Selecting the Right Maize Varieties: Expert Advice for UK Farmers

An insightful discussion with industry experts on making the best variety choices for your forage maize crop.

The latest episode of our Tramlines podcast brings you valuable insights from two industry experts: Ben Lowe, National Forage Product Manager at Agrii, and Tim Richmond, UK and Ireland Product Manager for Limagrain Field Seeds. With maize planting season approaching, their advice on variety selection couldn't be more timely.

Weather Challenges: The New Reality for UK Maize Growers

Recent years have presented significant challenges for maize growers across the UK. As Ben points out, "The last two harvest seasons have been extremely challenging for growers, especially from the wet conditions during September and October." 

Tim agrees, highlighting how global warming has added unpredictability to our weather patterns. Last season was particularly difficult with wet conditions persisting from autumn 2023 through winter and into spring 2024. This delayed drilling by 2-4 weeks for many farmers, significantly shortening the growing season.

The key question becomes: how can you mitigate these risks when selecting varieties for your farm?

Mitigating Risks: The Importance of Early Maturity

Both experts emphasise that choosing the right maize variety is fundamental to managing weather-related risks. Given the increasingly condensed growing periods, selecting varieties that can maximise yield potential within whatever window Mother Nature provides has become crucial.

As Ben explains, "Making sure that varieties are really able to mature as possible without compromising yield is a challenge." When you can't get onto your fields due to wet conditions, your establishment window narrows, making variety selection even more critical.

Getting Harvest Timing Right

A successful maize crop should be harvested at 32-35% dry matter with 28-35% starch content. Tim reminds us that starch deposition happens primarily in the last 2-4 weeks before harvest. If you're harvesting on 1st October, for instance, but your crop hasn't completed its maturation stage, you'll lose out on quality, dry matter, and the full benefits of the crop.

You need to select varieties that will:

• Grow appropriately for your area
• Mature completely
• Fill with starch
• Produce the feed quality needed for livestock or AD plants
  
  
  

The Multiple Benefits of Earlier Maturing Varieties

Early maturing varieties offer several advantages:

1. Risk management - They provide flexibility when drilling is delayed
2. Rotational benefits - Earlier harvest allows timely establishment of follow-on crops like wheat
3. Environmental advantages - Supports compliance with SFI options available throughout England
4. Maximising yield potential - New breeding techniques mean early varieties no longer compromise on yield

As Ben explains, "It ultimately maximises the potential for achieving the maximum from a crop of maize."

Breeding Innovations: More Yield in Less Time

Seed breeders like Lima Grain have been focusing on reducing risk by shortening the growing season while maintaining yield and quality benefits. Tim explains their breeding philosophy: "What we're always trying to do is take all those kind of yield benefits from mainstream material, and package it all into a shorter growing season crop."

The result is that today's early varieties can deliver comparable performance to later varieties but without the associated risks.

Introducing Harmony: Breaking the Mould

Agrii is excited to introduce Harmony, a new variety from Lima Grain that exemplifies these breeding advances. Ben describes it as a "classic example" of getting more from an earlier harvest:

"Traditionally, UK growers have hinged varieties selection on possibly some of the later maturing varieties because they maximise yields. Harmony will challenge if not surpass majority of those varieties within the later sector from a yield point of view. But with that early harvest, they also bring exceptional quality and performance from a nutritional point of view."

Technical Performance of Harmony

As a leading agronomy company with high technical capabilities, we've rigorously evaluated Harmony's performance metrics:

• Early Maturity Rating: One of the earliest in its yield class, significantly reducing harvest risk
• Starch Content: Delivers 28-35% starch at optimal harvest timing, matching or exceeding later varieties
• Dry Matter Yield: Challenges top-tier later varieties while maintaining early harvest advantages
• Feed Value: Exceptional nutritional profile, making it ideal for livestock producers seeking high-energy forage
• Development Timeline: Tested extensively through Lima Grain's breeding programme for four years in UK conditions before commercial release
• UK Adaptation: Specifically selected and developed to thrive in British growing conditions
• Resilience: Demonstrates strong performance across varying soil types and weather conditions
• Disease Resistance: Superior standing power and disease tolerance compared to competitors in its maturity class.
  
  

Harmony has undergone extensive testing across multiple UK trial sites before being brought to market, reflecting our commitment to introducing only the most technically sound varieties to our customers.

The variety will be added to the Recommended List in September 2025 for sowing in 2026, but we're making limited quantities available this season so you can experience its benefits earlier.

Where Will Harmony Perform Well?

While extremely marginal areas (Scotland or hilltop locations) might require ultra-early varieties, Harmony is well-adapted to mainstream growing regions - across the Midlands, Southwest, and practically anywhere maize has been successfully grown in recent years. This makes it suitable for over 50% of the UK maize acreage.

Tim notes that "because it's an early variety, but delivering all the benefits of what later varieties deliver, it makes it fairly widespread - you can grow it almost anywhere."

Securing Your Seed Stock

If you're interested in Harmony or need advice on selecting the right variety for your farm, contact your local Agrii agronomist. They have complete information on technical aspects and availability.

You can also find details in the latest 2025 Maize brochure at agrii.co.uk/your-crops/forage/maize.

Top Tips from the Experts

As you plan for the coming maize season, our experts offer these valuable tips:

Tim's advice:

"Don't try to stretch things out too much. Reduce your risk by selecting material that gives you flexibility. If things go slightly wrong in terms of climate - cool summers or high rainfall - you need that flexibility when it comes to harvest stage so you can get the crop off."

Ben's perspective:

"Assess your variety selection carefully. Consider whether the variety you're currently growing, possibly for quite some time, might be contributing to harvest challenges. Is it as early as it could be? Can we negate at least 50% of any challenges by getting that variety selection correct at the very beginning?"

Planning for Maize Success

As you prepare for the maize growing season, take time to evaluate whether your current variety choices are still the best fit for your farm's conditions. The breeding advances represented by varieties like Harmony mean you no longer need to compromise on yield to gain the benefits of earlier maturity.

With unpredictable weather becoming the new normal, selecting the right maize variety has never been more important.

Speak to your Agrii agronomist today to ensure you're making informed decisions that will maximise your chances of a successful harvest come autumn.