Describe the influences of planting depth on seedling growth of plants with differing growth patterns. Two important factors that must be considered when growing crop plants are having a stand of uniform plants that develop at a similar rate and having the appropriate plant population . Uniform stands are important for management of the crop because growth requirements of the crop vary at different stages in the crops life cycle .
Crop stands that are uneven in their development become very difficult to manage.
Each crop species has a plant population at which it produces the highest yield of wanted quality. With many agronomic crops, such as corn, soybean, wheat, and sunflower, the goal is to have a plant population that produces the highest yield. For many horticultural crops, such as carrots, tomatoes, peppers, and watermelons, the size and quality of the vegetable or fruits are important considerations when determining optimum plant populations. Crop plants must be planted at the proper depth to achieve a uniform stand of the intended population. Optimum planting depth is generally related to the seed size.