AF-116 Click on the image above to download a complete copy of this publication in PDF format. Download a free copy of the Adobe Acrobat Reader. AF-116 The use of narrow row soybeans in Kansas is not a new concept. Producers have often used narrow row spacings, drilled or solid-seeded soybeans. When soybeans were grown as a hay crop, growers commonly planted with a grain drill to achieve maximum hay production.
Narrow rows have several advantages.
They provide early canopy cover, improved light interception, better plant or stand survival, ease of harvest and increased seed yields. Improved light interception appears to be the main reason that increased yields are often observed with narrow row spacings. With plants more equally spaced, less light strikes the soil surface. Because more light is intercepted, more is available to drive photosynthesis and subsequently increase dry matter accumulation. It is particularly important that all sunlight be intercepted when plants are initiating flowering and pod development.