one row or two row planting

[kacole]

I'm looking to plant some sunflowers and corn for a dove field. I have a 2 row Allis Chalmers 70 series planters that I can adjust to two row or I can remove one and just do a one row. I will be pulling it with a Kubota MX5100 with R4 tires. My tractor is 74" outside of tires, the inside of tires are 38" so my tires are 18" wide. the way I have it figured I would have to set my rows on a 28" center to be able to turn around at the end of the row and drive back down the same tire track. I would have 5" between the inside of my tire and the crop. Or I could go with a one row and have my rows on a 37" center. I don't currently have a cultivator so I would have to buy either a one row or a 2 row cultivator. which way would I be better off?

 

[STx]

I can't answer the specific question because I plant my sunflower with a broadcast spreader and then lightly disc them back in and drive around to compact the soil some. What I can offer though is that if you don't have some way to keep the deer out of them for the first 30 days, you won't get a crop. The deer will be on them like a duck on a June bug once they get to be about 6" tall and they well devour acres of sunflowers almost overnight.

Planting a native variety helps some here but, you still lose a LOT to the deer.

I have had very good success planting browntop millet (not German millet or another type, the browntop works best). The deer leave it alone and it hits maturity in only 60 days. If you have adequate rain throughout the summer, you could plant in May, shred it once the seed head is mature in early July and have a 2nd crop ready just before dove season opens. The stuff is like crack for them, I had literally 200+ birds in a 1/2 acre plot of it last summer in July. Unfortunately, we didn't get any rain to speak of through August and it all burned up. It brought in dove, quail and turkeys for me when it was producing though.

 

[countrybumpkin]

I'd do the two rows on 28" if it were me.