narrow rows twin rows populations chad lee grain crops extension, university of kentucky chad

Narrow Rows Twin RowsPopulations

Chad LeeGrain Crops Extension, University of Kentuckywww.uky.edu/Ag/GrainCrops/http://graincrops.blogspot.com/

Chad Lee © 2009, 2010 Univ. of Kentucky 1


Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct0

1

2

3

4

5

6

72009 Rainfall, Spindletop Farm, KY

Precipitation30 yr normal

inches


102030405060708090

2009 Average Temperatures, Spindletop Farm, KY

AVG Temp

MAX Temp

MIN Temp

30 Yr Temp

° F



101520253035

2009 Temperature, Spindletop Farm, KY

Days, 90+ Days, 32-

° F


10

20

30

40

50

60

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.52009 Rainfall, Spindletop Farm, KY

% Rain Days Greatest 24 Hr Total

% days inches

Two Topics

• Plant Populations• Narrow Rows


Contributors

• Dewey Lee, GA• Brian Jones, VaTech• R. L. Nielsen, Purdue• Kraig Roozeboom, Stuart

Duncan, K-State• Kurt Thelen, Michigan State• Joe Lauer, Wisconsin• Robert Kratochvil, Maryland• R. W. Taylor, Delaware

• Pioneer• Monsanto• AgriGold


Corn Seeding RatesDo we need to change the recommendations?


Table 3. Recommended corn seeding rates for Kentucky.

Seeding rate* (seeds/acre)

Grain 22,000 - 30,000Silage 24,000 - 30,000Irrigated 26,000 - 32,000* Range depends on potential yield of soil ranging from less than 100 bu/ac for the low range to more than 200 bu/ac for the high range.

Population Studies


Corn Populations, 2009


15 20 25 30 35 40 45 500

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

R² = 0.976971694947293

R² = 0.831290440034089R² = 0.811905863713721R² = 0.933932110088324

2009, Spindletop Farm, Lexington, KY

DKC6342Polynomial (DKC6342)DKC6345Polynomial (DKC6345)DKC6544Polynomial (DKC6544)DKC6547Linear (DKC6547)

1,000 seeds/acre

Yield, bu/A

Population and Stalk Diameter


15 20 25 30 35 40 45 500.0

5.0

10.0

15.0

20.0

25.0

R² = 0.726176504042105

R² = 0.68550375693068

R² = 0.880495282690191R² = 0.881838433131569


DKC6342

Polynomial (DKC6342)

DKC6345


DKC6544


DKC6547

Linear (DKC6547)

1,000 seeds/acre

Stalk Diam (mm)

Population and Sunlight


15 20 25 30 35 40 45 500.0

100.0

200.0

300.0

400.0

500.0

600.0

700.0

R² = 0.607134987464267

R² = 0.911538361948033

R² = 0.788528167929624

R² = 0.849091291156899


DKC6342


DKC6345

Linear (DKC6345)

DKC6544

Linear (DKC6544)

DKC6547


1,000 seeds/acre

Lightbar Reading

Population Effect, CornLexington, 2009, VT3 Hybrids and RRCB Hybrids


15 20 25 30 35 40 45 500

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

R² = 0.93520726612232


4 Hybrids

Polynomial (4 Hybrids)

1,000 seeds/acre

Yield, bu/A

Population Effect, CornLexington, 2008, VT3 Hybrids and RRCB Hybrids


15,000 25,000 35,000 45,000 55,0000

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

f(x) = − 0.00214520470216744 x + 170.75239653603R² = 0.939552683047055

Corn Populations, Lexington, 2008

All Hybrids

Linear (All Hybrids)

Seed Rate (seeds/acre)

Yie

ld (

bu

/ac

re)

Corn Grain YieldsWoodford County, KY, 2007


Year: 2007 Location: Woodford County FarmHybrid: SS777RR2YGPLPoncho 1250-treated seedPlanting: May 3, 2007

15,000 25,000 35,000 45,0000

50

100

150

200

250

R² = 0.945762420491662

R² = 0.977176669484362

Woodford County, 2007

IrrigatedPolynomial (Irrigated)Non-IrrigatedPolynomial (Non-Irrigated)

Seeds/Acre

Gra

in Y

ield

, bu

/A

Corn Seeding RatesDo we need to change the recommendations?

• Year-to-year weather variability can drastically impact corn yield response to seeding rate.

• We can’t accurately predict the weather 3 to 4 months ahead.

• In irrigated fields, populations can be raised to about 34,000 to 36,000 seeds/acre.

• For rainfed conditions and good soils, maximum seeding rates should be near 30,000 to 33,000 seeds/acre.


NARROW ROWSKentucky and other states


What do these have in common?


www.ukathletics.com

Dribble-Drive Offense


http://coachingbetterbball.blogspot.com

Spacing is critical.

Spacing is Critical?plants/acre row width, inches

30 20 15 twin (30)within-row plant spacing, inches

25,000 8.4 12.5 16.7 16.730,000 7.0 10.5 13.9 13.935,000 6.0 9.0 11.9 11.945,000 4.6 7.0 9.3 9.350,000 4.2 6.3 8.4 8.455,000 3.8 5.7 7.6 7.660,000 3.5 5.2 7.0 7.065,000 3.2 4.8 6.4 6.4


Could narrow rows improve spacing…and improve yields?


PLANT SPACING VARIABILITYSpacing Between

Rows(inches)

Plant Population(plants/acre)

Spacing Within Rows

(inches)

Allowable Within Row

Spacing(inches)

30 30,000 7.0 5.0 - 9.0

30 24,000 8.7 6.7 - 10.7

Variability up to 2 inches does not hurt yields. Variability above 2 inches will reduce yields. - - R.L. Nielsen, Purdue Univ.

Twin Row Planter


Twin Row Corn, Spindletop Farm, KY, 2009


• Three hybrids:– 1 US Hybrid

• Developed in 30-inch rows– 2 Argentine Hybrids

• Developed in 20-inch rows

Twin Rows, Narrow RowsLexington, KY, 2009


30 in 15 in twin0

50

100

150

200

250

234 208 218

Lexington, KY, 2009

Row Type

Grain Yield, Bu/A

***

Spindletop Farm, Lexington, KYNo-Till Following SoybeanLoradale silt loamSeeded: 27 Apr 200935,000 seeds/ALexar+Glyphosate PRE, no POST

AX820CL and XA1143MG are from Nidera in Argentina (developed in 20-inch rows).DKC62-54 is from Monsanto DeKalb

*, **Significantly different from 30-inch rows at 0.05 and 0.10, respectively.

Twin Rows, Narrow RowsLexington, KY, 2009


Spindletop Farm, Lexington, KYNo-Till Following SoybeanLoradale silt loamSeeded: 27 Apr 200935,000 seeds/ALexar+Glyphosate PRE, no POST

10 ears per plot3 hybrids4 replications

AX820CL and XA1143MG are from Nidera in Argentina (developed in 20-inch rows).DKC62-54 is from Monsanto DeKalb

Row plants/a kernels/ear kernel/wt, gvacant tip,

in rows/earSingle 15 31,000 569 2.09 0.086 15.6Single 30 35,417 563 1.86 0.104 15.8Twin 30 32,667 587 2.25 0.080 15.8

Twin RowsPalmer Amaranth


Emerged late in this field and was about 2-feet tall when corn was pollinating.

Would twin-rows be more competitive?

NO!!

Weed pressure hurt yields.Hand-harvest: area of plots with less weed pressure.

Combine-harvest: entire plot.

Fulton County, KY, 2009Note: Heavy population of Palmer amaranth competing with corn.


single 32 K twin 32 K twin 38 K0

50

100

150

200

250

144 141

167

116 117133

Fulton County, KY, 2009

A6522BtCL

A6633BtCL

Yie

ld,

bu

/A,

com

bin

e h

arve

st

single 32 K twin 32 K twin 38 K0

50

100

150

200

250

187 180 186

155

181

215


A6522BtCL

A6633BtCL

Yie

ld,

Bu

/A,

han

d h

arve

stEstimates ----------------------- p value§-------------------------single, 32K vs twin, 32K 0.7390 0.3691 0.8357 0.6220single, 32K vs twin, 38K 0.9420 0.0606 0.1442 0.1684twin, 32K vs twin, 38K 0.7490 0.2434 0.1041 0.3781

Twin Rows or Population?Fulton County, KY, 2009

• We cannot conclude if row width or population or both affected yield.• We can conclude that weeds cause real problems…


25,000 30,000 35,000 0

50

100

150

200

250

R² = 1

R² = 0.86141876352486


A6522BtCL

Linear (A6522BtCL)

A6632BtCL

Polynomial (A6632BtCL)

Ears/Acre

Yie

ld, b

u/A

Fulton County, KY, 2009Note: Heavy population of Palmer amaranth competing with corn.


Row by Seeding Rate A6522BtCL A6633BtCL A6522BtCL A6633BtCL A6522BtCL A6633BtCL30 inches plants/A plants/A ears/A ears/A kernels missing, %

32,000 seeds/A 34,100 28,700 33,000 26,500 7.30 12.30twin rows

32,000 seeds/A 29,000 30,500 27,600 20,400 8.70 11.3038,000 seeds/A 31,900 32,700 30,100 31,600 6.00 5.00

Estimates ------------------------------------------------- p value --------------------------------------30 in, 32K vs twin, 32K 0.1674 0.6042 0.1675 0.4481 0.7507 0.776630 in, 32K vs twin, 38K 0.5412 0.2700 0.4481 0.1951 0.7057 0.0583twin, 32K vs twin, 38K 0.4119 0.5412 0.5006 0.5625 0.4550 0.0947

Table 1. Average stand plants per acre, ears per acre and missing kernels for treatments at Fulton County, Kentucky, 2009.

Twin Rows, Spindletop Farm, 2009


28,000 33,000 38,000 43,0000

50

100

150

200

250

300

228214

240 246

197

223241 234

Spindletop Farm, KY, 2009

singletwin

Seeds/Acre

Yield, bu/a

NOT RANDOMIZED!!!Averaged across 3 hybridsDKC61-19, DKC61-69 and DKC63-42Each Hybrid Serves as a replicateNo-Till, Maury Silt Loam

AgriGold Study, Madisonville, KY, 2009

Chad Lee © 2009, 2010 Univ. of Kentucky

30

single twin0

50

100

150

200

250

300

234 256

ArigGold, Madisonville, KY, 2009

Row Configuration

Yiel

d, B

u/A

34 38 440

50

100

150

200

250

300

231 250 254


1,000 seeds/A

Yiel

d, B

u/A

Madisonville, KY, 2009Herring FarmsAgriGold A6533Planted: 25-Apr-09Clay loam soilconventional tillage

AgriGold Study, Madisonville, KY, 2009


31

34 34 38 38 44 44single twin single twin single twin

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

229 239 240 261236

284


Row Configuration

Yiel

d, B

u/A Madisonville, KY, 2009

Herring FarmsAgriGold A6533Planted: 25-Apr-09Clay loam soilconventional tillage

Narrow Rows from Other States


Georgia: Material and Methods

• Study included multiple years• Tifton Sandy Loam• Row widths: 36, 30, 20 inches and Twin 7

inch rows.• Plant populations: 28-32,000• Hybrids: Pioneer 3163, DeKalb 687, DeKalb

67-60, Pioneer 32H58, P 32D99, DK-69-72• Nitrogen rates: 260+ lbs N/acre


20 inch corn 30 inch corn

36 inch corn Twin row cornChad Lee © 2009, 2010 Univ. of Kentucky Dewey Lee, University of Georgia

35Chad Lee © 2009, 2010 Univ. of Kentucky

Row Spacing (in) Effects on Corn Yield (bu/a)

Row width

2 Yr. Av. * 2003 2004 2005 2006 4 yr av

20’ 228.2 254.5a 263.2a 230.2a 267.0b 253.7

30’ ---- 191.0c 252.0b 224.8a 311.1a 244.7

Twin 7 207.9 226.7b 253.8b 201.8b 265.9b 237

36” 200.1 231.5b 248.9b 201.8b 256.7b 234.7

Tifton, GA., * 2yr av, 2000, 2001; RDC Pivot

Dewey Lee, University of Georgia

Georgia: Study Remarks

• Narrow row (20 inch row width) most productive width

• Narrow row (20 inch row width) production much improved with the addition of the Roundup Ready system®

• Twin row equal to 36 inch row and 30 inch row more variable in intensive mgt.

• Economically, 20 inch more profitable.


Dewey Lee, University of Georgia

Georgia, Tiffin, 2003 and 2004subsurface drip

Planttreatment

Plant density

(plants/m2)

Grain yield(kg/ha)

Test weight(kg/m3)

Stalk diameter

(mm)2003

Single 1 8.4a 10640a 704a 19.2a

Twin 1 9.1a 10870a 695a 17.9a

Twin 2 14.1b 9145b 697a 14.8b

2004

Single 1 8.2a 9548a 702a 17.3a

Twin 1 8.6a 9224a 705a 17.8a

Twin 2 22.0b 4789b 701a 10.7b


Sorensen, R. B., Lamb, M. C., and Butts, C. L. 2006. Row pattern, plant density, and nitrogen rate on corn yield in the southeastern US. Online. Crop Management doi:10.1094/CM-2006-1211-01-RS.

Yield Response to Row Spacing at Different Sites, North Carolina

0

50

100

150

200

250

Beaufort Bertie Pasquotank Perquimans Tyrrell

7

14

28

Twin

ba

cd d d d

e

f ffff

g hi i

jj

Yie

ld (

bu

/acr

e)

Location

38

NCSU Crop Science Department Chad Lee © 2009, 2010 Univ. of Kentucky

Virginia Tech


VA Tech Methods

• 2006 (28,000 plants/ac)– 6 replications under irrigation

• 2007 (28,000 plants/ac)– 3 replications under irrigation– 3 replications with no irrigation

• 2008– 3 populations X 3 Reps– 31,000; 36,000 and 41,000 plants/ac– Irrigated

Brian Jones, Virginia Cooperative Extension

41

Results: Silage yield (2006-07)

Effect of Row Spacing on Corn Silage Yield in 2006 and 2007

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

2006 Irr 2007 Irr 2007 NonIrr

Year/Irrigation

Yie

ld (

ton

s /

ac @

35%

DM

)

7.5" Twin

30" Single

11.8%

18.9%

8.9%

21.4

19.1

24.6

20.7

21.9

20.2



Results: Silage yield (2006-07)Effect of Row Spacing on Irrigated Corn Silage Yield

Averaged Over 2006 and 2007

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

TR SR

Row Spacing Configuration

Yie

ld (

ton

s /

ac @

35%

DM

)

a

b

P<0.053 ton/ac

Brian Jones, Virginia Cooperative Extension42


43

Results: Silage yield (2008)Effect of Row Spacing and Plant Population on Silage

Yield in 2008

20

21

22

23

24

25

31000 36000 41000

Plant Population (plants / ac)

Yie

ld (

ton

s /

ac @

35%

DM

7.5" Twin

30" Single

a aa

b

b b

P<0.05



44

Results: Silage quality (milk/acre)Effects of Row Spacing and Plant Population on

Milk / Ac and Milk / Ton in 2008

14000

14500

15000

15500

16000

16500

17000

31000 36000 41000


lb m

ilk

/ ac

TR

SR

a

b

a a

a

b

Brian Jones, Virginia Cooperative ExtensionChad Lee © 2009, 2010 Univ. of Kentucky

45

Results: Grain yield in 2008 (VT)Effect of Plant Population and Row Spacing on Grain

Yield in 2008

100

120

140

160

180

200

220

26136 29869 33999 38016


Yie

ld (

bu

/ a

c @

15.

5%)

TRSR

Brian Jones, Virginia Cooperative ExtensionChad Lee © 2009, 2010 Univ. of Kentucky

46

Delaware, Maryland

Row Spacing Location

Georgetown

(2003)

Poplar Hill

(2003)

Wye

(2003)

Wye

(2004)

-------------------------Bu acre-1------------------------

Twin Rows 181 156 152 188

30-inch Rows 182 164 159 193

LSD0.10NS 7.3 NS NS


Grain yield by row spacing treatment and location averaged over the four hybrids and three populations during 2003 and two hybrids and five populations during 2004.

Kratochvil, R. J., and Taylor, R. W. 2005. Twin-row corn production: An evaluation in the mid-Atlantic Delmarva region. Online. Crop Management doi:10.1094/CM-2005-0906-01-RS.

47

Delaware, Maryland

Row Spacing Plant Population

(Plants acre-1)

24,000 28,000 30,000 32,000 35,000 40,000

-------------------------------% Lodging-------------------------------

Twin Rows 2 aa 4 a 5 a 8 a 12 a 6 a

30-inch Rows 3 a 4 a 4 a 5 a 5 b 9 a


Lodging response by row spacing and population treatments averaged across the two hybrids used in the twin row corn study conducted at Wye during 2004.


Delaware, Maryland

Year Plant Population

(Plants acre-1)

24,000 28,000 30,000 32,000 35,000 40,000

------------------------------ % Stalk Rot ------------------------------

2003 16 ba 18 b --- 20 a --- ---

2004 15 d 24 c 24 c 34 b 47 a 46 a


Stalk rot incidence by population averaged over locations, hybrids and row spacings for the two years of the twin row study.


Kansas, 2008


Kansas, 2008Atchinson County

Stewart DuncanKansas State University


Staggenberg and Maddux, 2001. Kansas State University

Pioneer Narrow Row Corn: Research Locations

Location Year Planting DateLocation

Grain Yield Average (Bu/A)

Previous Crop Irrigation

York, NE 2005 2-May-05 221 Soybean Irrigation

Marion, IA 2005 3-May-05 146 Soybean Rainfed

York, NE 2006 10-May-06 184 Corn Irrigation

Johnston, IA 2006 11-May-06 185 Soybean Rainfed


Pioneer Hybrid Characteristics

Hybrid Evaluated Year CRM Silk CRM Tech.

34N42 2005 111 108 HX1,LL

34H32 2005 107 108 YGCB

34A18 2006 109 110 HXX,LL

34N50 2006 112 107 HXX,LL


Pioneer: Which row width produced the highest yield?

53Chad Lee © 2009, 2010 Univ. of Kentucky

Corn Grain Yield Response to Three Row WidthsMarion, IA & York, NE 2005

Johnston, IA & York, NE 2006

184.77

189.5

174.86

182.6

177.51

181.4

165

170

175

180

185

190

195

2005 2006

Year

Gra

in Y

ield

(B

u/A

)

30-inch

20-inch

Twin-Row

a

a

b

b

b b

Corn Grain Yield Change For Narrower Compared to 30-inch Row Spacing in Wisconsin

10

-1

11

-6

5

-4

3

-1

-16

26

11

5

-3

6 6

-12

-19

-7

3

-7

-2

-21

-30

8

-5-7 -8

-5 -6 -6

1

-30

-25

-20

-15

-10

-5

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

1996

SPA06*

1997

ARL05

1997

ARL06

1997

ARLHA*

1997

CHIHA

1997

CHIWO

1997

FON06

1997

JAN06

1997

KAUWO

*

1997

MARW

O

1997

SPAWA*

1997

SPAWO

1997

VAL06

1998

ARL05

1998

ARL06

1998

FON06

*

1998

JAN06

1998

VAL06*

1999

ARL05

1999

ARL06

1999

FON06

1999

JAN06

1999

VAL06

2000

ARL05

2000

ARL06

2000

ARL07

2001

ARL05*

2001

ARL06

2001

ARL07

2002

ARL05*

2002

ARL06*

2002

ARL07*

2003

ARL06

2003

ARL07

Avera

ge

Inc

rea

se

(D

ec

rea

se

) o

f N

arr

ow

Ro

ws

(b

u/A

)


N= 34 trials Increased in 4 trialsDecreased in 6 trialsAverage = 1 bu/A

Joe Lauer, University of Wisconsin

Corn Grain Yield Response to Row Spacing and Plant Density, Wisconsin

30-inch row spacing

y = -0.13x2 + 8.71x + 56.34

R2 = 0.91

15-inch row spacing

y = -0.16x2 + 12.02x - 11.68

R2 = 1.00180

185

190

195

200

205

210

25 30 35 40 45

Harvest plant population (number x 1000 / A)

Gra

in y

ield

(b

u/A

)

30-inch

15-inch

Lauer

Janesville, WI1997-1999



Corn Forage Yield Change For Narrower Compared to 30-inch Row Spacing in Wisconsin

-15

-10

-5

0

5

10

15

20

1997

ARL06

1997

SHEWO

*

1997

SPAWO

*

1998

ARL06

1998

FON06*

1998

SHE06

1998

VAL06*

1999

ARL06

1999

FON06

1999

VAL06

2000

ARL06*

2001

ARL06

2002

ARL06

Avera

ge

Inc

rea

se

(D

ec

rea

se

) o

f N

arr

ow

Ro

ws

(%

)


N= 13 trials Increased in 4 trialsDecreased in 1 trialAverage = 3.5%


Narrow Rows, Wisconsin

2006 2006 2005 2005

Grain Yield Whole Plant DM Yield

Grain Yield Whole Plant DM Yield

Bu/A T/A Bu/A T/A

15 inches 232 7.8 163 8.2

30 inches 230 8.4 181 8.2

LSD (0.10) ns ns 9 ns


Averaged across target plant populations of 15,000 25,000 35,000 and 45,000 plants/A.

Joe Lauer, Univ. of Wisconsin.

Narrow Rows, Wisconsin2005

15 – inch rows 30-inch rows

Grain Yield

Seeds/A Bu/A

15,000 161 164

25,000 166 188

35,000 179 184

45,000 147 187

LSD (0.10) 18


Joe Lauer, Univ. of Wisconsin.

Michigan State University


Widdicombe and Thelen. 2002 . Agron. J. 94:1020-1023. (corn grain)Widdicombe and Thelen. 2002. Agron. J. 94: 326-330. (corn silage)

Whole Plant (Silage) Yield

Row Width Grain Yield

inches bu/acre

30 165c

22 169b

15 172a


Pioneer Hi-BredSteve Butzen and Steve Paszkiewicz, Crop Insights, Vol. 18, No. 15 Keith O’Bryan with the twin-row data

Rows, Summary

• Grain Yields– Twin rows mixed, but not very impressive

• Silage Yields– Twin rows/narrow rows better

• About as many questions as answers– Populations?– Hybrids?– Irrigation?


narrow rows twin rows populations chad lee grain crops extension, university of kentucky chad

Documents

states chad lee

sunlight chad lee

narrow rows kentucky

rrcb hybrids chad lee

population studies chad

twin row planter chad

university of kentucky

stalk diameter chad