Identification and enumeration of weed seeds in chopped maize being transported for silage

Maize silage is an integral part of the feed supply for North Island dairy farms. The maize id sometimes grown on the farms but more often is grown off-site and transported as freshly chopped and ready for ensiling. The trucks transporting the maize have been observed travelling along the road with debris blowing off the vehicle. The aim of this study was to enumerate the weed seeds present in the chopped maize and measure the quantity of debris deposited on the outside of the vehicles and thus likely to come off while travelling along the road. Up to 600 seeds/kg maize of 13 different species were found while trucks harvesting the outside rows had up to 27 kg of debris (chopped maize) on their exterior.