U.S. flagAn official website of the United States government
                    Here's how you know **Official websites use .gov**
                            
                            A **.gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
 **Secure .gov websites use HTTPS**
                            
                            A **lock** (                            
                              A locked padlock                                                      
                            
                            ) or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.


Menu Agricultural Research Service
						
                    U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
 close



Research
                Research Home
                            National Programs
                            Research Projects
                            Scientific Manuscripts
                            International Engagement
                            Scientific Software/Models
                            Databases and Datasets
                            Office of Scientific Quality Review
            Media
                News & Features
                            Multimedia
                            Briefing Room
                            Down on the Farm
                            Press Room
                            Science in Your Shopping Cart
                            Scientific Discoveries
                            Tellus
                            Under the Microscope
            About ARS
                About ARS Home
                            Staff Directory
                            Labs and Research Centers (Map)
                            Headquarter Offices
                            Organizational Chart
                            Employee Services (REE Employees Only)
                            Office of Outreach, Diversity, and Equal Opportunity
            Work With Us
                Work With Us Home
                            ARS Vacancies at USAJOBS
                            Careers at ARS Information
                            Scientific Collaborations
                            Extramural Agreements
                            1890 Faculty Research Sabbatical ProgramSearch small
                    Search
            
            ARS Home
                                About ARS
                                Contact Us




ARS Home News & Events News Articles Research News 2002





- ARS News & Events
- AgResearch Magazine
- Image Gallery
- News
- Search News & Events
- Pesticide Drift May Endanger Pollinators
- ARS Seeks a Fire Ant Fix
- Scientific Discoveries 2024
- ARS Featured Photos
- Down on the Farm
- Facebook Live Events
- Food and Nutrition Research Briefs
- News Archive
- Science in Your Shopping Cart
- Scientific Discoveries
- Social Media
- Under the Microscope
- AgResearch magazine
- ARS at Work
- ARS Memorial Lectures
- ARS Science Hall of Fame
- Citrus Disease (Huanglongbing)
- Contact Office of Communications
- Plant Hardiness Zone Map
- Mobile Apps
- Public Affairs Contacts
- Publications and Other Resources
- USDA Blog
- Videos

Archived Page
 This page has been archived and is being provided for reference purposes only. The page is no longer being updated, and therefore, links on the page may be invalid.
 Narrower Row Spacing Boosts Corn Yields By David ElsteinJuly 25, 2002 Planting corn in rows spaced 15 inches apart rather than the traditional 30 inches increases yields and has other benefits as well, according to Agricultural Research Service scientists who are studying the benefits of narrower row spacing. ARS soil scientists Ardell Halvorson and Curtis Reule of the Soil-Plant-Nutrient Laboratory in Fort Collins, Colo., have found a 20 percent yield increase in the first year of a study using the narrower spacing. The researchers do not know exactly why the yield increased, but the corn may be using sunlight, water and nutrients more efficiently in the more closely spaced rows, according to Halvorson. In addition to higher yields, farmers who plant corn in narrow rows should have fewer weeds, because increased shading from the corn plants and competition for water, sunlight and nutrients makes it tougher for weeds to survive. Farmers who decide to plant corn in rows with 15-inch spacing will likely have to modify existing planters and combines or buy new equipment. But Halvorson says the yield advantage and weed control benefits of narrow rows may justify Great Plains farmers' buying the new equipment or modifying their existing equipment to farm on the more narrowly spaced rows. Halvorson studied row spacing of dryland corn and sunflowers in North Dakota and found similar benefits from narrower rows. Other researchers have gotten similar results with various crops such as soybeans, and narrow rows may help backyard gardeners decrease weed competition in their gardens. Halvorson and Reule are repeating their study this year, but the initial results are consistent with earlier research on narrow spacing of crops. ARS is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief scientific research agency.


Return to top


Research
                            Media
                            About ARS
                            Work With Us


Connect with ARS Sign up


ARS Home
                            USDA.gov
                            Plain Writing
                            Policies & Links
                            Civil Rights Statements
                            FOIA
                            Accessibility Statement
                            Privacy Policy
                            Non-Discrimination Statement
                            Quality of Information
                            USA.gov
                            WhiteHouse.gov