Maize for Silage Growing and Harvesting Costs Calculator

Indicative Growing and harvesting costs

2018-19 Average Estimated Cost (exclusive of GST)

Enter your own growing & harvesting costs for the coming season in the 'My Costs' column. For help and notes on this table, refer to the 'Assumptions' section below.

To move to the next box, either push the tab key or click in the next box.

    Average costs ($/ha) My costs
($/ha)
Growing cost Average
fertility		 High
fertility
 My Farm
Cost of leased land ? ?
Soil test 10 10
Spraying out pasture (incl. glyphosate) 70 70
Lime @ 1.25 t/ha including cartage + application 95
Base fertiliser cost including application 265
Cultivation: to planting specifications1 360 360
Pioneer® brand P9911 maize seed @ 1.302 or 1.353 bags/ha 520 540
FAR maize seed levy ($8.00/80,000 kernels) @ 1.302 or 1.353 bags/ha 10 10
L-402 Seed treatment @ 1.302 or 1.353 bags/ha 160 170
Starter fertiliser cost including application 190
Planting 155 155
Pre emergence weed control (herbicide + application) 90 90
Post emergence weed control (herbicide + application) 90 90
Sidedress application 80
Sidedress nitrogen 135
Interest on maize expenditure (7 months @ 7%) 90 60
Total growing cost $2,320 $1,555


Harvest costs
Harvesting and stacking 1030 1030
Covering 165 165
Pioneer ® brand 11C33 maize specific inoculant 345 345
Total harvest cost $1,540 $1,540
Total growing and harvest costs $3,860 $3,095


Expected yield and cost per u22nit
  Maize silage yield (tDM) in the stack
Maize silage cost per kgDM in the stack (c/kgDM)
Maize silage cost per MJME (c/MJME)

1Cultivation costs will vary depending on soil types and land class.
2Low fertility.
3High fertility.
4Registered trademark of Bayer CropScience.

 

Maize silage drymatter cost

Recent research has shown that high fertility dairy farm paddocks, including those with a history of effluent application, may not require any additional fertiliser to be applied. Different yield environments also influence the recommended planting rate for Pioneer® brand maize silage hybrids.

 

The table below gives indicative maize silage costings for both high and low fertility maize silage growing environments. High fertility environments include dairy paddocks coming out of long-term ryegrass-clover pasture, as well as paddocks with a history of effluent application. Low fertility environments include run-out pasture paddocks and repeat cropping blocks. Always soil test maize paddocks and apply nutrients according to the results.

ASSUMPTIONS

    1. Cost to grow, harvest and store the crop are estimates only.
    2. Average land rentals have not been included because of large regional variations (provision has been made for you to consider land rental in your own costing column).
    3. The costs and benefits of regrassing have not been included.
    4. Cost for Pioneer® brand 11C33 is based on inoculating a 22 tDM/ha crop.
    5. Farmers growing Pioneer® brand maize for silage for sale are usually responsible for costs up to and including the nitrogen sidedressing application.
    6. Maize silage cost per MJME assumes a maize silage energy content of 10.8 MJME/kgDM.
    7. The amount of pasture lost during the maize growing season will vary between paddocks, farms and districts. The value of pasture lost during the maize growing season has not been considered in the calculation of the maize silage drymatter cost.
    8. Costs are estimates based on a sample of contractor rates, other typical industry charges and product costs. All costs exclude GST and are indicative at 28 February 2018. 

IMPORTANT:
The information in this calculator is general in nature and is not intended to be a representation of actual costs. We do no accept any responsibility or liability (whether as a result of negligence or otherwise) for any loss of any kind that may arise from actions based on the contents of this calculator or otherwise in connection with the use of this calculator.

© 2019 Genetic Technologies Limited