April 2009
Ohio’s Source for Ag Information
News Crops LivestoCk
Annual Voinovich forum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Abnormal ears . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Ohio Beef Expo results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26
Twin-row corn offers a population boost for Ross County farm
ByMATTREEsE to the fertile river bottom soils.
Like many things on farms in recent “We’ve also got some good Canadian
years, the idea for planting twin-row boulders from the glacier that stopped in
corn got started based on what Dennis our backyard,” Zeigler said. “In 2000 or
Zeigler’s yield monitor was telling him. 2001 we got a yield monitor and we kept
“What really got me started was on seeing that yield bump in the end rows
the end rows, where there was extra from field to field. At that time we were
plant population, we started seeing this in the range of a 28,000 harvest popula-
yield bump,” he said. “That got me tion and we bumped it up to 30,000 in
thinking that the plant population was- 30-inch rows, but it was just too crowded
n’t as high as it should be.” for the corn.”
The rolling Ross County farm has This prompted Zeigler to look into
very little flat ground and a myriad of other ways of increasing his corn popula-
soil types, from the heavy clay used to tion. Narrower rows were one option,
build the area’s prominent brick homes though it would require different harvest
Dennis Zeigler switched to 100% twin-row planting in 2002 to bump up his corn population, and yields.
equipment, which would be cost prohibi- late air better for decreased disease pres-
tive. Then Zeigler started looking into sure and better pollination, and not
twin-row production — a 22-inch gap, a require a lot of new equipment. With
row of plants, an 8-inch gap, another row these advantages in mind, Zeigler tried a
of plants, and a 22-inch gap. The system few twin-row acres in 2001 and was
has been touted for its ability to increase impressed with the results.
yields due to higher populations, circu-
continued on page 15
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