while we are talking corn how about a spacing question?

This is my first year of planting corn using my deere 1240 plate planter. I have b1x16 plates for medium rounds. I have the planter set up for the 18 driver sprocket on the 7 driven sprocket for number two idler. It says I should have a plant population of about 18,900 per acre with about a 7 in seed spacing on 38 in rows. I am planting field corn Does this sound like it would make a decent crop based on spacing? With good fertilizer and moisture what can i estimate the yields to be per acre based on this setup. Other than narrowing the rows and different plates, is there anything I can do to increase the yields? Finally, is 7in seed spacing too tight?

Thanks for the help,

Joel in western NC

We plant 32,000 minimum here in central Iowa, 34,000 to 36,000 on better soils, Averages about 205 bu per acre with proper weed/fertilizer management.

Handy seed spacing calculator dohicky
http://www.dickey-john.com/seed-spacing-conversion/

The new hybrids seem to like a minimum of 30K plants and we usually work with less than 5in spacing on 30in rows.Mother Nature is a big factor in yield and your location.Last year under dry conditions our corn went from 150/190 with exact same fertility, moisture and management.Wind,hail,rain,diseases,insects can all factor in.Our best corn was replanted May 16th due to cool wet conditions 24 hrs after planting and our worst was planted April 10th under perfect conditions just pollinated at wrong time.Hybid selection can be 25bu per acre difference.

This link worked for my question. Thank you.

Larry

Joel I see your in North Carolina, up in the mountains? Which would mean your climate is about like that around what Northern central Virginia?
7" spacing is about what that population will have. You probably could push the population up around 22,000 per ac with a spacing about 6". That could have a yield around 80 to 120 bu/ac and with good rains even higher. Look at the seed bag it will give some guidance as will the seed saleman.
Once you're in the ballpark you fine tune the population based on what happens. Corn these days is "flexible" which means the # of ears and the size of the ear will vary with the conditions and the population. If you're too low a population you will get 2 ears to the stalk and they might be the same size--raise the population. If all the ears are little short things population is too high OR there wasn't enough rain.
If you didn't put enough fertilzer on the corn will have a yellow cast and be a bit short.
When to plant--go get a ground thermomentor when the temperature is about 56 degrees 2" in the ground it's time to plant. I think you will find ground temperatures about 60 degrees+ now. I'm on the flat ground east of Fredricksburg and the usually plant the end of March--this year it was 4/11. Your going to be slightly cooler than me but not much.
Good luck. It's going to take a few years to get everything set just right.