Planting Corn in 60” Rows
Planting corn in 60” rows with cover crops has been a topic of discussion recently in the Upper Midwest. After visiting some Pulse USA growers in Eddy County, ND, we were excited to learn they are experimenting with 60” rows that include cover crops in between. Let’s explore how and when your farm may benefit from this management practice.
The idea behind planting corn in 60” rows is to take advantage of more sunlight from wider row spacing to give the plants energy they need to grow. Planting a cover crop in between the corn can help with weed suppression, provide additional biomass and leave plants for soil cover or grazing livestock after harvest.
The first question you may be asking is how will this impact corn yield. Early studies in Iowa have found that by increasing the seeds in each row to include the same amount of seeds per acre, you can get similar yields compared to 30” rows under the same conditions. There are some mixed results however and it’s too early in North Dakota to determine the yield impact, but keep an eye out for more data in the near future.
Cover crops grown in between 60” rows have shown strong performance compared to those grown in 30” rows of corn. If you are looking for ways to use cover crops with corn for grazing or for the soil health benefits, planting cover crops between 60” rows make sense. Having an established cover crop with quality nutrients and protein after a fall harvest can greatly benefit your grazing system. Our Pulse USA growers say next year they will be planting 60” rows using silage corn since it’s cut earlier than field corn.
An important element to plan for when planting corn in 60” rows is weed control. Utilizing a cover crop to plant in between the rows can help, but you may also need to have a backup plan. For the cover crop, use a multi-species blend that can establish early and spread quickly to maximize weed suppression. If you have troublesome weeds after the cover crop emerges, you may need to burn down the weeds and cover crop with a chemical application. Consider planting a warm or late season cover crop afterward by spreading or aerial application.
As you are planning for next year, ask yourself what you could accomplish with planting corn in 60” rows. If you plan on planting corn as a monoculture, you may want to stick to 30” rows until there is more data available. However, if you are looking to benefit from using cover crops between the rows for grazing purposes or to keep cover on the soil over the winter after harvesting, planting corn in 60” rows is worth some serious consideration.
We at Pulse USA would be happy to help you come up with cover crop options for in between row crops that can provide added benefit to your farm.
