Interesting corn

We have not planted corn since the 80’s when the market was terrible for 3 years in row. So I have not kept up with new planting practices. I was working along 2 large fields when the farmer showed up with a NH8970 4WD tractor and 3 row NH pull behind chopper. Followed by his entourage of wagons and another big NH tractor. As I admired his days work versus mine I noticed how the chopper really pulled the big NH tractor down at times and how quickly he filled a wagon. Cool thing was they were both using the quick hitches on the chopper and wagons. Never got out of the tractor to unhook or hitch up the wagons. Cool device that I had seen before but never seen in action. Anyway I couldn’t believe how fast the wagons filled up. So I walked over to the corn field and noticed that there were actually 2 offset(Alternating) rows of corn 6 inches apart in the same row! Still spaced at 30”. So the next time a tractor showed up I asked the driver about what I was seeing. He said their planter had 2 offset planters per row, so they are actually chopping 6 rows at a time versus 3. Allows them to double their crop. Now I know why that tractor was snorting at times. So my question is to you corn farmers out there, are you also doing this and how long has this been a practice? I found it not only interesting but smart! Obviously the ground can handle the extra corn sucking the nutrients out of it. They had a beautiful stand of corn.

Edited by AC720Man - 03 Oct 2020 at 9:49pm

Twin rows were happening here in the late 80's...seem to be certain farmers that do it.  Not a lot of them.  

Great plains made a twin row planter. Little bit of it around here at one time, but for some reason didn't catch on. I"m riding the fence on it. Guess I would have to try it before I said it was a good thing or bad. Darrel

Never seen anything of the twin rows around here. However back when I was in high school I ran a chopper for the summer for a farmer that was laid up. He had planted a white kernel corn that grew to be about 18' tall, the kernels were bigger than a large man's thumbnail. The tractor he has was a green 4010 with a 38 chopper with a 2 row head. It was all I could do to chop 1 row at a time in grampa gear.  It took well over 2 days to do a 25 acre field. The ones hustling wagons knew where to come just be watching the cloud of smoke. 

The studies I have seen, show ultra narrow rows perform best north of Hwy 20, as there are more plants to take advantage of the sunlight. Personally, if I was going to change, it would be to 22" rows.

bigal121892 wrote: The studies I have seen, show ultra narrow rows perform best north of Hwy 20, as there are more plants to take advantage of the sunlight. Personally, if I was going to change, it would be to 22" rows.

I’ve heard the same but seems it would shine in arid climates also. Roots more evenly placed and canopy faster.

So how much extra product do you think you get? I found this very interesting and have never seen or heard of this being done? Did you modify your planter and buy one with this setup?

Is there any other company besides Great Plains that makes a twin row planter.....? Darrel

I know of several guys around here who modified Deere 7000 and 7100 planters. One of them welded extensions and a second tool bar behind the front row units With the rear lift wheels.

I personally have a 12 row 7100 that dad and I turned into a 10 row 18” planter with Kinze bean meters. Works really well.

Edited by wekracer - 06 Oct 2020 at 7:20am

Lonn wrote: Some go narrower and some go wider https://www.agweb.com/article/corn-maverick-cracking-mystery-60-inch-rows

Exactly. Never a fix-all solution. But there’s always challenges. I also like the idea of 60” solar corn with inter-cropped cooperative cover crops. I don’t plant twin rows to ever acre, just those acres, situations, and/or conditions that merit it.