In the first year of the MN Corn Growers Innovation Grant – Level 2, “Investigating Wide Row Corn (WRC) on Yield, Soil and Water”, we found that corn planted in 44” row width (treatment) yielded on average 25
bushels/acre less than standard 22” row width corn (control). However, one notable observation from our data was the substantial plant variability in both WRC and standard row width corn. These challenges got us thinking about how we can address this variability directly in year two.
The objective of our project is to evaluate the benefit of using an add on corn planter weight distribution system to improve farm profitability. We hypothesize that using a planter weight distribution system in strip-tillage will result in more consistent emergence and less plant variability, resulting in higher yields. As a major component of this study, we will evaluate individual corn plant emergence and individual plant yield in sections of the field where the weight distribution system is inactive (control) and where the weight distribution system is active (treatment).