How important is wheat in the farming system?
Yield losses from wide rows will affect profitability greatest on farms where wheat makes up a large proportion of the total annual crop area and yield expectations are often high. In these situations 25 cm rows are recommended, however 37.5 cm should be preferred to 50 cm if a spacing wider than 25 cm is required. These enterprises are more likely to justify having a planter where row spacing can be adjusted from year to year according to crop yield potential. On the other hand, farms where wheat makes up a small proportion of the total annual crop area and yield expectations are low to moderate, either 37.5 cm or 50 cm row spacings are suitable, particularly if moisture seeking is commonly used to sow wheat. These enterprises are most likely to use the compromise approach described above with a row spacing that fits with other crops grown. Before changing row spacing, individual farmers need to weigh up the potential yield impacts with the importance of wheat in their farming system.
