Abstract

Interseeding is a strategy to plant cover crops directly into a growing crop of corn silage providing for earlier planting to hopefully maximize the conservation and ecological benefits of the cover crop. However, there are several challenges limiting farmer adoption of interseeding cover crops. Interseeding when corn is between the V2 to V6 growth stage is preferable because after corn has reached the V6 stage, most seeding equipment is not tall enough, increasing the risk of damaging the corn crop. This requires owning or having access to specialized cover crop interseeding equipment. Another challenge is that typical row spacings create shade that limits cover crop establishment and growth. The solar corridor system is an alternative cropping system that is designed to increase the availability of sunlight to all rows, which can improve crop growth and nutrient cycling in the soil.

Since 2019, the UVM Extension Northwest Crops and Soils (NWCS) program has conducted research trials to investigate the impact of increased corn row spacing on corn yield and cover crop establishment and has found that cover crops consistently perform better in 60” rows compared to 30” rows. Increasing the row width of corn silage may improve interseeded cover crop growth, but it is still important to maintain cash crop yields. Based on past year’s research done at Borderview Research Farm, increasing corn row width to 60” can result in yield reductions, likely due to decreased plant populations on a per acre basis. When planting in wider rows, seeding rates need to be increased to achieve the same number of plants per acre. For example, to achieve 30,000 plants ac-1 in 60” rows, the seeding rate must be doubled to 60,000 seeds ac-1 . It can be challenging to achieve these high seeding rates, which can result in a lower plant population at harvest and therefore reduced yields. Increasing corn row widths to 36” or 40” may minimize the yield loss while achieving the desired corn population. There is increasing interest from producers to incorporate alternative cropping systems, but these practices need to be fine-tuned, to maintain crop productivity. In 2023, the UVM Extension NWCS program initiated two trials to investigate 1) the impact of corn row spacing, and 2) the impact of corn row spacing and population on corn silage yield and quality.

Publication Date

3-2024

Download

Share

COinS