Two new maize varieties from seed breeder KWS are being offered for the 2022 growing season.
The first is KWS Resolvo, an early forage variety that the company’s John Burgess describes as a tremendous all-rounder with agronomic stability and a superb grain:stover ratio.
“KWS Resolvo has a maturity rating, or FAO, of 170 to 175 and a yield potential of 18.5t/ha, with 31.6 per cent starch and an ME of 11.50 MJ/kg,” Mr Burgess said. “Its high grain:stover ratio produces an energy-dense silage that’s suitable for moderate to high dairy total mixed ration inclusion or for beef finishing. It has very good standing power due to its low ear insertion height; positioning the cob further down the stem reduces lodging risk.
“The Descriptive List for 2023/24 will include KWS Resolvo and we fully expect it to move further up the rankings, as more data becomes available,” Mr Burgess added. “It has shown excellent vigour across all soil types and is being marketed exclusively by ProCam for this season.”
The second newcomer is KWS Pasco, an early maize hybrid with a dry matter yield average of 19t-plus/ha and starch at almost 34 per cent, as well as an ME figure of 11.63. Suitable for forage, biogas and corn cob mix, KWS Pasco has an FAO of 170/180. It can be added to a total mixed ration for dairy cows at a moderate to high inclusion rate.
“KWS Pasco produces excellent yields combined with high starch and good early vigour across all soil types,” Mr Burgess said. “It has no issues with standing power and its reliability makes it a good choice for biogas. The variety can also be used to produce a high-starch silage for dairy cows or for beef cattle finishing.
“Another end use for KWS Pasco is corn cob mix (CCM) that requires a variety with a high grain:stover ratio and a favourable rating for standing power. CCM is usually cut 10 to 14 days later than traditional silage and has a 50 per cent smaller storage requirement.
“The variety has been added to the Descriptive List and was available in limited quantities for 2021,” Mr Burgess added. “However, stocks have been increased for the coming maize-growing season, with seed available exclusively through Agrii.”
