Twin Row Corn
Three-Year Study Shows Yield Increase With Twin-Row Corn
CHAMPAIGN, ILL.
Research on twin-row corn has shown that
this system has a higher yield advantage
compared to 30-inch rows, according to
Andy Westhoven, CCA, AgriGold Hybrids Regional
Agronomist covering Northern Indiana
and Southwest Michigan.
“AgriGold has been looking at twin row corn
for about two or three years now and we ramped
up testing in 2009,” he said. “Most of those 37
studies were carried out across several different
states, including Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio,
Kentucky, Mississippi, and ‘Tennessee.”
Traditionally farmers have been raising corn
on 30-inch rows and there has been much discussion
about moving towards narrower rows
and different row configurations. The two that
are the most popular are 20-inch rows or twin-rows.
In twin-row there
are actually two rows of
corn. The center of each
row is still 30 inches,
but between the inter
rows of corn plants are
only about 22 or 23
inches apart.
“The goal is to have
them staggered,” Westhoven
said. “Ideally we
want to stagger them,
but they do not always
become staggered.”
Harvesting is done
with a 30-inch row corn
head. There may be a little
more wear on the
corn head, but no other
equipment needs to be
changed except the
planter.
“In our studies we’ve
looked at four different populations,” he continued.
“We looked at 28,000 plants per acre,
33,000, 38,000 and 43,000 plants per acre.
“For the most part across genetics and hybrids,
we’ve seen that twin rows have had a
higher yield advantage compared to 30 inch
rows,” he reported. “For the most part this occurred
in all populations.”
AgriGold began research on twin-row corn
about two years ago, probably in the fall or
spring and fall of 2008. Research began in the
south, southern parts of Indiana and Illinois,
and it was found to have an advantage there.
“Most people that have done research in the
past have always shown that as you go further
north, that’s where you find the advantage of
narrowing the rows,” Westhoven said. “So as
we’ve moved these studies further north, we’re
also starting to see those same observations
that we have seen in our previous testing in the
south.”
The vast majority, at least all of 2009 data,
was dryland corn. This year the research includes
some of both.
“We have some under irrigation, but I would
say as of last year we probably had enough rain
where we really didn’t have to worry about it,”
he added. “This will be the third year for the
trial, but probably the second year of widespread
studies.”
Over all genetics, all hybrids, all populations
there has been almost a five bushel advantage
for twin row corn. Certain hybrids, or certain genetics
respond differently, and some have
shown up to a six bushel advantage and some
down to about three to four bushels.
“We are using a Kinze planter that we’ve configured
for twin row,” he explained. “We’ve used
that for the last three years. We also worked
with Great Plains directly and had three of their
planters as well.
“On the Kinze they made that special. The
Great Plains planters that we worked with were
actually 8-row, twin-row planters that they
pulled off their line. It looked like we were planting
twin rows, but only half the units are working
on one side, and on the other one bar also.”
AgriGold is proud of
the results and looks
forward to the future.
“With one year’s worth
of data, we’re really
proud of what we have,”
Westhoven said. “Any
scientist would say it’s
only one year’s worth of
data, it’s really not
worth a whole lot. However,
this year we went
from 37 locations up to
118, so we really
ramped up our testing.
Also, there are a lot of
different locations and
more areas that we
weren’t in before, as well
as more looks in every
state. The key, I think, is
trying to get the tests on
some marginal soil.
We’ve seen what the high yielding environments
can do, but let’s get on marginal soil and see if
we can’t bump up those yield averages.”
Twin-row corn is relatively new in northern
areas. Because of that presently there are only
two manufacturers that produce twin row
planters.
“I think that is the issue,” he said. “Twin row
and row configuration is such a relatively new
concept and John Deere is spearheading one in
20 inch rows. So I think that because it’s newer
technology and not many manufacturers actually
have come out with it, that’s probably some
of the eliminating factors there.
“So we've seen the yield advantage and I think
the other side that may be overlooked is the
agronomics of it,” Westhoven added. “What
we’ve seen is standability; lodging and things
like that may be improved in twin rows. There’s
more spacing between seeds which is really important
as you increase planting populations.
Then also I feel twin row is more efficient in
terms of water, nutrients and sunlight capture.”
Δ
BETTY VALLE GEGG-NAEGER: Senior Staff
Writer, MidAmerica Farmer
Andy Westhoven,
CCA, AgriGold
Hybrids Regional
Agronomist
covering
Northern Indiana
and Southwest
Michigan,
explains the
research on
twin-row corn
and it’s higher
yield advantage.