ARS | Publication request: SOIL EVAPORATION GOVERNED BY CORN ROW SPACING

Submitted to: Agricultural and Forest Meteorology Conference Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: November 6, 1998
Publication Date: N/A

Technical Abstract: Narrow-row corn may bolster yield and decrease weed infestations compared with conventional-row corn in the Northern Corn Belt. Other incentives such as conserving soil water by minimizing soil evaporation may also be important to producers in regions of marginal rainfall. Soil evaporation of corn grown in 38-, 57-, and 76-cm rows was investigated in west central Minnesota. Soil evaporation was determined on clear days using micro-lysimeters at the time of complete canopy cover. Soil evaporation increased with row spacing from 0.19 cm d**-1 for 38-cm rows to 0.23 cm d**-1 for 76-cm rows. Corn yield was similar among row spacing treatments. Corn grown in narrow rows may be advantageous during dry summers when conservation of soil water is critical for the growth and development of plants.