A crop not commonly grown but one that is purported to be “of ever-increasing interest” with proponents pointing to the market for UK produced Grain Maize having largely been ‘de-risked’ with now a “steady demand.” The UK annually imports about 1.85 M ton of grain maize some destined for industrial grain users including the Ensus biofuel plant, whilst some grain distillers will also take grain maize. There are a few fields of grain maize grown in Gloucestershire, the majority of which appears destined for the livestock market.
A normal sowing date for maize could be from 15 April to 15 May but during 2024 many crops were planted much later. Harvest can begin in early September; however this particular crop was cut mid December 2024.
I have heard such statement “because we’re combining and running on the crop trash as well as keeping trailers out of the field where not making a mess of the soil.”
In reality the common problem faced by UK agriculture is “to many wheeling’s” in each and every field. Combine harvesters set up to harvest grain maize could arguably be “wheeling” 85% of the surface area of the any given field.
Research clearly shows that measured soil dry bulk densities in and out of combine wheel tracks after harvesting spring barley during summer weather show significant increases in bulk density to a depth of 240 mm within the tracked area. Where a combine operates with tracks, no increases in bulk density is found below this depth as subsoil is often already “compact" to start with.
It is therefore no surprise that water infiltration rates are poor and surface run off a potential problem on soils that are managed without a “controlled trafficking” mindset outside of the summer months.
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