How to Plant End Rows in a Corn Field

Farmers employ machinery to plant corn in large fields. Often pulled by a tractor, the seed planter includes a bin of seeds that evenly drops and distributes seeds into a furrow created by the planter's blades. Since the planter and tractor are large and need space to turn around at the edge of the field, a wide swath that is perpendicular to the rows of sown corn rows remains unplanted until the very end. Large farm equipment cannot sharply turn and navigate within the field without digging up or ruining the pristine, newly planted rows of corn. The end row allows for planting seeds when all field areas already lay planted.

Instructions

- 1
  Gauge the width of the tractor and the seed planter trailer. Use a tape measure if needed to measure the width of the area in which the planter's blades plant multiple rows. However, once in the field planting, a tape measurement may not prove useful. Sit in the tractor chair and note how wide the planter is, using visual markers of the equipment, such as the edge of a wheel or far blade on the planter. The wider the tractor or planter, the more room needed for the equipment to efficiently turn around and lay another stretch of seed rows in the field.
- 2
  Practice a turn-around with the tractor and attached seeder equipment. Note how much space is needed to orient the planter straight again to match the previous pass of seeded furrows. The tractor and planter make alternating passes left to right or back and forth in the field to create multiple straight passes. For example, it may take 30 feet for the tractor and planter to finish one straight pass of rows and then smoothly turn around and make a pass in the opposite direction.
- 3
  Compare the distance needed for equipment turn-around in the field with the width of the planter's planting swath. Figure out how much space is needed on the edges of fields to allow for turn-around and final passage of planting rows. For example, the equipment takes 30 feet of clearance to turn around and the planter seeds multiple rows in a swath 15 feet wide. Therefore, you need to stop planting seed 30 feet from the field edge, and then make two passes on the edge to create two end rows to cover the 30 feet swath initially used for equipment turn-around.
- 4
  Begin planting corn in long, straight passes. When the tractor approaches the end of the field, stop the flow of seeds in the planter 30 feet from the edge of the field. Do not plant seeds all the way to the edge of the field where the equipment is always turning around at the end of each pass.
- 5
  Turn around the tractor and planter and proceed forward about 30 feet in from the field edge. Engage the planter to once again furrow and sow corn seed 30 feet from the field edge and begin the return run in the field.
- 6
  Continue the sowing passes and stoppages at the field ends until the entire field is planted.
- 7
  Return to the edges of the field where the 30-foot swath remains without seeds and all the equipment turn-around maneuvers occurred.
- 8
  Pass the tractor and seeder perpendicular to the planted corn rows the entire length of the area previously not seeded and used for equipment turn-around. In this example, the 30-foot swath needs two passes of the tractor and seeder (15 feet wide) to create the end rows in the field.

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