Row Spancing

[farmaholic]

My post was purely sarcastic....

My practice is to seed using the 1000 kernel weight formula. I usually aim for the mid range of recommended plants/sq.ft. I use a Bourgault on 10 inch spacing with a two inch spread tip and mid row weed feeders. No split apps like some guys are doing in Agriville.

[ado089]

I find with peas the more you can jam into a sqft before they actually touch each other the better. For cereals I want to bump my plant count and aim for more consistent tillering and shorter straw. I think the wider spacing served us well to get where we are but if we want to keep pushing we need better seed bed utilization. Plus 1 on 12 leaves alot of real estate for weeds to grow.

[farmaholic]

Agreed on SBU. 10 inches is kind of a happy medium. I can't change seeding units every time there is a change is dry/wet cycles. Ya I know wider keeps the canopy drier longer (as long as those lush lentils and peas stay standing) canola will fill the spaces, its opportunistic. Cereals will gradually fill too. The only time the canopy may not close here is in droughtier conditions, then it doesn't matter anyway. Another thing that is a game changer for some (me included) is the guys who still do some swathing, narrower is better. Fert placement, the wider the spacing the more concentrated if your putting it all on at seeding time, unless your split applying somehow. And then there is the weeds, most of you probably don't even know what those are. Field finish, wow some drills are brutal.

[SASKFARMER3]

Peas we use 10in on Bourg 1
Canola 12in on Bourg 2
Wheat early is seeded with both drills and year in year out no real difference.
Most drills up in the NE are 10 in with a 2 inch boot.
Further south wider spacing and narrow openers.
Funny one area typical wet other dryer.

[JDGreen]

Peas and lentils are healthier and stronger I find in 12" rows.. However the catch I find is the stubble I'm able to seed between and leave standing. With the Seedmaster seeding between rows works great as the previous 12" of cereal stubble remains anchored and standing even after rolling. Every area is very different and all should do what works best for them.

[farmaholic]

JD, you must farm in wide open area without many obstacles or field patterns dont change much from year to year. Between the row seeding wouldn't work well here. Things sure can vary here.

[JDGreen]

Yes I do.. Nearly all fields are flat to gently undulating. Square fields with pretty much zero obstacles. Totally different world as compared to many. Makes inter row seeding very manageable.. Of the few small pieces we farm or tight areas inter row is far more challenging

[ado089]

My other motivation for. 7.5" disc is my organic land. I would rather work it once in the spring seed with a disc get good seed placement and establisment then heavy harrow the shit out if it rather then work it again.

[furrowtickler]

It would be interesting to see if anyone has set up a 7.5 in disc drill that can be switched easily to a 15 in ( block off every second run ? )
Much like the 15/30 corn planters

[ado089]

It would be pretty easy. I would just jigger the hoses and manifolds and use the double shoot on the cart to control what goes where. Single shoot on 7.5" MRB on 15". I was thinking of doing it anyway for double cropping organic stuff. I just need to find another section to farm to justify spending the money.

[Klause]

We run a 12 inch spacing 5 inch spread boot... like it much better than a knife on 7.5


We are able to boost plant populations.


We have more main stems per square foot and more seeds on that foot as the average numbers of seeds a head is higher.
Canola we couldn't do a good trial.


Peas they don't seem to stand quite as well on the 12 in spacing but we will adjust plant populations to help with that.


Because our SBU went up so much we don't see more weed pressure with the move to wider spacings... The higher the SBU the higher the yield capability if you have moisture. Very different planting in Swift Current vs. Humboldt.

Just my 0.02

[furrowtickler]

I tried to get a 14 or 15 in Bourgault to go with our 3 in paired row openers - no can do unless you reconfigure it yourself . Had to go with 12 in , it works well but 14-15 in would work better to reduce disease plus less iron to pay for and drag through the ground .
Seed master makes a 14 in , but they will not make a single shank like the Bourgault 3320.
Horsch Anderson makes one we were looking at, I think it was a 14 in .
Not realy relevant to your idea ado though lol - just throwing it out there .
Some research points to max wheat yields at or below 7.5 in spacing . Some say it don't matter in this part of the world ?