Successes and Failures With Skip Row Rainfed Corn.

Research began at the West Central Research and Extension Center near North Platte, NE in 2003 with the use of skip rows in rainfed corn to improve drought tolerance. In 2004 the research was expanded to include the corn production areas of Nebraska, Western Kansas, Eastern Colorado, and Eastern Wyoming. Four planting configurations were included: conventional, plant 1 skip 1, plant 2 skip 2, and plant 2 skip 1. Each configuration was planted at three populations. For Eastern Nebraska the rates were 37,037, 55,553, and 74,070 plants/hectare. For all other locations populations were 24,690, 37,037, and 49,380 plants/hectare. In the research that began in 2003 at North Platte all rows of corn were planted May 7 no-till into winter wheat stubble. On July 2, plants within a row or entire rows were removed to achieve the desired population and skip patterns. Yields were increased 17% above the conventional control with the plant 2 skip 1 scheme, and increased 32% above the conventional control with the plant 2 skip 2 scheme. By July 2, it is estimated the corn would have used 17.3 centimeter of soil water; meaning yields may have been further increased had the rows not been planted from the start. In the plant 2 skip 2 planting scheme, approximately 8.6 centimeters more soil water may have been available. Skip rows have improved yields from 2,762 kg/ha to 5,273 kg/ha at Trenton in a plant 2 skip 2 and 9,729 kg/ha to 10,922 kg/ha at Clay Center in a plant 2 skip 1 row scheme. Skip row has decreased yield at North Platte in 2007 from 8,097 to 6,842 kg/ha in a plant 2 skip 2. Usually only a modest decrease in yields has been observed with the skip row at low populations in years with rainfall 50% or more above average during the growing season. The systems requires increased weed management along with a higher level of crop management.