MINTO, Man. – When Canamaize corn was commercially released three years
ago, much of the interest was on growing it for grain.
But the crop, which is shorter than regular corn, is also proving to be
another option for fall and winter grazing, says Canamaize manager
Kevin Martens.
There are two main varieties of Canamaize: BRC syn for grazing and
CM440 for grain.
Martens thinks the grazing variety has huge potential, and Canamaize
researchers set up about 25 trials across the Prairies this year to
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learn more about how the crop performs when used to extend the grazing
season.
The results will not be available until later this winter, but Martens
said the company has already learned valuable lessons from producers
who have experimented with the crop for fall and winter grazing in the
last three years.
Based on that information, Martens is confident cattle producers can
save money by using Canamaize to extend the grazing season rather than
going the more conventional route of feeding hay throughout the entire
winter.
He calculated it costs 65 cents per day to feed a cow on Canamaize once
the crop has matured. Based on Manitoba’s provincial average, that’s
roughly half the cost of feeding the same cow on hay.
Martens is also confident Canamaize can compare favourably with many of
the other options now used by prairie producers to keep their cattle on
pasture longer.
Here are a few things to keep in mind when growing Canamaize for fall
and winter grazing.
Martens recommended seeding Canamaize in higher densities for grazing.
Farmers are encouraged to aim for 90,000 plants per acre with BRC syn
and 60,000 plants per acre with CM440.
The goal with the grazing variety is to get a higher tonnage of plant
matter per acre. Higher plant densities help ensure the cornstalks will
be less coarse, making them more palatable to cattle. The denser plant
stand also offers an advantage for weed competition.
BRC syn seed costs $32 for a 55 pound bag, compared to $48 per bag for
CM440.
Because of the difference in seeding densities, the seed cost will work
out to $27.50 per acre, regardless of which variety is planted.
Martens said CM440 typically yields five to 10 percent more grain than
BRC syn. It also grows slightly taller, making it easier to harvest
with a combine.
Canamaize can be solid seeded, which avoids buying row cropping
equipment.
In 2000, cold spring weather delayed emergence of Canamaize crops in
southwestern Manitoba. Corn won’t grow below 10 C.
That prompted Canamaize researchers to look at later planting dates for
the crop. They now recommend planting CM440 during the second or third
week of May and BRC syn in late May or the first week of June.
BRC should be mature by mid-September, which is when growers should be
thinking about swathing it. By then the crop will have dried down a
little, reducing the odds that moisture inside the plants will freeze,
making the feed less desirable for cattle.
Martens recommended swathing it rather than leaving it standing,
because cows will roam through standing corn while picking off cobs,
which can result in trampled stalks.
Most producers grazing Canamaize use electric fences to divide the crop
into paddocks. They are usually large enough to accommodate one to
three days of grazing.
“Some guys will keep the wire high enough so the calves can go
underneath and get extra feed if they need it,” Martens said.
Even with a foot of snow, cattle will do a good job of uncovering the
swaths.
In Manitoba, producers have managed to get as many as 500 grazing days
per acre, Martens said, although the average is closer to 250 days.
“Saskatchewan and Alberta are probably going to be a little bit lower.
It all depends on the growing conditions.”
More information about BRC syn’s nutritional value will be available
once the results of this year’s trials are in. That data will include
total digestible nutrients and daily dry matter intake.
Research will also broaden the knowledge about how many animal grazing
days can be expected from an acre of Canamaize in various areas of the
Prairies.
Corn needs heat, with many current hybrid varieties requiring 2,500 to
2,600 corn heat units. However, Canamaize for grazing needs less than
1,900 CHUs to reach maturity.
That makes it possible to plant Canamaize later than what would
typically be recommended for most corn varieties. It also extends the
area on the Prairies where producers can grow corn for high-value feed.
Martens recommended testing Canamaize for nitrate levels before cattle
start to graze. While nitrate poisoning hasn’t been a problem, he said
the test is a small investment for the peace of mind it can bring.
“We recommend producers do it because it’s not worth losing one animal
for the amount of work it takes to get a nitrate test.”
When cattle are first released onto the corn, Martens said it’s
important they go in with a full stomach to alleviate the risk of
grain overload.
At the company’s research site in Minto, the cattle also have access to
a couple of bales of hay when they are first put onto swathed corn,
which helps prevent stomach upset.
Martens said Canamaize also makes a good grain. Its energy content is
similar to hybrid corn varieties, but higher than barley.
It has higher protein than hybrid corns, but less than barley.
Many farmers grow Canamaize corn for their own use as beef and hog
feed. It also is sold as livestock feed and bird seed.
Canamaize is not resistant to fusarium head blight, but is more
tolerant than wheat, barley or American corn, Martens said.
CM440 is usually ready to harvest in early to mid-October. Fall frosts
will have helped it dry.
Growers should strive to combine when the moisture content is down to
18 percent.
“If you’re taking it off higher than that, you’re going to have to dry
it and you’re incurring costs right away.”
When the moisture content is above 18 percent, it is better to put the
corn through a dryer than to aerate, Martens said. This will help
ensure better quality by drying quickly and more consistently.
When fed to livestock, Canamaize is usually blended with other feed
ingredients because “it’s pretty rich on its own.”
Martens said Canamaize uses less moisture than hybrid corn varieties. A
lot of the crop’s early development was done at Agriculture Canada’s
research centre in Lethbridge, Alta., where moisture conditions tend to
be drier.
“It’s a smaller plant, so right off the start it doesn’t need as much
moisture,” he said.
