Maize Seed 2026
Maize Seed Update from Grainseed
Last year was challenging due to the early spring drought, which was the complete opposite of 2024. We must encourage all growers to become more resilient by building their soil organic matter levels and protecting soil structure so that crops are better equipped to cope with the weather extremes we increasingly seem to get.
Many livestock farms had to feed their first cut grass silage over the summer to maintain milk yield, and maize has allowed pits to be refilled. However, silage stocks at the end of the winter will be low, so for many they will need an increased forage area to build stocks again. Maize does offer arable farms a good break crop, with repeated opportunities to control blackgrass, and a September harvest if the correct varieties are grown, enabling first wheats to be drilled in good conditions.
The grain maize market continues to expand and combining this season was in September following the dry summer and often at a grain moisture below 30%, reducing drying costs. Crimping remains a good option straight off the combine and creates a high value feed with 70% starch and 14.5ME.
Our complete portfolio and technical variety guides are available and provides you with Niab data and further important information on varieties’ ideal soil type preferences. Our aim is to get the best maize crop possible from every field. With weather patterns clearly becoming more extreme, matching varieties to fields is becoming far more critical.
For Maize Seed Varieties 2026 - click here
Our portfolio of varieties offers growers everything that they need, wherever they are growing maize. Faith and Myrdal allow high yields of forage to be harvested in the early maturity slot.
Bonnie has the highest feed quality and is ideal for high genetic cows producing over 11,000 litres milk, where energy density of the diet is key. With higher digestibility, cows can eat more forage per day and will produce more milk.
On more mainstream sites, Emeleen offers massive yields, and with good cob ripeness, this means that crops can be chopped in good time. New variety Wesley should be tried alongside Emeleen on a split field basis. With a higher yield, Wesley has better tolerance of drought conditions, good maize eyespot and smut tolerance and can be grown for grain too.
In the very best areas with a high number of heat units, Jakleen produces over 20t DM/ha of yield and works well alongside Metronom, which has proven to be very stable on these favourable sites.
We continue to monitor variety drought tolerance carefully and our knowledge is growing year on year, this being a characteristic our Breeders are working on, whether it be purely by selection alone or indeed looking at root structures, where more moisture between maize rows can be intercepted. The signs from some of our newer material is very encouraging. As we stand today, we can be confident in recommending varieties such as Micheleen, Jakleen, Crosbey, Emeleen, Bonnie and new variety Wesley for sowing into light or sandy field situations.
On sand, our experience is that growers should decrease seed rates to around 35,000 – 38,000 seeds per acre, (86,000 – 93,000 seeds/ha) depending on location and variety choice to help with potential moisture competition. Remember, we need to encourage cob development first and foremost.
Other varieties such as the exceptional high yielding ES Myrdal prefer more medium soil type situations and has delivered many fresh yields over 50 tonnes per hectare. The top rated Maturity Class 9 variety Faith favours medium / bodied fields for exceptional yields of high quality silage in the early harvest window, or as a good potential later drilling option following grass or cereal rye cut as silage.
Under SAMCO film, we have had good results drilling Emeleen to maximise yields; Myrdal has produced similar yield levels at an earlier harvest date, a goal for many in marginal areas using film. Faith works well under film too, producing good cobs but on a shorter plant, we will continue to monitor its performance under film in 2026.
MaxiMaize Plus placement fertiliser
MGA trials have shown that providing fresh phosphate alongside the seed helps establishment and early season growth. Our placement fertiliser Maxi Maize Plus provides a protected source of P allowing a lower application rate of 25kg/acre (60kg/ha) to be utilised, reducing the amount of bagged phosphate used on farm. The price of Maxi Maize Plus may change throughout the season depending on the fertiliser market.
If you would like to discuss your maize seed requirements,
please contact Louise Cox on 07943 684215.