Plants/acre = 43,560 / (row spacing ft × plant spacing ft)
Optimal plant population maximizes yield per acre. Plants/acre = 43,560 sq ft / (row spacing × plant spacing in feet). Typical populations: corn 30,000-36,000/acre (30" rows, 6-7" spacing), soybeans 100,000-140,000, wheat 1.2-1.6 million, cotton 30,000-45,000. Higher populations increase competition for light, water, and nutrients — there's an optimum for each crop and environment. Seeding rate should be 10-15% higher than target population to account for germination and emergence losses. Modern precision planters achieve very uniform spacing, which improves yield consistency compared to broadcast seeding.