Press release ILVO variety lists fodder beet and maize 2023
The new ILVO 2023 variety list is known and can be found at https://rassenlijst.ilvo.vlaanderen.be/en/. In addition to a variety overview, the website includes cultivation information and a list of growers and representatives of the listed varieties. The ILVO variety list includes 2 new fodder beet varieties, 3 new silage maize varieties and 4 new corn (grain) maize varieties.
Fodder beet
Fodder beet production is on the rise in Belgium. Although fodder beet cultivation reached areas of about 75,000 ha in Belgium in the 1940s, that area fell sharply to a low of about 2,600 ha in 2007. Thanks to Rhizoctonia tolerant varieties and better mechanization possibilities, fodder beets seem to be an interesting choice again in recent years. In 2022, Belgian farmers grew 5,646 ha of fodder beet. Fodder beets have a high production capacity and are a tasty high-quality forage. Fodder beets are also the cheapest roughage in VEM per hectare and provide better mineral utilization on the dairy farm. Their high energy content makes them ideally suited for highly productive dairy cattle.
In 2023, two new fodder beet varieties will be added to the ILVO variety list, namely: Bangor and Delicante. Both varieties were compared against some reference varieties from both the Belgian and French variety lists. All reference varieties can also be found on the ILVO variety list.Fodder beet varieties are divided into two groups based on their dry matter content. Fodder beets with higher dry matter content realize a very high dry matter yield per hectare, but have the disadvantage that they can be slightly harder, making them more difficult for animals to eat. Usually, these types of fodder beets require machine reduction before feeding them to dairy or beef cattle.
It is certainly also advisable for farmers to consider tolerance to Rhizoctonia while choosing a suitable variety. Especially in lighter sandy (loamy) soils and during wet summers, problems with the soil-borne fungus Rhizoctonia dare to cause major yield losses. The ILVO variety list shows the tolerance to Rhizoctonia for each variety.
Silage maize
Silage maize is one of the most important forage crops in Belgium with an area of 177,306 ha in 2022. To purchase seed, farmers can rely on ILVO's descriptive and recommended variety lists, which are renewed annually. This allows farmers to make a farm-specific variety choice based on objective results.
In 2022, three new maize silage varieties will be added to the ILVO variety list: KWS Chiasso, LG31.231 en Rendez-vous.The table below shows the growers and representatives of these new recommended varieties.
Corn (grain) maize
Grain (corn) maize represented an acreage of 64,309 ha in 2022, representing a 33% increase from 2021. Varieties that guarantee high grain yields and low moisture content are desirable. This can be translated into varieties that ripen earlier. The ILVO variety list this year includes 22 grain corn varieties including 4 new varieties, namely Amarola, Ashley, KWS Emporio and LG32.257. The table below shows the grower and representative of this newly recommended variety.