In episode 4 of season 2 Corn College TV, Ken Ferrie is asked what farmers should consider if they are thinking of a switch to narrow row corn.
“First, a farmer needs to know if they have maximized their current production practices,” Ferrie says. “If a farmer is still fine-tuning their fertility program or taking care of compaction issues, now is not the time to make a change like row configuration.”
In his test plots in central Illinois, Ferrie reports that he’s seen a 7 to 10 bu. increase for narrow rows over the wide rows with the same planted population. His studies have also showed no difference in 20” rows and twin rows.
“I see excellent opportunities to combine narrow rows with variable rate population when you have a lot of variability in the field,” Ferrie says. “But for a farmer to see the potential yield bump of narrow rows, everything else in their production practices must be in place.”
Learn more in this episode of Corn College TV.
