An important factor when considering row spacing is the crop varieties being grown, which is important in all crops. In addition to cultural weed control, quick ground cover by the crop allows the plants to absorb sunlight instead of the soil between the rows. This is important in critical growth stages such as the flag stage in wheat where 90% of ground cover is required to maximize yield. Crop varieties often differ in their growth physiology with some varieties featuring greater vertical plant biomass while others tend to feature greater lateral plant growth.
When growers consider the purchase of new planting equipment, many different factors are taken into account with every farm having different characteristics. One important component of equipment to consider is the row spacing between seed openers. Many different options exist in terms of row spacing distance and it’s important to consider all the advantages and disadvantages of each as well as the requirements of the farming operation.
On planting implements, row spacing on planting equipment is typically characterized by a reduction in horsepower requirement with less openers running through the soil. A reduced amount of openers, as well as more distance between them, allows for improved residue flow from the previous crop which is important in conservation and zero-till systems. Narrower row spacing allows for quicker ground cover of the crop which is important in terms of cultural weed control and especially important in fields with herbicide resistant weeds such as kochia which is particularly sensitive to plant shading. Additionally, a greater number of rows means less seeds per row are required to achieve the desired seeding rate which requires less precision in terms of spacing between seeds.
In all row spacing options, precision metering and placement is required to ensure that seeds are placed as evenly apart as possible in the row. This is accomplished with Seed Hawk precision openers and the Fenix III metering system when considering air drills, and the PowerShoot seed delivery system when considering planters. Ensuring precision placement allows each plant to maximize its growth potential regardless of crop, variety and row distance.