Planting Systems - An Agronomists View?

Alternate Row Spacings

Narrow row and alternate row configurations have been
of studied as a means to improve yields by improving
light and water use efficiencies.
Karlen et al., (1985) reported 5 to 10% yield increase
from narrow rows over 38 in rows.
Paszkiewicz (2002) summarized a series of narrow row
studies throughout the corn belt and found:
Yield response to narrow rows ranged from -1.6 to
7.6% compared to 30 in rows.
Widdicombe and Thelen (2002) reported
30 to 22 in = 2% yield increase
30 to 15 in = 4% yield increase

Light Interception
Paszkiewicz (2002)

Yield responses were more likely to occur in NW corn

belt compared to other regions of the corn belt.
Attributed advantages to increased light interception in
light limiting environments.

Andrade et al. (2002)

Clearly illustrated that yield increases occur in narrow
rows in response increased light interception

Narrow Row Corn Study

Years - 1996, 1997, 1998
Row spacings - 15, 20 and 30 inch
Plant populations - 20-, 26-, 32-, and 36,000
plants/a
Locations - Scandia (irrigated), St. John (irrigated)
& Belleville (dryland)

Belleville 1996 - Dryland

LSD(0.05) = 9.4

Belleville 1997 - Dryland

90

Grain Yield (bu/a)

15

20

30

80
70
60
50
LSD(0.05) = 9.4

40
16,000

20,000

24,000

28,000

32,000

Plant Population (plts/a)

36,000

40,000

Scandia 1996 & 97- Irrigated

220

Grain Yield (bu/a)

200

15

20

30

180
160
140

LSD(0.05) = 12.2

120
100
16,000

20,000

24,000

28,000

32,000

Plant Population (plts/a)

36,000

40,000

Narrow Row Corn Summary (96-98)

Six irrigated site-years and three dryland site-years

Irrigated
Row
Yield
Spacing (in) (bu/a)
15188.7
20185.0
30175.2

Dryland
Diff*
(bu/a)

13.4 108.3
9.7 106.0
--- 113.8

* Difference compared to 30 rows

Yield
(bu/a)
-5.4
-7.7
---

Diff*
(bu/a)

Corn Population Summary (96-98)

Six irrigated site-years and three dryland site-years

Plant
Population
(plt/a)

Irrigated
Dryland
Yield Diff*
Yield Diff*
(bu/a) (bu/a)
(bu/a) (bu/a)

20,000
26,000
32,000
36,000

166.4 --184.0 17.6

189.8 23.4
193.7 27.3

103.7 --107.5 3.7

111.8 8.0
114.6 10.9

* Difference compared to 20,000 rows

Paired Row
Corn
Believed to have the same light interception
characteristics of narrow row corn (~22 in).
Can be harvested with conventional corn head.

Paired Row Corn

- Drills
Plant paired row corn with fluted feed or air
seeders.
Hope that skips in adjacent rows will
compensate for each other.
Seeding depth control and seed placement?

Paired Row Corn - Drill

Near McPherson in 1998
Irrigated - Center Pivot
Planted with air seeder
Yield were adjusted for harvest loss.

Irrigated Corn 1998

Paired Row Corn Study

Alexander, KS 2000
John Deere 1760 Row Crop Planter & 1860 Air Seeder
Two corn hybrids
Target Plant Populations Planter 19,500 & 21,000 seed/a (hybrid specific)
Air Seeder 25,500, 32,500 and 39,000 seed/a

Measured emergence, plant spacing, seeding depth and yield.

Corn - Paired Row

Alexander, KS 2000

Unit
Planter
Air Seeder
LSD(0.05)

Yield
(bu/a)
115
104
10

Seed
Depth
(in)
1.77
1.45
0.16

Std. Dev.
in Depth
(in)
0.30
0.29
ns

Corn - Paired Row

Alexander, KS 2000
90
80

Index (%)

70

Planter
Air Seeder

60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Miss

Quality of Feed

Multiple

Materials and Methods

Six Location-Years:

Manhattan (dryland) 2001

Manhattan (dryland) 2002
Powhattan (dryland) 2002
Belleville (dryland) 2002

Rossville (irrigated) 2001

Topeka (irrigated) 2002

Previous Crop
Soybeans

All location-years

Except Manhattan 2001

Corn

Three planting patterns:

30 in, 20 in, and paired row

Materials and Methods

Two plant populations:
Dryland: 24,000 and 28,000 plants/a
Irrigated: 26,000 and 30,000 plants/a

Hybrids used: Pioneer 34K77 (2001) & Pioneer 35P12

Yield and yield components were measured.

Grain yield
Ears/Plant
Ears/a
Kernel weight

Paired Row Corn - Planter

Two locations:
Manhattan (dryland)
Rossville (irrigated)

Two plant populations:

Manhattan: 24,000 and 28,000
Rossville: 26,000 and 30,000

Three planting patterns:

30 in, 20 in, and paired row

Analysis of Variance 2001

Grain Yield
Plot Locations
Source

Riley

Shawnee

Row Configuration (RC)

0.09

0.81

Plant Density (D)

0.46

0.19

RC X D

0.59

0.37

C.V. (%)

22.4

11.8

41

134

Mean Yield (bu/a)

Analysis of Variance 2002

Grain Yield
Plot Locations
Source

Brown

Shawnee

Riley

Republic

Row Configuration (RC)

0.17

0.77

0.88

0.05

Plant Density (D)

0.44

0.78

0.09

0.74

RC X D

0.09

0.81

0.02

0.32

C.V. (%)

9.4

33.2

6.4

33.3

Mean Yield (bu/a)

67

91

45

15

Republic 2002
Row
Configuration

Grain Yield
bu/a

30 in

25 a

20 in

12 b

Paired

10 b

means followed by the same letter in the

same column are not different at =0.05

Analysis of Variance 2003

Grain Yield
Plot Locations
Source

Brown

Shawnee

Riley

Republic

Row Configuration (RC)

0.98

0.30

0.93

0.89

Plant Density (D)

0.53

0.28

0.83

0.74

RC X D

0.52

0.54

0.98

0.22

C.V. (%)

7.9

8.4

14.0

43.3

Mean Yield (bu/a)

83

123

45

56

Analysis of Variance 2004

Grain Yield
Plot Locations
Source

Shawnee Republic

Row Configuration (RC)

0.04

0.05

Plant Density (D)

0.01

0.21

RC X D

0.24

0.80

C.V. (%)

4.8

13.3

Mean Yield (bu/a)

220

231

Corn - Paired Row - 2004

Shawnee

Shawnee

Paired Row Corn

Narrow rows showed and advantage in high yielding
environments in the late 1990s. Narrow rows reduced yields
significantly when an extended period of early season water
stress was encountered.
Establishing consistent stands with and air seeder or fluted feed
grain drill in paired rows can be challenging.
Paired rows may have canopy characteristics similar to 20 or 22
in rows, but the advantage of these row spacings were not
realized in this study.
If adequate stands can be established in paired rows (non air
seeder or fluted feed systems) yields will likely be similar to 30
in rows planted with a planter under most dryland situations in
Kansas.

Questions?

Paired Row Corn

2001
Row
Spacing
30 in
20 in
Paired
LSD(0.05)

Manhattan
Yield Ears/Plant
bu/a
36.4
0.8
43.4
1.0
39.9
0.9
NS
NS

Rossville
Yield
Ears/Plant
bu/a
137.8
1.0
132.4
1.0
133.1
1.0
NS
NS

Plant population treatments did not significantly affect yields.

Corn Yield Loss from Plant Spacing Variability

20

y = 1.328x + 0.3959
R2 = 0.46

Yield Loss (%)

16
12

10.6
6.6

3.2

0.8

0
0

Seed Spacing (Standard Deviation)

Vanderlip et al., 1988

Planter Speed
Yield
200

Yield (bu/a)

175
150
125
100
Powhattan

75

Topeka

Powhattan 00

50
3

Speed (mph)

10

11

12

Finger Pick-Up Test

Use a Kinze Test Stand (Model 3000)
Ran two new meters at : 40 100 rpm
Converted to mph at 3 seeding rates

Medium Round Corn Seed

Meter calculates Accuracy, Skips and Multiples.

Finger Pick-Up Test

20

18
Multiples

Skips

14
12

10
8

6
4

2
0
30

40

50

60

70

RPM

80

90

100

0
110

% Skips

% Multiples

16

Managing Plant Spacing

Select the correct hybrid for your conditions
Plant it at the right time (late April-Early May)
Plant the correct population speed influence
Maintain your planter and adjust it correctly

Finger Pick-Up Test

1.6
1.4

24000

% Skips

1.2

28000

32000

1
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
0
0

MPH

10

12

Finger Pick-Up Test

20

% Multiples

18
16

24000

14

28000

12

32000

10
8
6
4
2
0
0

MPH

10

12

Planter Speed Study

Corn Seeding Rates: 23,525 & 27,330 seed/acre
Planter Speeds: 5, 8 and 11 mph
Four row plots
Measured grain yield and plant spacings

Planter Speed - Corn 2000

Multiple Index
16
LSDs
Pop = ns
Speed = ns
P x S = ???

Mulitple Index

14
12
10
8
6

23525 plts/a

27330 plts/a

2
0
4

Speed (mph)

10

12

Planter Speed - Corn 2000

Miss Index
25
LSDs
Pop = ns
Speed = 7.2
P x S = ns

Miss Index

20
15
10

23525 plts/a
27330 plts/a
Average

5
0
4

Speed (mph)

10

12

Planter Speed - Corn 2000

Quality of Feed Index

Quality of Feed

110
LSDs
Pop = ns
Speed = 7.6
P x S = ns

100

23525 plts/a
27330 plts/a
Average

90
80
70
60
4

Speed (mph)

10

12

Planter Speed - Corn 2000

Precision Index

Precision

30
LSDs
Pop = ns
Speed = 3.9
P x S = ns

25

23525 plts/a
27330 plts/a
Average

20

15
4

Speed (mph)

10

12

Conclusions
Plant variability can result in 10% yield losses under
extreme conditions.
Skips and doubles increase as planter speed increases,
but skips reduce yields, but doubles increase yields if no
barrenness occurs.
Final plant population should be the first goal and then
worry about plant spacing uniformity.
Few improvements are likely to be gained when using a
new or well maintained planter operated at 4 to 7 mph.

Experimental Design
Planter-Row Spacing
Drill 7.5, 15 and 30 (low pop only)
Planter 15 and 30

Three populations (160, 190 and 210,000)

Replicated three times (39 plots)
Planted 30 foot strips about 1000 feet long
Squared plots to about 900 feet long and harvested the
center 20 feet
Yield monitor and weigh wagon

Soybean 2000
18

Grain Yield (bu/acre)

Drill

Planter
ns

15
12

ns

9
6

30

30

15

15

7.5

3
0
120

140

160

180

Plant Density (1000 plts/acre)

200
100

120

140

Plant Density (1000 plts/acre)

160

Soybean 2000
100
ns

90

Emergence (%)

Drill

Planter
30

15

7.5

80
70
60

30

15

50
40
120

170

220

120

Plant Density (1000 plts/acre)

170

220

Plant Density (1000 plts/acre)

Conclusions
When yields are extremely low, row
spacing and plant population have little
effect on soybean yields
Soybeans planted with planter units had
greater establishment rates (plants/seed
drop) than soybeans planted with a drill.

K STATE
Research and Extension
Knowledge
for
Life

Planter Speed
Topeka 2001

Source

Emergence (%)
4/28
4/30
5/4

Speed (S)

NS

NS

NS

Firmer (F)

NS

**

NS

SXF

NS

NS

NS

Expressed as % of final stand as determined on 6/20

Planter Speed
Topeka 2001
Seed
Multiple
Spacing Std Dev Index

Miss
Index

(in)

(in)

Keaton

7.0

3.35

11.2

12.7

None

7.2

3.68

10.9

14.1

LSD(0.05)

NS

0.31

NS

NS

Planter Speed
Topeka 2001
Emergence (%)
4/28
4/30
5/4
Keaton

0.3

36.7

93.0

None

0.0

39.3

89.7

LSD(0.05)

NS

NS

3.0

Expressed as % of final stand as determined on 6/20

Planter Speed
Powhattan 2001

Source

Seed
Multiple
Spacing Std Dev Index

Miss
Index

Speed (S)

NS

**

**

**

Firmer (F)

NS

**

NS

NS

SXF

NS

NS

NS

NS

Planter Speed
Topeka 2001
20
18

Std. Dev
Multiple Index
Miss Index

16
14

y = 1.85x + 0.4167

12
y = 1.725x - 1.0083

10
8
6
4

y = -0.1362x2 + 2.13x - 4.1337

2
0
4

7
Speed (mph)

10

Planter Speed
Topeka 2001

Source

Emergence (%)
4/28
4/30
5/4

Speed (S)

NS

NS

NS

Firmer (F)

NS

**

NS

SXF

NS

NS

NS

Expressed as % of final stand as determined on 6/20

Planter Speed
Topeka 2001
Seed
Multiple
Spacing Std Dev Index

Miss
Index

(in)

(in)

Keaton

7.0

3.35

11.2

12.7

None

7.2

3.68

10.9

14.1

LSD(0.05)

NS

0.31

NS

NS

Planter Speed
Topeka 2001
Emergence (%)
4/28
4/30
5/4
Keaton

0.3

36.7

93.0

None

0.0

39.3

89.7

LSD(0.05)

NS

NS

3.0

Expressed as % of final stand as determined on 6/20

Speed and Planter Rate (1 rep)

27,330

23,525

380 ft

5 mph
11 mph
8 mph
5 mph
11 mph
8 mph

Blocking seeding rates made sub plots (speed) easier to implement

Planter Speed Study

Yield was measured using an AgLeader PF3000
yield monitor to estimate weight (distance
measured with a tape).
Plant spacings of 20 plants were measured for
planter performance evaluation.

Planter Speed - Corn 2000

Yield
120

Yield (bu/a)

110
NS

100
90

23,525

80

27,330

LSDs
Pop = ns
Speed = ns
P x S = ??

70
60
4

Speed (mph)

10

12

Planter Speed Study

27,330

ep
ep

R
3
ep

23,525

23,525

27,330

Plant Spacing Measurement Area

27,330

23,525

Planter Speed - Corn 2000

Standard Deviation
7
LSDs
Pop = ns
Speed = ns
P x S = ns

Mulitple Index

6
5
4
3
2

23525 plts/a

27330 plts/a

0
4

8
Speed (mph)

10

12

Give the crop a head start

Get a proper stand
20
18
16

Percentage

Be sure planters
are properly
adjusted
Be sure planters
are properly
maintained
Consider slowing
down.

14
12
10
8
6
4

Multiple Index

Miss Index

5
10
Speed (mph)

15

Proper Planting Depth

Planting corn and sorghum deep (2 & 1.5) will reduce
early season mortality under dry soil conditions.
1.2
Yield (% of Max)

1.1
1.0

y = -0.0782x + 0.3442x + 0.5897

2
R = 0.7343

0.9
0.8
0.7
0.6
0.5
0.0

1.0
2.0
Planting Depth (in)

3.0
Source:AgWay

Geary County 1998

Planter Speeds: 3.4, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 mph
Target Population: 27,500 plants/acre
Measured Plant Standard Deviation with a
mechanical tripping lever device.

4.5
4.0
3.5
3.0
2.5
2.0
1.5
1.0
0.5
0.0

26.0
y = 0.1862x + 2.7202
R2 = 0.7216

25.5
25.0
24.5
24.0
23.5

Standard Dev
Plant Density

23.0
22.5

y = -0.1896x + 24.801
R2 = 0.6383

Planter Speed (mph)

22.0
10

Population (1000 plts/a)

Standard Deviation (in)

Plant Populations and Standard Deviation

Vanderlip et al. (1988)

Less than 25% of the yield variability was
accounted for by within-row spacing
variability
In all tests, yield reduction due to variability
in plant spacing was less than 1 bu/A per
inch standard deviation in plant spacing

Plant Spacing
About 3.5 bu/A yield reduction for each
inch of standard deviation in plant
spacing(Krall et al. 1977)
Less than one inch of standard deviation in
plant spacing for reducing planter speed
from 8 mph to 4 mph

Osage County Plots

Standard Deviations
Maximum = 6.4
Average = 3.9
Minimum = 2.2

Emergence related variability, not planter

speed

Skips and Doubles?

Doubles
- Plants in the double reduced grain wt/plant by 12%
(range 10 to 16%)
- However, no barrenness in the doubles increased
yield/acre by 14 to 26%

Skips
- Plants next to a skip yielded from 9 to 15% higher
than the controls
- But the increase was not enough to compensate for
the missing plants
Nafziger, 1996

Skips and Doubles?

10% skips in a field at 18,000 plants/a will
reduce yields by 5% and 8% at 30,000
plants/a. (increasing seeding rates will reduce the
number of skips)

10% doubles in a field at 18,000 plants/a

will increase yields 8% and 4% at 30,000
plants/acre (reducing plate speed will reduce doubles)

Nafziger, 1996

80
70
60

Drilled Corn
Grain Yield (bu/acre)
Avg Plant Spacing (in)
Plants/row ft

50
40
30
20
10
0
10000

15000
20000
Plant Population (plts/acre)

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Report - 1888

2
1.8
1.6
1.4
1.2
1
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
0
25000

Douglas County Soybean Project

80 acre field in southern Douglas county
Worked with K-State in the past on other
projects
Curious about differences between split-row
planters and drills for soybeans

Soil EC and Yield

2000 Soybean

1999 Corn

Plot Yield vs Distance

25

Yield, bu/ac

20

Planter 15

15
10
Drill 7.5

5
0
0

200

400

600
Distance, feet

800

1000

1200

Soil EC Path

Treatment Comparisons
Planter 15" vs. Drill 15"

Establishment
(%)
X-Y
21.4 **

Planter 30" vs. Drill 30"

16.3

**

1.2

ns

Planter vs. Drill

17.6

**

1.9

9.1

**

1.9

-12.4

**

-0.2

ns

-1.3

ns

-1.4

ns

Contrast (X vs Y)

Drill 7.5 vs. Drill 15

Drill 7.5 vs. Planter 15
Planter 15 vs. Planter 30
** indicates significance at the 0.01 level
* indicates significance at the 0.05 level

Yield
(bu/a)
X-Y
2.1 *