later planting use P0891 or 34D71. Companion with 33M54.

Industry leading grain dense silage yields are further enhanced by superior whole plant digestibility and readily available energy.

33M54 has dependable drought tolerance and very good staygreen to support a wide harvest window.

A stable hybrid which performs well at all yield levels and is recommended for planting in warmer full season situations in Northland, South Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty and down the East Coast to Northern Hawke’s Bay.

Companion with 33G26.

A very late maturing hybrid for early planting in New Zealand’s warmest growing environments in Northland and coastal Bay of Plenty. Has outstanding drought tolerance and staygreen ratings for a wide harvest window.

31G66 is a very tall hybrid which produces silage with superior digestibility and energy content ratings.

To exploit the performance of this hybrid plant before 10 October into high yield potential paddocks and establish 90,000 to 100,000 plants per hectare.

A significantly later option than the popular 33M54.

The traditional “heavy weight”. Imposing giant.A giant plant with “standout eye appeal” and performance!

33G26 33M54 31G66

PROvEN PERFORMER

CRM 112

ELITE PERFORMER

CRM 112

Max 9Max 9

7

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Max 9Max 99G

rain

yie

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7S

tayg

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7

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Max 9Max 99

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9

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8

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8

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Trait characteristics notes1 Silage comparative relative maturity (CRM):

Pioneer silage CRM ratings provide a comparison between Pioneer hybrids indicating the relative rates at which hybrids reach harvestable whole plant drymatter. They do not represent actual calendar days from planting to harvest.

2 Yield for maturity: Hybrid comparisons should only be made within a range of + or – 4 CRM. Analysis of differences in harvest drymatter percentages between hybrids measured in our New Zealand forage research programme show products compared within + or – 4 CRM will reach ideal silage harvest maturity (defined as 30 - 38% DM) within about seven days of each other.

3 Adaptability to high population: A measure of the mix of genetic factors that permit a maize plant to withstand the stresses of high population and still give good standability and high yields.

4 Adaptability to low population: An indicator of a hybrid’s ability to compensate (flex) cob size for stand loss from insect damage or poor emergence.

5 Early growth: Ratings are taken when two leaf collars are visible.

6 Plant height: 9 = Tall. 1 = Short.

7 Staygreen: A measure of late season plant health. A lower score also means that the plant stover loses colour and dries down more rapidly at maturity.

8 Whole plant digestibility: Based on estimated 24 hour in vitro, whole plant digestibility percentage (DM basis) as predicted by Near Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy (NIRS).

9 Fibre digestibility: Based on 24 hour enzymatic estimate of the proportion of degradable neutral detergent fibre (NDF) as a percentage of the total NDF in whole plant sample, predicted by NIRS.

10 Silage crude protein: Based on the amount of crude protein in the whole plant, predicted by NIRS.

11 Readily available energy (RAE): Based on total starch, sugar and oil content of hybrids harvested at silage maturity. Use this score as a relative comparison of the whole plant concentration of more readily available energy (primarily grain) among individual hybrids.

12 Northern Leaf Blight (NLB) and Eyespot: Caution: In conditions where NLB and Eyespot risks are high, growers should only consider planting hybrids with at least moderate resistance ratings of 5 or higher for these diseases.

13 Hybrid disease resistance ratings: 8 to 9 = Highly resistant. 6 to 7 = Resistant. 4 to 5 = Moderately resistant. 1 to 3 = Susceptible. - = Insufficient data. Common Rust ratings are mostly based on United States and European data as the New Zealand database is usually too small to give a statistically valid rating. Eyespot and NLB ratings are based on overseas data together with New Zealand observations. Scores are based on visual assessment only and not on yield reduction data.

14 Cool environments: In cool environments, including high altitude sites greater than approximately 150 m / 500 ft above sea level, select your yield environment using the descriptions below, then increase established plant populations to the next level i.e. for 39T45 in a medium yield environment at high altitude, plant to achieve 120,000 established plants per hectare.

15 Established plant populations: These assume good seed establishment conditions. If you are planting very early or into a less than ideal seedbed or where insect pressure may be high (e.g. a shorter than optimum fallow period), plant populations may need to be increased to compensate for reduced establishment due to field losses.

16 Plant populations: The tabulated established populations are recommendations only. Work with your local Pioneer Area Manager or merchant seed representative to determine the appropriate plant populations for your specific growing environment.

17 Growing environment definitions: May include some or all of the following characteristics:

Challenging yield environments (CYE)

Typically light, sandy or shallow soils of low fertility, low moisture retention, and predictably low summer rainfall (drought-prone environments).

High cob or leaf disease pressure.

Medium yield environments (MYE)

Average fertility soils with predictably adequate summer rainfall and good moisture retention.

Continuously cropped soils.

Medium to low cob or leaf disease pressure.

Recommended for new maize growers.

High yield environments (HYE)

Typically deeper, highly fertile and well structured soils with good moisture retention.

Predictably good summer rainfall, shelter from high wind run.

Good soils straight out of long term pasture.

Low or no cob or leaf disease pressure.

36

NOTE: It is possible to plant from mid September through to mid December in most areas. Please contact your local Pioneer Area Manager or phone 0800 PIONEER (0800 746 633) for advice on hybrid selections for earlier or later plantings.

Planned planting date 2012

Targ

et h

arve

st d

ate

2013

September October November

21 26 1 6 11 16 21 26 31 5 10 15 20 25 30

Febr

uary 5 137 132 127 122

10 142 137 132 127 12215 147 142 137 132 127 12220 152 147 142 137 132 127 12225 157 152 147 142 137 132 127 122

Mar

ch 2 162 157 152 147 142 137 132 127 1227 162 157 152 147 142 137 132 127 122

12 162 157 152 147 142 137 132 127 12217 162 157 152 147 142 137 132 127 12222 162 157 152 147 142 137 132 127 12227 162 157 152 147 142 137 132 127 122

April 1 162 157 152 147 142 137 132 127 122

6 162 157 152 147 142 137 132 12711 162 157 152 147 142 137 13216 162 157 152 147 142 13721 162 157 152 147 14226 162 157 152 147

Line up your planned planting date column with your target harvest date row to find the actual number of days.

Days from planting to harvest

days

planting date

harvest date

/

/ 2013

2012Calculate your days from planting to harvest

Use the chart below to calculate the number of days between your proposed planting and harvest dates.

Choosing the right hybrid for your farm

STEP BY STEP GUIDE

Complete the following four steps to determine the right hybrid product for your paddock.


39F58 125 - 139

38V12 128 - 141

38H20 129 - 143

P9400 131 - 145

38P05 131 - 145

37Y12 132 - 146

P0021 134 - 148

36H36 134 - 148

36M28 137 - 153

35A30 138 - 154

P0791 139 - 155

34D71 139 - 155

P0891 139 - 155

34K77 142 - 155

34F95 143 - 156

34P88 143 - 156

P1253 143 - 156

33G26 145 - 159

33M54 146 - 160

Hybrid options for your regionIdentify the appropriate hybrid(s) for your region by matching your number of days from planting to harvest (as calculated in Step 1) with the hybrids in your region. Write options in the box on the opposite page.

Northland / South Auckland Coastal BOP / Gisborne Northern Hawke’s Bay

North and Central waikato and King Country

South waikato / Coastal Taranaki Manawatu / Rangitikei Southern wairarapa Central Hawke’s Bay

Hybrids MaturityEstimated days from planting to harvest Hybrids Maturity

Estimated days from planting to harvest Hybrids Maturity

Estimated days from planting to harvest

REGION 1 REGION 2 REGION 3

39F58 122 - 135

38V12 123 - 136

38H20 124 - 138

P9400 126 - 140

38P05 126 - 140

37Y12 127 - 141

P0021 130 - 144

36H36 130 - 144

36M28 132 - 145

35A30 133 - 147

P0791 135 - 151

34D71 135 - 151

P0891 135 - 151

34K77 139 - 152

34F95 140 - 153

34P88 140 - 153

P1253 140 - 153

33G26 142 - 156

33M54 143 - 157

31G66 150 - 170

S

M

VL

F

39G12 126 - 140

39T45 134 - 148

39F58 135 - 149

38V12 136 - 150

38H20 137 - 152

P9400 140 - 154

38P05 140 - 154

37Y12 144 - 156

P0021 145 - 159

36H36 145 - 159

36M28 148 - 160

VS

S

M

F

F

VS

S

M

VS

= Elite Performer = Proven Performer

Maturity Key

VS = Very short F = FullS = Short VL = Very longM = Mid

38

Central Taranaki / Rotorua Taupo / Southern Hawke’s Bay / Northern wairarapa Horowhenua

Nelson / MarlboroughNorth & Mid Canterbury

South Canterbury North Otago / west Coast

Hybrids MaturityEstimated days from planting to harvest Hybrids Maturity

Estimated days from planting to harvest

REGION 4 REGION 5 REGION 6

1Hybrid Hybrid 2 Hybrid 3

39V4

339

G12

39T4

539

F58

38V1

238

H20

P940

038

P05

37Y1

2P0

021

36H3

636

M28

35A3

0P0

791

34D7

1 P0

891

34K7

734

F95

34P8

8P1

253

33G2

633

M54

31G6

6

Yiel

d

Silage CRM1 72 78 84 86 88 91 94 94 95 100 100 103 105 106 107 107 109 109 109 109 112 112 116

Grain yield for maturity2 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 8 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 7 9 9

Silage yield for maturity2 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 8 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 8 9 9 9 9 9 9

Adaptability to high population3 8 7 9 9 9 9 8 9 8 8 8 8 8 7 8 9 8 8 8 9 9 7 6

Adaptability to low population4 (ear flex) 5 7 6 8 9 9 9 8 6 9 8 8 7 9 8 6 8 8 7 6 7 6 9

Plan

t tra

its

Drought tolerance 5 7 6 6 8 7 7 7 8 6 7 7 7 9 7 7 7 7 7 6 7 7 8

Stalk strength 6 6 6 5 6 6 7 5 5 6 5 7 5 6 7 8 4 7 6 6 7 7 7

Root strength 6 4 7 6 8 6 7 5 6 7 6 5 5 5 5 6 5 5 5 5 5 4 5

Early growth5 9 8 6 6 7 5 7 5 6 7 7 7 6 6 6 6 6 7 7 6 7 6 6

Plant height6 5 8 5 7 6 7 8 5 6 6 5 8 8 7 7 7 6 7 7 6 8 6 8

Staygreen7 6 5 5 6 7 7 6 6 5 7 6 6 7 8 7 7 6 8 6 8 7 7 8

Sila

ge q

ualit

y tra

its

Whole plant digestibility8 8 7 7 7 6 6 7 7 8 8 8 8 8 7 8 7 8 6 7 8 7 7 7

Fibre digestibility9 6 6 7 7 6 6 7 7 7 8 8 6 8 8 7 7 7 8 7 7 7 6 8

Silage crude protein10 9 7 6 8 7 7 8 7 8 7 7 6 8 8 7 7 7 7 6 7 7 8 6

Silage readily available energy11 8 8 6 6 7 6 9 7 9 9 7 8 8 9 9 8 8 8 8 9 7 7 7

Hybr

id d

isea

se

ratin

gs13

Northern Leaf Blight12 3 4 6 7 6 6 7 6 6 7 6 5 6 5 7 6 5 6 5 5 5 5 5

Common Rust - 6 6 6 6 5 6 5 5 6 6 7 6 7 5 5 6 6 5 5 5 6 5

Eyespot12 - - - - - - - 5 6 - - - 6 - - - 6 - - - - - -Re

com

men

ded

esta

blis

hed

plan

t po

pula

tions

(000

s/ha

) 14, 1

5,16

,17 Challenging yield

environments17 NR 108 108 NR 104 104 100 104 104 100 100 100 100 100 NR 95 100 100 100 95 100 100 NR

Medium yield environments17 120 115 115 115 108 108 108 108 108 108 104 104 104 104 104 105 104 104 104 105 104 104 90

High yield environments17 130 120 120 120 115 115 115 115 115 115 108 108 108 108 108 110 108 108 108 110 108 104 100

RATINGS: 9 = Outstanding 1 = Poor - = Insufficient data available = New hybrid NR = Not recommended

= Elite Performer = Proven Performer For footnotes please refer to page 36.

Hybrid maturity is based on heat unit accumulation through the season. Hybrids will therefore be quicker to harvest in warmer regions or warmer seasons. For example, a hybrid planted in coastal Bay of Plenty will be ready for harvesting much earlier than the same hybrid planted on the same day in Central Taranaki due to the faster accumulation of heat units in the Bay of Plenty environment. This has important implications for hybrid selection. The table above is a guide as to the estimated days from planting to harvest for Pioneer® brand hybrids in the regions for which they are recommended for silage. This information is generated from silage hybrid trials carried out in these regions over several seasons.

Choose traits that are important to youDetermine the hybrid traits (plant features) that are important to you for your cropping environment. On the following page enter the hybrid trait ratings for the hybrids you selected in Step 2.

39V43 143 - 156

39G12 150 - 163

39T45 153 - 167

39F58 155 - 169

38V12 158 - 172

38H20 160 - 174

P9400 161 - 176

38P05 162 - 176

S

M

39V43 148 - 163

39G12 155 - 170

39T45 158 - 172

39F58 159 - 173

S39V43 133 - 143

39G12 140 - 150

39T45 142 - 156

39F58 143 - 158

38V12 146 - 160

38H20 148 - 162

P9400 149 - 163

38P05 149 - 163

37Y12 151 - 165

P0021 153 - 168

VSVS

S

M

Hybrid options for your paddocks.

Fill out the trait ratings on page 41

F

F

M

F


= Elite Performer = Proven Performer

Maturity Key

VS = Very short F = FullS = Short VL = Very longM = Mid

1Hybrid Hybrid Hybrid2 3

Silage yield rating1

Grain yield rating1

Drought tolerance rating

Staygreen rating2

Early growth rating3

Leaf disease rating4

Bag calculatorDetermine the number of bags required for each paddock on your farm. See page 40 for planting population rates.

2

3

1

Hybrid Planting population Hectares Bags requiredPaddock name

Notes

Use the trait ratings table on page 40

Choose traits that are important to youDetermine the hybrid traits (plant features) that are important to you for your cropping environment. Enter the hybrid trait ratings for the hybrids you selected in Step 2.

41

Formula:

Example: 39V43

A Bx

x120 10 15

÷ 80 =

÷ 80 =

C

A B C

BACK PAGES GO HERE.4 OPTIONS FOR BACK PAGE.SET UP AS SEPARATE PAGES

208 x 297

7 4 6 6 3 3

Pioneer® brand products are provided subject to the terms and conditions of purchasing, which are part of the labelling and purchase documents. ®, TM, SM, Trademarks and service marks of Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc.The information in this publication is general in nature only. Although the information in this publication is believed to be accurate, no liability (whether as a result of negligence or otherwise) is accepted for any loss of any kind that may arise from actions based on the contents of this publication.© 2012, Genetic Technologies Limited. No part of this publication can be reproduced without prior written consent from Genetic Technologies Limited.The farm results achieved by testimonial farmers are illustrative only of the potential for gains when using Pioneer® brand products. All testimonial figures have been provided and approved by each testimonial farmer.

GRAEME AuSTINMobile: 027 433 0161Phone: 07 871 [email protected]

NORTHERN REGIONAL MANAGER

Your Pioneer® brand products team

NICK PALAIRETMobile: 027 451 2843Phone: 07 872 [email protected]

AREA MANAGER SOUTH AUCKLAND & NORTH WAIKATO

PAuL GREENBANK Mobile: 027 554 [email protected]

FORAGE SPECIALIST SOUTH AUCKLAND & NORTH WAIKATO

GuY DYER Mobile: 027 477 3275Phone: 07 824 [email protected]

FIELD OFFICER SOUTH AUCKLAND & NORTH WAIKATO

WENDY DEWARMobile: 027 471 0116Phone: 07 870 [email protected]

FORAGE SPECIALISTEASTERN WAIKATO & BAY OF PLENTY

IAN WILLIAMS Mobile: 027 495 0789Phone: 07 843 [email protected]

FORAGE SPECIALIST

RoBIN BILLETTMobile: 027 273 0497Phone: 07 544 [email protected]

AREA MANAGER BAY OF PLENTY

PHIL EVANSMobile: 027 444 3032Phone: 06 869 [email protected]

SEED SUPPLY MANAGER & AREA MANAGERGISBORNE

RICHARD MAxWELLMobile: 027 436 5418Phone: 07 378 [email protected]

FIELD OFFICER CENTRAL PLATEAU/GISBORNE/ NORTHERN HAWKE’S BAY

MARK BuRKEMobile: 027 451 3987Phone: 06 328 [email protected]

AREA MANAGER & FORAGE SPECIALIST HAWKE’S BAY

CRAIG BooTH Mobile: 027 222 2403Phone: 09 411 [email protected]

AREA MANAGER NORTHLAND & NORTH AUCKLAND

STEPHEN BALL Mobile: 027 507 4881Phone: 09 430 [email protected]

FIELD OFFICER NORTHLAND

208

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JAMES CRESWELLMobile: 027 508 [email protected]

KATHERINE PAGEMobile: 027 508 1718Phone: 03 312 [email protected]

ANDREW PoWELLMobile: 027 704 9492Phone: 06 756 [email protected]

FIELD OFFICERMANAWATU/WAIRARAPA/HOROWHENUA

FIELD OFFICERSOUTH ISLAND

FORAGE SPECIALISTLOWER NORTH ISLAND

MARK BuRKEMobile: 027 451 3987Phone: 06 328 [email protected]

AREA MANAGER & FORAGE SPECIALIST HAWKE’S BAY/MANAWATU WAIRARAPA/HOROWHENUA

DR RoWLAND TSIMBA Mobile: 027 480 5794Phone: 07 839 [email protected]

RESEARCH EXTENSION AGRONOMIST

DAVID McDoNALDMobile: 027 276 5439Phone: 06 327 [email protected]

LOWER NORTH ISLAND REGIONAL MANAGER

FERGuS McNAuGHTMobile: 027 555 9017Phone: 06 323 [email protected]

FIELD OFFICER SOUTHERN HAWKE’S BAY/ MANAWATU/WAIRARAPA/HOROWHENUA

MERV STACHuRSKI Mobile: 027 552 5441Phone: 06 756 [email protected]

FIELD OFFICER TARANAKI

DR GRANT MATTHEWSMobile: 027 291 1881Phone: 03 322 [email protected]

SOUTH ISLAND REGIONAL MANAGER

DARYL MooREMobile: 027 767 1119Phone: 03 312 [email protected]

FIELD OFFICER SOUTH ISLAND

DuNCAN GILLANDERS Mobile: 027 555 9016Phone: 03 347 [email protected]

FIELD OFFICER SOUTH ISLAND

GREG BuHLER Mobile: 027 477 6957Phone: 06 273 [email protected]

FORAGE SPECIALIST TARANAKI & RANGITIKEI

7 4 6 6 3 3



GRAEME AuSTINMobile: 027 433 0161Phone: 07 871 [email protected]

NORTHERN REGIONAL MANAGER

NICK PALAIRETMobile: 027 451 2843Phone: 07 872 [email protected]

AREA MANAGER SOUTH AUCKLAND & NORTH WAIKATO

PAuL GREENBANK Mobile: 027 554 [email protected]

FORAGE SPECIALIST SOUTH AUCKLAND & NORTH WAIKATO

GuY DYER Mobile: 027 477 3275Phone: 07 824 [email protected]

FIELD OFFICER SOUTH AUCKLAND & NORTH WAIKATO

WENDY DEWARMobile: 027 471 0116Phone: 07 870 [email protected]

FORAGE SPECIALISTEASTERN WAIKATO & BAY OF PLENTY

IAN WILLIAMS Mobile: 027 495 0789Phone: 07 843 [email protected]

FORAGE SPECIALIST

GRANT McDoNALD Mobile: 027 245 2447Phone: 07 823 [email protected]

AREA MANAGER CENTRAL & SOUTH WAIKATO

JIM BARR Mobile: 027 554 3316 Phone: 07 888 [email protected]

FIELD OFFICER EASTERN WAIKATO

STu TYER Mobile: 027 246 6551Phone: 07 871 [email protected]

FIELD OFFICER WEST WAIKATO & KING COUNTRY

DR RoWLAND TSIMBA Mobile: 027 480 5794Phone: 07 839 [email protected]

RESEARCH EXTENSION AGRONOMIST

Genetic Technologies Limited

Gisborne Office: 328 Lytton Road, PO Box 214, Gisborne 4040. Phone: 06 869 0660 Fax: 06 867 0083

Auckland Office: PO Box 105303, Auckland City, Auckland 1143. Phone: 09 307 0000 Fax: 09 307 3300

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For more information go online or phone the Pioneer Advice Line toll-free


maize silage 12

Documents

kilograms of drymatter

kilograms of nitrogen

maize grain maize silage

maize silagechoosing

tonnes of drymatter

hectare kgha

hectare ckgdm

hectare kgncow