Fabrice Thibaudeau farms approximately 275 hectares near Grézac, in southwestern France. His rotation includes cereals, maize and sunflower, grown on shallow limestone soils with limited water-holding capacity. Although part of the farm is irrigated, water availability has become an increasing concern.
Located within a highly constrained watershed, the farm faces growing competition for water resources from tourism and other local uses. Irrigation allocations are decreasing year after year, leading Fabrice to believe that, within just a few years, irrigation may no longer be available on his farm.
When his cooperative introduced Best-a Corn as part of an on-farm trial, he saw an opportunity to evaluate a new approach to helping maize better cope with water stress. The product was applied at the 8–10 leaf stage, and treated and untreated strips were harvested separately to compare performance.
The first differences appeared before harvest. The treated maize remained greener for longer, while the untreated area senesced much earlier. These visual observations were later confirmed by the harvest results, with an average yield increase of around 500 kg/ha, representing approximately 10–12% compared with the untreated control.
For Fabrice, these results go beyond yield alone. As irrigation becomes increasingly uncertain, he sees preventive solutions such as Best-a Corn as an important tool to help crops better withstand water stress and protect productivity in the years ahead.
