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August / September 2014
European Corn Seeds: Record Plantings Bode Well for Quality Seed Supply
Contact person:
Pierre GUILLAUMIN, pierre.guillaumin@agpm.com
Economics & International Service Officer - FNPSMS
(National French Federation of Corn and Sorghum Production)
In 2014, the EU’s corn seed multiplication programme reaches a new record, of nearly 200 000
hectares. The bulk of the increase has taken place in France. The high level is accounted for by the
will to rebuild stocks and significant investments in French seed processing plants, as well as by a
growing market, particularly in Eastern Europe. The quality seed market should therefore be very well
supplied for the 2015/2016 season.
Record Plantings
In 2014, the EU corn seed multiplication programme should reach more than 200 000 hectares – which is
considerably higher than the previous five years’ average (148 600 hectares) and 11 percent higher than in 2013.
The area increase seems to be due to a combination of three factors. Firstly, a stock level which is still low, even if
on the rise compared to 2012/2013. Secondly, the area rise seems to be boosted by a market that continues to be
strong in Eastern European third countries, mainly Ukraine and Russia. Some companies note, however, that the
Ukrainian market may risk a price drop, because of the current political and economic situation in that country.
Finally - the significant investments made by French plants in recent years, which have provided them with greater
procurement capacities.
With 93 500 hectares (a historic record), corn seed areas in France near the maximum capacity of the country’s
plants (estimated at 96 500 hectares by the FNPSMS). At the same time, the other two major EU corn producers
have seen a levelling-off – and even a slight decline – in their planted areas, in 2014. Thus Hungary has gone from
39 000 to 37 000 hectares, back down to a medium level, after the previous year’s increase. A 1-percent drop has
been reported in Romania. The bulk of the area increase in the EU-28 is thus concentrated in France.
Given the weather conditions that have been prevailing in the main production areas until now (abundant rainfall
and favourable temperatures at pollination), yields should be highly satisfactory and could well exceed the average
190 bags/hectare recorded in the EU in the past five years.
A Market to Consolidate
Within that context, the question is what the corn seed outlet will be, for an upcoming production that appears to be
important - particularly since the grain/feed corn area has stalled or even dropped in some production countries, as
a result of the price decline in recent years, which has made corn a less attractive crop. Thus a rebound of markets
would be salutary and would motivate farmers to go back to corn, while the industry would no longer need to
manage seed stocks that are too high. Besides, the FNPSMS has continued to promote high-genetics corn seeds
on the main developing European markets.
F.N.P.S.M.S. – MAIZ’EUROP’ Group – www.maizeurop.com
23-25 avenue de Neuilly – 75116 Paris – Tél. + 33 (0) 1 47 23 48 32 – Fax + 33 (0) 1 40 70 93 44 – Email : fnpsms@agpm.com
Contact : Pierre GUILLAUMIN – Email : pierre.guillaumin@agpm.com
Optimising One’s Grain Corn Crop (Technical Guide, Arvalis - FNPSMS)
Contact:
Régis COUDURE, Arvalis - Institut du Végétal, r.coudure@arvalisinstitutduvegetal.fr
Look for a Quantity/Quality Compromise
Harvest quality depends at least as much on the grain drying and storing conditions as it does on crop stage. The
farmer should therefore look for a yield which is economically-sound, while monitoring the sanitary condition of his
plants. The optimum yield is reached as soon as the plant’s transfer of nutrients is finished and the “black layer”
has appeared at the base of the kernel. However, even if kernel quality and moisture content are not always
correlated, cob moisture has a direct impact upon grain breaking and/or threshing – and therefore, upon the final
quality of the whole and clean kernels that will be delivered.
Preserve Kernel Integrity
A “clean and well taken care of” harvest is crucial. It allows one to leave the altered or scab-damaged kernels in the
field, as well as foreign matter (which is always more humid than corn and is a source of heating). Good harvester
adjustments (driving speed, threshing unit adjustment, cleaning, etc) help keep the grains clean and limit the risks
of breakage or cracking. Basically, the grains that have already been affected at harvest will inevitably lead to more
breakage each time they are handled and thus generate non-marketable waste, while also compromising the air
flow inside the mass of stored grain, triggering higher risks of deterioration of its sanitary quality.
The maximum yield is reached once the plant achieves physiological maturity, that is, when kernel moisture is
around 32-30 percent. Leaving the corn in the field enables the crop to lose moisture by drying, but it can also risk
deteriorating its sanitary quality and increase plant lodging, thus creating a more difficult harvest site.
The maturity indicator for grain corn is a combination between the maximum weight of kernels (completely filled)
and the lowest-possible water content, which makes corn more apt for threshing. It is well-known that kernel water
content influences kernel integrity during threshing, pre-stocking, and drying operations. The maturity indicator is
the one that buyers (co-operatives and traders) look at, as to them, quality is referred to as “trading quality”. By way
of illustration, we list below some sales parameters for corn (source: Syndicat de Paris du Commerce et des
Industries des grains produits du sol & dérivés – Technical Addendum N° V, on corn marketing):
• Water content: 15,0 %
• Broken kernels: 5,0 %
• Foreign material: 3,5 %
Quality Starts in the Field...
The technical choices made when growing a crop influence its quality. Thus:
• Optimum maturity (yield/moisture) is obtained by choosing hybrids that are best adapted to their growing
environment;
• Kernel-filling and kernel technological and sanitary quality are maintained by meeting the plant’s water needs;
• A good sanitary condition of plants and kernels is ensured by soundly-reasoned crop practices, all the way from
planting to harvest, particularly in what regards corn borer control;
• The sanitary condition of the ensuing crop is improved when crop residues are chopped finely and buried in the
soil surface;
• Cob maturity and sanitary quality must be monitored when visiting the fields. This enables one to better predict
the harvest date, choose priority plots to be harvested, and helps establish production traceability. In particular, one
should monitor later plantings, as they tend to be the most vulnerable, because of less favourable weather during
their development, more heterogeneous plant populations, and later harvesting.
…And Is Maintained After Harvest.
Although harvesting at maturity is the first criterion for corn quality, the conditions in which wet corn is received at
the warehouse are also important. Wet corn should not be stored for more than 24 hours and should eventually be
ventilated by a strong cool air jet (70-80 m3/hour/m3 of grains), to prevent grains from heating until they get dried.
Equally, one should ensure that the first quantity that enters the warehouse is also the one that gets dried first and
should also do a “zero point setting” examination of waiting cells, every day. Drying conditions will then have a
decisive influence upon the quality of grains and their industrial value, as the risk of alteration affects not only the
physical quality of the grains, but also their marketable quality and use value. A drying process that is too hot and
too violent may damage the starch and protein content of corn, thus diminishing the use value of the kernels,
particularly important in starch industry.
F.N.P.S.M.S. – MAIZ’EUROP’ Group – www.maizeurop.com
23-25 avenue de Neuilly – 75116 Paris – Tél. + 33 (0) 1 47 23 48 32 – Fax + 33 (0) 1 40 70 93 44 – Email : fnpsms@agpm.com
Contact : Pierre GUILLAUMIN – Email : pierre.guillaumin@agpm.com