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Narrow rows are the norm for Minnesota
Too much equipment lying around prompted Sheldon and David Melberg, of Hector, Minn., to switch their corn and soybeans to narrow rows four years ago. Now they wouldn't turn back. The brothers, along with their families, farm 4,000 acres in southern Minnesota. Because they had always grown their 850 acres of sugar beets in 22-inch rows, they had a separate set of equipment for conventional, 30-inch corn and soybeans.
"We were sitting with more horsepower than we needed," Sheldon Melberg explained. Though that's a problem not too many farmers may experience, Melberg says hopes of higher production also prompted the switch to narrow rows. "It was production and the economics," he said.
While the family expected a boost in production, corn yields surpassed their expectations. They can document an additional seven- to 10-bushel-per-acre gain of corn. Soybeans performed about how they expected: an extra four or five bushels to the acre.
If there is a disadvantage, Melberg said it's that soybeans are more susceptible to diseases because of the close spacing and higher moisture. However, that's outweighed by weed victories as the canopy closes up to shade rows more quickly.
Melberg said using narrow rows has eliminated a pass across the field -- they're completely relieved of one cultivation for weeds.
"I would never think of going back," he said.
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