I'm going to have some fun next season...

I should finish this fall.

So, I have decided to set aside a few acres to use this old machinery for a fun little project.

I need to get some advice from anyone who has planted corn with a lister.

I will put in 4 acres of dryland corn and need to know what spacing between plants I should shoot for and how many bushels per acre is considered normal for dryland corn in an area of 20 inches of rain per year. (Not this year! We are DRY in west central Nebr.)

I have quite a few plates for both of my listers and plan to use both.
One is an ancient horse drawn John Deere one row and the other is from the early 1950's and is a 2 row John Deere on rubber.

Any advice about listing corn will be appreciated!

So far I have restored about 7 pieces of old machinery, most 1920 era vintage. All have been inb the family since new. I have had a blast seeing it come back to life!

I agree with Howard.

Probably 10 to 14" between plants and also, I would run the rows counter to the slope of your field. That way the ridges built by your lister will hold that valuable moisture better.

Additionally, I'd put in some short season stuff, maybe even some 65-70 day corn (if you can still get it); no use pushing your luck, what with this great American desert out here.

That should be a fun project. Do you have the old time "corn plow" to throw the dirt back the other way towards the plant?

Good luck, 'cause as you already know, you're gonna need it. :>)

Allan

What would be the easiest way to know which plate to use? I really dont know how to calibrate the planters.

I assume lister plates are like corn planter plates, or I'm talking real stoopid here....

--->Paul