Seven Years of Research with Skip Row Corn in Southwest Nebraska.

From an observation with the failed establishment of several grain sorghum hybrids in a test in Hayes County Nebraska in 2002 which received less precipitation that year than any year during the dry 1930’s, the idea of skip-row corn was conceived. In the plot where several grain sorghum hybrids failed to establish stands the adjoining sorghum hybrids produced grain. It was also conceived that with Roundup Ready corn weeds could be managed economically even with the skipped rows. Research began in southwest Nebraska in 2003 and has continued through 2009. Three population levels and three planting configurations have been researched since 2004. Also since 2005 soil water extraction has been studied. The success with skip-row corn improves when the crop follows a 50 bushel plus winter wheat crop harvested with a stripper header with weed management that controls weeds in the pre-winter wheat fallow periods, in the winter wheat and after winter wheat harvest. One also needs a good weed management plan in the skip-row corn crop. There have been very few occasions where corn yields have decreased from planting skip row and much of the time yields have increased with increases as much as 44 bushel with planting every row in 30 inch rows to 80 bushel per acre in a plant two skip two in 30 inch rows.