Wednesday, November 7, 2007
320-6

Influence of Row Configuration, Single versus Twin-Row, and Cultural Practices on Corn and Grain Sorghum Yield on Mississippi River Alluvial Soils.

Henry J. Mascagni Jr. and Robert Bell. Northeast Research Station, LSU AgCenter, P.O. Box 438, St. Joseph, LA 71366

Field experiments were conducted in 2005 and 2006 at the Northeast Research Station near St. Joseph, LA to evaluate the influence of row configuration, single versus twin-row, seeding and nitrogen (N) rates on yield of corn and grain sorghum. Corn trials were conducted on Commerce silt loam and grain sorghum trials on Sharkey clay. Twin-rows were centered, 24-cm apart, on raised 102-cm wide beds. For corn, seeding rates of 61,750, 74,100, 86,450, and 98,800 seed ha-1 and N rates of 168, 202, 235, and 268 kg ha-1 were evaluated. Seeding rates of 20 and 26 seed m-1 and 10 and 13 seed m-1 for single and twin-rows, respectively, and N rates of 101, 134 and 168 kg ha-1 were evaluated for grain sorghum. There were no statisticaliy significant effects of row configuration on corn grain yield in 2005 or 2006. Average grain yields were 12, 150 kg ha-1 on single rows and 12,220 kg ha-1 on twin rows in 2005 and 8,000 kg ha-1 on single rows and 8,280 kg ha-1 on twin rows in 2006. Seeding and N rates affected grain yields similarly for each row configuration. Averaged over row configuration and N rate treatments, optimum seeding rate was 74,100 seed ha-1 each year, 77,110 plants ha-1 in 2005 and 72,220 plants ha-1 in 2006. Averaged over row configuration and seeding rate, optimum N rate each year was between 202 and 235 kg ha-1. For grain sorghum, grain yields in both 2005 and 2006 were significantly higher for the twin-row configuration. Grain yields on twin rows compared to single rows were increased 6.6% in 2005 and 5.8% in 2006. Irrigation, seeding rate and N rate treatments had little affect on grain yield.