Leading maize breeder Pioneer has launched four new maize hybrids for the 2024 season, extending its range to ensure there's a hybrid variety to suit all UK conditions.

"Every year we are improving our maize hybrid genetics incrementally so wherever you farm and whatever you're looking for from your maize, we have a hybrid to suit," said Andy Stainthorpe, Seed & Silage Inoculants Sales Manager, UK & Ireland at Corteva.

The very early maturing P7381 is one of the new hybrids attracting particular attention having produced impressive results in the 2023 PACTS^® trials.

It showed high dry matter contents of 37.5-38.2% across all sites and good resilience to both the dry conditions of 2022 and cooler temperatures last year.

Among the first to see the new P7381 hybrid in the ground, ForFarmers Forage Specialist Alan Lockhart said: "It's a really eye-catching hybrid with a tall vigorous stature promoting the 'stay green' plant health characteristics synonymous with what I have come to expect from the Pioneer breeding stable. Performance in the field and in the rumen are where the results are really seen.

"The variety boasts an impressive set of disease scores, especially for eyespot. This helps the maize plant lay down starch for longer, particularly in a catchy season as we experienced in 2023.

"I need maize varieties which perform in the unpredictable weather patterns constantly thrown at us in the UK. Varieties like P7381 give me the confidence to deliver results on farm in the strive to produce milk and red meat sustainably from important forages such as maize."

P7381 is also performing well alongside well-known Pioneer favourites P7326 and P7034, outyielding them by nearly 10%.

The extra early maturing variety P7326 is the biggest selling hybrid in the UK, accounting for 1 in every 10 acres of maize grown across the country, showing reliability whatever the weather throws at it.

It is still one of the best options for those looking to harvest extra early while P7034, Pioneer's second best-selling variety, is the only hybrid to offer the nutritional benefits gained from its dent grain type.

"UK farmers are looking for early maturity and good yields; we're delivering on both," concluded Andy.

For more information visit https://www.corteva.co.uk/Pioneer/Maize