Narrow-row corn tested:These farmers believe that high-population, narrow-row planting systems show promise.

摘要

Last year produced red-hot yields for Mike Rosenbohm, who farms near Graham in northwestern Missouri. His average corn yields were up 20% from his long-term average, with yields ranging from 180 to 225 bushels per acre.So when a narrow-row, high-population test field had a corn yield bump of 30% or more compared to nearby corn planted in 30-inch rows, he signed a contract to purchase a narrow-row planter.The John Deere twin-row, 20-inch planter (only offered by Stine) is configured with staggered row units (twin rows are 8 inches apart, with 12 inches between twin-row pairs). With an average row spacing of 10 inches, seeds are spaced every 12.6 inches ata 50,000 plant population. That compares to every 6 inches for a 35,000 plant population in 30-inch rows."Weighed checks average 274 bushels per acre. The field average was about 250," he says. "In places, the yield monitor was running 300 to 330 on ground that normally runs about 160 bushels per acre.""From what I saw this year, even with the good yields we had with 30-inch corn, this is much better,"says Rosenbohm, who conducted the field test in conjunction with Andrew Lance, his local Stine Seed dealer. "Comparing this system to my normal program, with extra seed, fertility and transportation costs, I needed a 10% yield increase to break even."