FARM ZONE
An advice, comment and opinion resource for the agricultural community
THE CHALLENGE FOR GRASS
Forage and grazing can determine the difference between profit and loss on livestock farms where margins are under constant pressure. With no inputs exempt from our inflationary times, Mike Sims – recently appointed to Bright Maize as grass specialist – tells us about...
BOOK REVIEW: PATRICK GALBRAITH, IN SEARCH OF ONE LAST SONG. BRITAIN’S DISAPPEARING BIRDS AND THE PEOPLE TRYING TO SAVE THEM (William Collins, 2022)
Dr Tom Adair – a writer living in France – reviews this book for Bright Maize. The contents of the book do not necessarily reflect the views of Bright Maize, its employees or others associated with the company. Why do birds matter? There are scientific - good...
TONY HARRIS AND HARPER ADAMS
As part of our pioneer series, we look at one of the UK’s leading agricultural educationalists, Dr Tony Harris, who died earlier this year and believed agrobusiness alumni should rank alongside the best of any other industry The high standing of Harper Adams...
GLANBIA CHEESE’S BEN WILLIAMS ON CARBON REDUCTION IN THE FOOD SECTOR
Last November, Bright Maize was a sponsor of The Carbon Conference which sought a premium for those producing food with a relatively low carbon footprint. Ben Williams, Sustainability Manager at Glanbia Cheese, Ltd, was one of the guests, and Bright Maize caught up...
MAIZE VARIETIES: INFLUENCES AND TRENDS IN 2022
Bright Maize’s technical specialist Charlie Dolphin looks at what has most influenced the purchasing of maize seed in 2022 and what conclusions we might draw from the trends... Not that it has been for a long time; but the one thing 2022 has told us beyond doubt is...
LORD HENRY PLUMB OF COLESHILL (1925 – 2022)
We were saddened to hear of the passing, on 15 April, of Henry Plumb. Lord Plumb was a friend of David and Sue Bright, who founded Bright Seeds in the 1980s, and the support he showed David’s pioneering work with maize over the years was always deeply valued. His loss...
WELCOMING CHARLIE DOLPHIN, BRIGHT MAIZE’S NEW TECHNICAL ADVISER
Earlier this year, we were delighted to welcome on board agronomist Charlie Dolphin as our new technical adviser. We asked him for a few moments of his time to get to know him better. You started with Bright Maize in February. How is it going? Really good. I’m...
HARVESTING AND ENSILAGE
The third and final installment in our series Maize Growing: the Core Skills looks at the principles behind harvesting the crop for silage. Having cultivated the healthiest possible yield, you will now want to turn that into the best possible end product. ...
WEED CONTROL AND FERTILIZER APPLICATION
In the second instalment of our series Maize Growing: the Core Skills we turn to the twin themes of weed control and fertilizer application - as important as each other when it comes to the achievement of consistent, high yields. Weed control Weeds compete with crops...
MAIZE GROWING: THE CORE SKILLS
Maize is an exceptional forage for ruminant livestock: palatable, digestible and energy-rich. Most breeders who’ve tried it are quickly convinced, which is why maize growing is so popular in the UK. Getting the best out of maize requires careful - and constantly...