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Planting maize in the field
Planting maize in the field is routine but very important. A misplant here--especially one we don't catch--can cause problems with data for years afterward.
The Nursery is hand-planted with jab planters. The planters should be checked that they're clean and adjusted to the correct depth (~1.5-2[?] inches) beforehand, and arrangements made with the farm crew to mark out the field with dry-planting and tire tracks. This can be time-consuming, and so having lots of people helps. (Though no more than there are planters, obviously.)
Genomes to Fields requires uniform planting, so we borrow a tractor-drawn cone planter from the farm. (It might technically belong to Zenglu Li's lab.) The farm crew adjusts it to the normal size (30-inch spacing between the 2 rows) and marks out the alleys beforehand, and we spend several hours getting everything planted. This planting requires 2 people: one to dump the seeds, and one to double-check that they match what's on the map. (Plus the driver, who is one of the farm crew.)
- Historically we have planted 72 plants in 2-row, 19-foot plots with 6-foot alleys. More recently (2024), Iron Horse asked us to increase the alleys to 10 feet to allow a tractor to drive down them.