New report shows amazing response to maize fertiliser additive

Apr 12 2004 By The JournalBy The Journal

Maize growers who used Dalgety's fertiliser additive FTC1 last year increased margins by £196/acre, according to a new report from the company. This was the best response to the product since its launch five years ago.

FTC1 is a fertiliser additive which, when used on maize, promotes growth and increases the starch and metabolisable energy content of the crop. This, in turn, leads to higher milk yields and increased returns per acre.

The new Dalgety publication, How to get more milk from your maize, shows that in 2003, FTC1 application to the crop costing just £20/acre boosted returns by £216/acre to give an increased margin of £196/acre. Treated maize had a metabolisable energy content of 12.3 compared to 11.9 for the untreated crop. This gave an extra two litres of milk/cow and hence higher margins per acre. The increase in returns in 2001 was shown to be £156/acre and in 2002 stood at £108.

FTC1 is coated to the mono-ammonium phosphate (MAP) fertiliser which is placed next to the seed to provide better crop establishment, stronger growth through the season and an improvement in crop quantity and quality at harvest. A further advantage of the product is that it brings forward crop maturity by about seven to 10 days.

"FTC1 boosts root growth in the maize which increases the ability of the plant to take up water and nutrients, gives a higher chlorophyll content in the leaves and so the plant works harder," explains Alastair Taylor, Dalgety's national fertiliser technical manager.

"A very good maize growing year like 2003 increases the benefits of using FTC1," he says. "But even under poorer growing conditions, such as those experienced in 2002, FTC1 still gives a five-fold return."

Independent trials by the Maize Growers Association have shown that FTC1 can produce considerable benefit compared to using only FYM, or compared to MAP on its own. Copies of the report are available by ringing Dalgety on (0800) 272253.