As milk prices tighten and the need to maximise returns from homegrown forage becomes ever more critical, understanding how to grow, preserve and feed maize effectively has never been more important. The VOLAC 2026 Maize Symposia has been created to provide dairy farmers with practical, science-backed insights that can help drive milk production, improve feed efficiency, and protect cow health.
Making the most of maize – King of the forage crops
This event will bring together leading local and international experts - including guest speakers from the United States - who will cover a range of topics including ruminant nutrition, forage agronomy, silage science and precision farming.
Farmers attending will gain actionable advice based on the latest research and innovative strategies to get the most from their maize crops, whether it’s in the field, in the clamp, or at the feed fence.
Event details
Dates & locations:
7 July – Exeter Sandy Park, Exeter Suite
9 July – Harper Adams University College
Delegates: Entry fee of £25
Organisation: Event management and ticketing handled by RDW, with Eventbrite supporting online registrations
Exhibition: Space for organisations to showcase products and services, with seven stands at Harper Adams and additional opportunities at Exeter
What’s on the agenda?
1. Milking your maize: Optimising milk from forage through better feed efficiency
Speaker: Iwan Vaughan, Ruminant Nutritionist, Dairy Diagnosis
Iwan will draw on findings from his 2017 Nuffield Farming Scholarship on low-protein feeding, explaining how maize can be used to reduce total dietary crude protein levels while maximising feed conversion efficiency. He will emphasise the importance of well-preserved, palatable maize in driving milk from forage and achieving the best return on investment.
2. Managing maize for silage: From Cut to Clamp
Speaker: Dr Mark Leggett, Head of R&D and Technical, Volac
Mark will highlight why maize silage is critical for milk production, especially in periods of lower milk prices. He will offer practical guidance on planning, harvesting, treating, clamping, and feed-out practices to minimise dry matter and quality losses. The session will also cover the role of inoculants and mycotoxin management to protect cow health.
3. Managing mycotoxins in maize
Speaker: Dr Hsueh-lui Ho, Global Technical Manager, Feed Additives, Volac International
Hsueh-lui will explain what mycotoxins are, how they impact cow health and productivity, and the scale of the problem in maize and other forages. Attendees will learn about the latest Mycocheck findings, how climate change is influencing mycotoxin profiles, and strategies to prevent contamination at feed-out.
4. Maize agronomy: Growing maize effectively
Speaker: Thomas Turner, FACTS Qualified Agronomist and KWS Regional Sales Manager
Tom will detail everything from field selection to variety choice and harvesting, highlighting how matching maturity class to field type ensures optimal crop performance, lower environmental risk, ideal dry matter for ensiling, and maximised feed-out potential.
5. Why maize is the king of forage crops in the US
Speaker: Limin Kung, Jr, Emeritus Professor, The University of Delaware
Limin will share insights from US maize management, explaining why maize is considered the king of forage crops due to its high yields, ease of harvest, and highly digestible starch and fibre levels. He will also cover good fermentation practices and the role of inoculants in improving aerobic stability, based on his extensive research.
6. Drones and the future of precision silage management
Speaker: Cody McCary, Forage Account Manager, Vita Plus, USA
Cody will explore how drones are being used in the US to pre-plan silage feed-out, create 3D forage stock models, and evaluate silage management practices from above. Farmers will learn how this technology improves feed planning, reduces clamp losses, and can be applied to UK maize crops in the future.
Why attend?
Whether you’re looking for technical guidance, operational tips, or inspiration from international research, the symposia are a must-attend for anyone serious about making the most of their maize crops.
Buy your tickets now and gain actionable insights to take your forage and milk production to the next level.