Wider row spacings = More yield?

[Rob Holmes]

I've been reading an article in Lemken magazine claiming that increasing row spacing from the 'traditional' 12.5cm (24 coulters) to 15 cm (20 coulters) increased yield by 2t/ha! , seems too good to be true.​

I appreciate there will be elements of advertising here but surely they can't claim what isn't true?​

​

 

[Andy26]

I would of thought the closer row spacing, would reduce the inter-row plant spacing therefore giving a more uniform plant distribution. Which I would think would yield better with all other variables kept constant?

Seems an unlikely claim to me.

 

[Rob Holmes]

I thought the same, but talking to agronomist about it he says that the wider spacing will let more light into the bottom of the plants, increasing photosynthesis.
This maybe one reason why we've had some of the highest yields with the Claydon, but thats a different conversation for a different thread

 

[Andy26]

Having read the attached PDF, this is based on one years trials on one trials site.

This really has little if no weight, it needs to be replicated over several sites over several years and with a low CV to have any merit.

 

[Andy26]

I thought the same, but talking to agronomist about it he says that the wider spacing will let more light into the bottom of the plants, increasing photosynthesis.
This maybe one reason why we've had some of the highest yields with the Claydon, but thats a different conversation for a different thread

But surely on that reasoning a thin crop will yield well. IMO thin crops with low ear counts yield poorly. 550-600 ears/m2 is where the best yields come from.

 

[Refco]

Six and two threes, i think. Back in the day, everybody had wide rows, but then in the early seventies trials were done saying that narrow rows had the edge on yield. Now it's going back to wide rows.

 

[Brisel]

Lemken are just trying to sell a drill with less steel on it.

Wide rows are fine & 15cm isn't excessive but they rely on good tillering to fill the gaps, nor will it be any good for short crops like spring barley or linseed. Taller crops should fare better. Remember precision sowing of wheat? That didn't get very far, did it?

 

[snarling bee]

Rubbish. With all combinable crops other than WOSR and WBns a narrow row is best. End of. And I thought Lemken were a sensible company.

 

[Andy26]

There's an interesting HGCA bit of research here:

http://www.hgca.com/publications/documents/cropresearch/PR375_Complete_Final_Report.pdf

General premise of it is, just stick the seed in the ground, spending £xxxxx on a super precision drill brings no benefit over using the Fert. spreader!

 

[Rob Holmes]

Shall we go back to fert spreader and set of seed harrow?

 

[Barleycorn]

We have always been on 7" rows, firstly with the old Massey drills and for the past 20 years a couple of Moores. The main reason is that all the air drills seemed so flimsey, and I didn't think that they would stand up to our finty soil.
I was told about better light penetration, and also better disease resistance as more air is around the plants. May be total baloney but works for us. I do think you get stronger tillers on the wider rows.
Bit like most other things with farming if you stay still long enough it comes round again and your back in fashion.