READERS may recall that due to very limited trials information in 2005, it proved impossible to produce a new NIAB List for 2007, the only offering being a re-write of the 2006 List, but they will no doubt be delighted to hear that there will be a new List for 2008 and that a further 20 new varieties will be added to the First Choice List for Less Favourable Sites and accordingly, I have made brief comments on each one of those varieties based on maturity and their positioning on the list.

Please note that although there is a separate list for Mainstream Sites, my comments are based on the more marginal situations, as I believe that this is far more representative for the bulk of maize growers throughout the South West.

Revolver - MC 11 and the earliest variety on the List. Average DM yields and high starch yields. Just below average ME but good early vigour and standing power.

ES Picker - MC 10 with good DM yields and high starch yields. Average ME and standing power but good early vigour.

ES Bowling - MC 9 with below average DM yields. Good starch yields, ME and standing power, but below average early vigour.

MAS 09A - MC 9 with just below average DM yields. Good starch yields, ME, early vigour and standing power.

Acclaim - MC 9 with below average DM yields and average starch yields. Good ME but below average early vigour and standing power.

ES Regain - MC 8 with good DM and starch yields. Average ME, good standing power with very good early vigour.

Konsort - MC 8 with good to high DM yields and good starch yields. Average ME, with good early vigour and standing power.

Konstant - MC 7 with good DM yields and quite high starch yields. Just below average ME, average standing power with very good early vigour.

Klifton - MC 7 with good to high DM and starch yields. Just below average ME, good standing power with very good early vigour.

Spezi - MC 7 with very high DM and starch yields. Average ME and standing power but below average early vigour.

ES Ballade - MC 7 with good DM and starch yields. Just below average ME and early vigour but good standing power.

Beethoven - MC 7 with very high DM and starch yields. Good ME, and early vigour with average standing power.

Beacon - MC 7 with high DM and starch yields. Average ME, good standing power with outstanding early vigour.

Agassy - MC 7 with good DM yields and average starch yields. Average ME with good early vigour and standing power.

Blixxem - MC 7 with average DM yields and below average starch yields. Good ME, early vigour but just below average standing power.

Anvil - MC 7 with very high DM and starch yields. Good ME, very good early vigour but below average standing power.

Klaymore - MC 7 with good DM and starch yields. Just below average ME, early vigour and standing power.

Claxxon - MC 7 with good DM and starch yields. Good ME, early vigour and standing power.

Salgado - MC 7 with very good DM yields and the highest starch yielder on the List. Average ME but good early vigour and standing power.

Surprise - MC 6 with very good DM yields and good starch yields. Just below average ME and early vigour but good standing power.

Although it is extremely positive that a further 20 new varieties have been added as First Choice and that plant breeders should be congratulated on their commitment to bringing ever earlier and better material to the market, I do however have some concerns. Firstly, although added to the Less Favourable List, these 20 new varieties were trialled in years 2003, 2004 and 2006 - all of them being good years for maize growers - the last poor years being 2001 (awful) and 2002 - so none of this new material has been exposed to real marginal conditions - until now that is, so the results of our own labours on marginal sites and the Kingshay results this year should prove to be very interesting!

My second concern is the number of varieties that actually appear on the First Choice List (58) and I really do feel that NIAB should consider tightening their parameters somewhat in order to feature a more realistic list. I know choice is a good thing, but when you consider the additional 'lorry load'' of varieties that are available out there which include second choice, material which has dropped off the list altogether and totally obscure material that nobody has ever heard of, but according to the person selling it 'did particularly well in Tanganyika in 1953'' - you can maybe understand my concerns as to how some of you have become a little "confused".

My third concern also revolves around confusion. Whilst I applaud everyone's efforts into getting newer and better material onto the First Choice List for Less Favourable Sites, this name in itself implies that all the material featured therein is suitable for less favourable or, as I prefer to call them, marginal sites. Sorry folks, it is here that I have to take issue! The list in question features material from maturity classes 11 down to 6 and over the years that I have been involved with maize trials - most of which has featured marginal sites - I cannot understand why a recommended list for less favourable sites features material as late as it does. It is totally unrealistic to suggest that a maturity class 6 is suitable for marginal sites - and there are 11 varieties in that classification.

In addition to these, there are two MC11s, four MC10s, seven MC9s, 11 MC8s and 23 MC 7s, making a grand total of 58, but my firm belief is that for real marginal conditions, your choice should be restricted to maturity classes 8 and above and with 24 varieties within that category, you still have a wide choice and confusion should be taken out of the equation altogether.

In following this line however, I do feel a little bit of sympathy for the breeders of the top half dozen or so of maturity class 7s where just a fraction of dry matter content could mean being in one class or another and maybe now is the time for NIAB to re-calculate their scales, which should then result in the elimination of the later material and an enhanced confidence by growers!

Between July 25 and 31, we did a whistle stop tour of some of our trial sites in order to give a quick update on progress and for you to get a comparison against your own crops.

Cornwall Farmers Site, Ilfracombe, North Devon: Marginal site at 740ft, drilled on May 19 and it is still only at knee high, having made scant progress over the past month. Destiny and Sapphire are the furthest ahead with 10 leaves with Revolver at the other end with just 6/7 leaves and looking quite anaemic. With knee high usually being associated with July 4, this whole trial is three weeks off the pace and is desperate for heat units during August and September in order to obtain some degree of maturity.

Because of my concern over the progress with this site, I did a further inspection on August 8 - a gap of virtually a fortnight - and can report that with the unfortunate exception of Revolver, everything has put on up to 2ft of growth - no signs of any tassles as yet though!

Cornwall Farmers Site, Truro:
Marginal site drilled on May 2, but is already over 6ft tall with tassles emerging on some of the Advanta bred material - all the other varieties being at least two leaves away. Kadenz is the tallest, Kangaroo the shortest and Cornstar the most variable.

Mole Valley Farmers Site, Newquay:
All 22 varieties were displaying tassles - seven varieties being 90% complete and only Acclaim to have fully tassled with 50% silking - five others with silking at 20% - 30%. Energystar was the only variety not displaying any silks at all.

Mole Valley Farmers Site, Bridgwater, Somerset: A really favourable site which was drilled on 25th. April with all 25 varieties having tassled. Acclaim was the only variety to have fully silked, closely followed by Kingdom and Chalice with Energystar, Mikis and Oxaya being the latest thus far with no silks at all.

Pearce Seeds Site, Rosedown, Dorset:
An intermediate/less favourable site where Robert Baker, Pearce Seeds Trials Officer reports that Destiny was the first to tassle on August 1, followed by Crown, Crescendo, Beacon, Revolver and Ixxes. Varieties from Maisador and KWS look very strong and bulky, but tasseling a week later. As at August 8, everything had tasselled but only the early varieties have started to silk.