ProCrop

Corn Row Width and Plant Population

Does planting corn in row widths narrower than 30 in. increase yield?

Each year of the study and at all locations corn planted on 20- and 10-in. rows yielded more than corn planted on 30-in. rows. At Lamberton and Waseca, the yield advantage of 10- and 20-in. rows compared with 30-in. rows was 7.2% when averaged over all hybrids and all plant populations, whereas at Morris the yield advantage was 8.5%. There was no yield advantage for 10-in. rows compared with 20-in. rows. Yields averaged over 3 yr (1992-1994) and several hybrids are listed below.

Should plant population be changed if corn is planted in rows narrower than 30 in.?

At Lamberton and Waseca, there was no interaction between row width and plant population, suggesting that plant population should not be changed when planting in row widths narrower than 30 in. At Morris, the yields are unaffected by plant population for the narrower rows evaluated, but declined at the intermediate plant population for the 30-in. row width.

At Lamberton and Waseca grain yields increased with greater plant populations in 1992 and 1994, but not in 1993 when yields were low due to climatic conditions. Regression analysis of yield vs. Harvest plant population showed yields were highest at populations at or above 35,000 plants/acre in 1992 at Lamberton and 1994 at Waseca and Lamberton, but were unaffected by plant populations in 1992 at Waseca and in 1993 at both locations. At Morris, regression analysis of yield vs. Harvest plant population in 1993 and 1994 showed yields were highest at populations of 32,000 plants/acre, the highest plant population studied at that location.

Do hybrids differ in response to row width and plant population?

Choice of hybrid influenced grain yield, but had no interactive effect with row width or plant population at three locations.

Source: J. Prod. Agric., Vol. 10, no. 2, 1997

Back to Plant Population - Corn Menu
Back to Corn Menu
Back to Main ProCrop Index

Further contact information