With 900 acres of corn near Beaver Dam, Wis., Charlie Hammer uses 20-inch rows. He plants 36,000 to 38,000 seeds per acre and finds the narrower rows add 6 to 8 inches to plant height.

Before heading for last January’s National No-Tillage Conference, Jack Herricks knew he wanted to narrow down his rows and make changes in his planting rig. Yet the Cashton, Wis., no-till veteran wasn't totally motivated to make the changes prior to the 1999 growing season.

In the mid-1990s, Exira, Iowa, farmer Tom Muhr was thinking of narrowing his rows down from 30 to 20 inches. He had thought long and hard about the decision, mulling over the concerns he had about the re-emerging practice's popularity.