BSPB Forage Maize Descriptive Lists

BSPB 2022 Forage Maize and Biogas (AD) Maize Descriptive Lists
Available from 1 September 2021

PDF version

XLS version

The BSPB Forage Maize Crop Group organises independent Descriptive List testing for forage maize varieties, financed by the BSPB and managed by NIAB. The List aims to compare major maize varieties in the UK market place across the key growing locations of the UK, comparison is made on crop dry matter, crop yield, quality characteristics of starch and energy and finally agronomic data such as lodging.

The dataset incorporates five years of trials and is divided into three Lists – Favourable, Less Favourable and Very Favourable.

The Favourable List is for growers who are in good growing locations but for certain reasons such as drilling follow on crops need to find a balance between maturity and yield. 

The Less Favourable List is for growers whose major concern is growing a crop to reach acceptable maturity by a given date.

The Very Favourable List was new for 2020. Some varieties are also found on the current Favourable and Less Favourable Forage Maize DLs but others, including some later maturing varieties, are unique to this new List. Varieties on the Very Favourable DL may be suitable for biogas producers growing and using the crop as a feedstock. The previous AD Favourable and Less Favourable Lists have been discontinued.

It is important that you identify which List is most suitable for your situation.

Maize trials

NIAB Forage Specialist Ellie Sweetman discusses the 2020 trials with Oliver Knowland of the MGA in this video: