Federico Rolle hopes reduced row spacing will increase yield
We are in the middle of soya planting and have drilled 150ha of soybeans at a row spacing of 0.42m, instead of the traditional 0.52m. I’ve made the change because of results from trials carried out by co-operatives and seed companies showing that you can expect a performance boost of 5-11%.
Since 15 years ago, along with the advancement of no-till systems (direct seeding) and the introduction of glyphosate-resistant varieties, the spacing has reduced from 0.7m to 0.52m. This was because crops no longer needed mechanical weeding between rows and what we were looking for was an excellent stand of plants to ensure good yields.
Plant density is a factor rarely analysed by farmers. And despite the trend to reduce the rows, it is important to meet the target density of plants a hectare.
We must bear in mind that, by reducing the row spacing, we achieve a better spacing between plants, so there is less competition for light, water, nutrients and the leaf area index required to intercept 95% of solar radiation is also reduced.
This increases the rate of crop growth and ensures good light collection in its critical period, which leads to better yields. In addition, the crop is more competitive with weeds. By next harvest, I will be able to tell you by how much the yield increases.
Federico Rolle farms 2,250ha of rented arable land in the Pampa area of Argentina. He grows soya beans, sorghum, maize and wheat using no-till techniques and GM crops. He has a part-time role helping Brown & Co in the region.
