The focus of the video was on nutrient management for silage maize grown primarily by dairy farmers on clay soils in the northwest.
Key Speakers
- Ijs de Wals (Delphy Team Akkerbouw Noord-West): Coordinates a group of maize growers and livestock farmers testing decision-support tools for Dutch conditions.
- Tjerk Hof (dairy farmer): Operates a farm with 70 cows and 100 hectares. Maize yields vary greatly depending on crop rotation; the goal is sufficient dry matter kg per cow daily for quality feed.
Tool Testing Experiences
The group evaluated various tools from the NUTRI-CHECK NET platform, including leaf analysis and growth monitoring:
- Tools are useful for timing actions, focusing attention, and collecting data.
- Limitations: Results don’t fully match Dutch realities due to factors like growing season length, temperature, soil type (clay), and field history.
- Most tools emphasise in-season supplementary fertilisation, which is difficult to apply in maize crops.
- Recommendation: Prioritise strong upfront planning and baseline fertilisation rather than mid-season adjustments.
Conclusions & Next Steps
- Tested tools (including leaf analysis) are not yet highly relevant for Dutch maize cultivation.
- Future research: Compare nutrient uptake between short-cycle (120 days) and long-cycle (220 days) maize varieties. Currently, no differentiated nitrogen recommendations exist.
- Broader suggestion: Better integrate the livestock perspective – focus on feed value and impact on cow health/nutrition, not just arable aspects.
The session underscored the need for more localised, practical tools tailored to Dutch dairy-maize systems.
Watch here: https://youtu.be/l1AYJvW5SRo?si=89cG3PR3YDbDSZ4L
