double rows

Dan-IA · Nov 13, 2009

I was looking at a machinery catalog the other day and an ad led me to believe that one of the new ideas to get better production is not to plant single rows 30 inches apart anymore, but to plant, say, 2 rows four inches apart and then leave a 26 inch gap before planting the next one. I'm not sure I could harvest something like that with your average corn head.

What modifications would a head take to pull that off? I'm hoping to rebuild a spare corn head this winter anyway so I figure I could make the mods then, whatever they are.

bradley martin · Nov 13, 2009

No modification required....
big selling point as opposed to 15 or 20 inch row spacing.

Deere Scotty · Nov 13, 2009

I have a NI 325 2rn picker that is permanatley fixed on 32" rows. I pick 30" rows; No Problem! NI considers 4" +, or - (28" - 36" rows) fully harvestable. I have a cousin here next to me that says he picked about 15 - 20 acres a a few years for a neighbor who was on 36" rows with the same type picker. Says he couldnt see, or tell of any additional loss! Just had to drive a staighter line!!!

Scotty

John e.c.MI · Nov 13, 2009

Great Plains makes a 'twin row' planter. I believe it plants two rows 7.5" apart with 22.5 row middles. Neighbor has one and uses a regular 30" corn head to combine them with.

Wesley Stephens · Nov 13, 2009

a lot of peanut farmers used a twin row Cole planter in the 70's and 80's but gradually moved away from them.

Anonymous-0 · Nov 13, 2009

The 7" spaced double rows go through a normal corn head decently. The stalks lean together as they enter the head.

The best of the double row planters staggers the plants so you get maximum spacing between them. Some don't do that as well and get the plants kind of close so they react like weeds to each other and hurt the corn production.

Its difficult to prove a yield increase from double rows, and expensive to try. The benefits should be greater when the planting rates get over 35,000 per acre with the finest of alternating planters. For the rest of us, a good consistent single row planter does really fine. That is one with no skips and no bunches with applies to many brands these days.

Gerald J.

double rows

Dan-IA

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bradley martin

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Deere Scotty

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John e.c.MI

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Wesley Stephens

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Anonymous-0

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