M. W. Ebelhar, Delta Research & Extension Center, Po Box 197, Po Box 197, Stoneville, MS 38776, United States of America, Jerry Singleton, Mississippi State University - Extension Service, Lock Drawer C, Greenwood, MS 38935, and Davis R. Clark, Delta Research and Extension Center, P. O. Box 197, Stoneville, MS 38776.
Twin-row crop production systems have begun to appear in many row-crop fields in the Mississippi Delta. Producers have made the decision to invest in equipment that is capable of planting corn or soybean in dual rows (20-25 cm apart) on the crown of traditional raised beds spaced at 96 to 102 cm. A multiple-year program was established with an innovative producer near Stoneville, MS to evaluate the interaction of nitrogen (N) rates (202, 246, and 291 kg N ha-1) and seeding rates (60,000 to 100,000 seeds ha-1) for twin-row corn on 96-cm beds. The producer-field test consisted of a 3x5 factorial arrangement of N rates and seeding rates with four replications. The study was planted in 2005 and 2006 on Bosket very fine sandy loam (Mollic hapludalf), following cotton, with a MonosemJ twin-row vacuum planter. Seeding rates were determined prior to establishment with planting seed calibration tables supplied by the manufacturer. Stand counts made following planting each year indicated that final stands were very similar to those expected both years with some actually higher than expected. High winds and rainfall from Hurricane Katrina flattened fields all throughout the area in 2005 and no yields could be taken. The dry conditions experienced in 2006 were offset by irrigation and corn yields were excellent. There was significant response to increasing N rates and increasing seeding rates. Grain yields averaged 16.604, 15.774, and 15.973 Mg ha-1 for the increasing N rates when adjusted to 15.5 % moisture. Grain yields ranged from 13.928 to 17.051 Mg ha-1 for increasing seeding rates. Each increase in seeding rate resulted in a subsequent significant increase in grain yield. While significant yield responses were measured with increasing N rates, the cost of the material may not be covered by the increased yield.
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