NNTC Insights...

Narrower Rows Needed For 300-Bushel No-Till Corn Yields

Allen Berry is convinced rows narrower than 30 inches are needed to achieve top no-till yields. The veteran no-tiller from Nauvoo, Ill., believes equidistant spacing of plants between and within the rows is the wave of the future.

Berry is convinced corn populations need to rise to around 45,000 plants per acre and that breeders need to breed corn hybrids that will routinely produce two ears per stalk. Berry envisions a future where corn is grown in 12-inch rows with corn plants 12 inches apart within the rows.

Cover Crops No Quick Fix for Poor Soils

Dale Mutch believes cover crops can help solve most soil problems and improve water quality. But the Michigan State University cover crops specialist cautions that they are a long-term investment and not a quick fix.

Mutch says cover crops continue to grow in popularity because they protect the soil after harvest, suppress weeds and enhance fertility.

“Each farming system is different,” he says. “The success of cover crops is dependent on the year and the weather…