Friday, March 29, 2024

New genetics bring maize diversity

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One of Corson Maize Seeds’ newly developed hybrids, CX7-S8, which has been grown in trials on a number of farms in Northland and Waikato, has delivered amazing results this season.
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The crop delivered impressive performance –the one shown was more than 4.1 metres tall – dwarfing Corson Maize Seed sales agronomist Pieter van der Westhuizen, who stands at 1.85m tall.

CX7-S8’s genetics are new to New Zealand and to date it has been a standout performer.

The hybrid will continue its product development phase throughout 2014 with ongoing evaluation of its agronomic characteristics and regional suitability.

CX7-S8 is just one of a range of hybrids that Corson Maize Seed is excited about introducing to NZ maize growers and it has come about because of the diversity of maize genetics the company is able to access.

Having a wide range of international breeding partners enables Corson Maize Seed to evaluate hybrids from a wide variety of germplasm.

Corson Maize Seed sales manager Guy Mason says “We are adding hybrids, with features and characteristics never before seen in NZ, to our current range of high performing silage and grain hybrids.

“We have received a lot of positive feedback from growers about the new hybrids released over recent seasons and we are looking forward to continuing to introduce new hybrids.”

Starting with a broad testing base, the company undertakes a multi-year research and development programme.

This produces commercial hybrids that are rigorously tested for yield performance, yield consistency and agronomic characteristics such as staygreen, lodging, and disease tolerance to name a few.

Following the initial testing and evaluation programmes, hybrids enter a pre-commercial phase where they are planted onfarm as test paddocks, proxy packs (test areas), or grain strips to provide a broader range of environmental testing.

Products continue to be evaluated in Corson Maize Seed’s research and development programmes during this product development phase to add to the overall database of information collected on a hybrid.

Having a strong focus on trialling and testing ensures that new genetic material brought to NZ is fully assessed in a wide range of environments and conditions before being released to growers.

For more information visit www.corsonmaize.co.nz or freephone 0800 805 505.

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