A Review of the Effects of Row Spacing on Weed Management in Corn and Soybean

Abstract

The adoption of narrow row spacings (rows less than 30 inches in width) in soybeans and corn has primarily been driven by the potential for higher yields in narrow- compared to wide-row production systems. In addition to the potential yield advantages, these systems can have a significant impact on the incidence of weeds within a given agroecosystem and on the approach that producers might take for weed management. A review of row spacing experiments included in this review revealed that narrow row spacings have provided significant reductions in the late-season density of weeds in the majority of soybean experiments but only rarely in corn. This research also indicates that narrow row soybeans are more likely to impact the critical time of weed removal in soybean than in corn. The objective of this article is to provide a brief review of the literature related to the effects of row spacing on late-season weed prevalence and management in corn and soybean and to discuss the implications of these results to current production systems.