In conclusion, it is clear that maize is a very important crop in today’s farming industry. Many different varieties, systems and techniques have been developed which makes the topic a very interesting one to research. The quality of the maize that is now being produced is clearly very high which makes its cultivation particularly attractive for farmers, as the returns are desirable, especially when maize is used as a feed supplement for dairy and beef herds.
I thoroughly enjoyed writing this project as I feel that I learned many new things especially through visiting Fachtna Collins’ maize fields. Watching the development of the maize proved to be a very worthwhile task as the development of the crop forms a very large part of maize production. I also really enjoyed taking part in the sowing of the maize under plastic. It was good to get involved in some of the practical activities while processing this project as it allowed me to experience some of the things that I was writing about. Personally, I found the Maize Meeting in Fernhill House Hotel to be particularly helpful as I was able to obtain a lot of information, which I could then use as part of my project.
Firstly, I would like to thank Fachtna Collins for giving me the opportunity to see the setting of the maize under plastic and its development.
I am also very grateful to Derry O’Donovan for giving me the permission to photograph one of his maize fields as a way of documenting the growth of maize plants as one of the main sections in my project.
I would also like to thank John McNamara, Seamus O’Mahony, Ken Daniels and Sean McNamara for their presentations on maize, for answering some of my questions and for giving me some leaflets on maize varieties, which definitely add to that particular section of this project.
Finally, I would like to thank my mum again for driving me to so many places to take photos for this project.