Cattle farmers in the northern provinces, who planted maize in early June, should seriously consider that the crop will not reach the ideal harvest stage this year.
Arie van der Waal, coarse agronomist at Agrifirm, comes to this conclusion based on the crop condition and the expected temperature development.
Higher temperatures accelerate ripening.
In addition to day length, light intensity, moisture supply and fertilizer availability, temperature largely determines corn development. “Corn germinates faster and flowers faster at high temperatures. Early flowering often results in a higher cob percentage, and therefore higher starch content and higher nutritional value,” explains van der Waal. “At high temperatures, maturation also occurs faster, meaning it reaches harvest readiness faster.”
Harvest ready at 1500 to 1550 degrees T-sum
The effect of temperature can be expressed as the sum of temperatures (T-sum). T-sum is the sum of the average daily temperature above six degrees Celsius. For example, if the average temperature over a 24-hour period is fifteen degrees, nine degrees will be added to the T-sum. According to the coarse grain specialist, corn silage flowering begins at a T-sum of about 800 to 850 degrees, calculated from the planting date. Harvest readiness is reached at a T-sum of about 1,500 to 1,550 degrees.
