Having just released its maize recommended list for 2015, the Department of Agriculture also announced that it is to cease trialling maize varieties for planting in the open, ie without plastic.

Department personnel involved say the decision is due to the limited resources available for trialling and the continuing trend to plant an increasing proportion of the crop under plastic at farm level.

With about 80% of the crop now grown under plastic (up from 50% a few years ago and only 20% over a decade ago) the justification for duplication of trials for plastic and non-plastic varieties was deemed not to be worthwhile, given that the production trend continues to rely more on plastic. But IFA’s deputy president Tim O Leary is unhappy with the decision. He described it as “a retrograde step, coming at a time when other EU countries are considering the imposition of a ban on the use of plastic for growing maize.

“Our need to control feed costs while maximising animal performance is key to maintaining competitiveness in our beef and dairy sectors. It is critical that biomass and starch yield data continues to be available from both sowing systems, so that farmers can make informed choices.