Can I solve for different variables?

Yes! This calculator supports reverse solving. You can solve for: Field length, Field width, Field area, Row spacing, In-row spacing, Walkway / alley width, Plants per stand (seeds per hill), Total plants, Plants per m², Seeds per kilogram, Seed mass required (kg), Seed mass with 20% buffer (kg).

What units can I use?

This calculator supports multiple unit systems. Select your preferred units from the dropdown menus next to each input field.

Plant Population Calculator

Relate row spacing, in-row spacing, and stand counts to total plants per field and seed mass needed.

Formula shown7 inputs definedUpdated Nov 2025By CalcuTotal TeamFree, no sign-up

Quick Summary

Use this when you need:

Translate trial plot geometry into expected plant counts
Estimate how many kilograms of seed to order for a given acreage
Experiment with tighter or wider spacing to hit a target population

You’ll need:Field length, Field width, Row spacing, In-row spacing, and 3 more

You’ll get:Field area, Total plants, Plants per m², Seed mass required (kg), Seed mass with 20% buffer (kg)

How this is calculated

Formula:

field_area = length * width; plant_population = field_area * plants_per_stand / ((plant_spacing + walkway) * row_spacing); seed_mass = plant_population / seeds_per_mass

In plain language:

We compute field area, divide by the effective spacing rectangle (row spacing × in-row spacing plus any walkway), multiply by plants per stand to get total plants, and divide by seeds-per-kg to find the seed mass plus a buffer.

The formula is always visible so you can verify the math and explain your numbers to anyone who asks.

What these terms mean

Field length

Field length used in the calculation.

Field width

Field width used in the calculation.

Field area

Field area used in the calculation.

Row spacing

Row spacing used in the calculation.

In-row spacing

In-row spacing used in the calculation.

Walkway / alley width

Walkway / alley width used in the calculation.

Plants per stand (seeds per hill)

Plants per stand (seeds per hill) used in the calculation.

Total plants

Total plants used in the calculation.

Plants per m²

Plants per m² used in the calculation.

Seeds per kilogram

Seeds per kilogram used in the calculation.

Seed mass required (kg)

Seed mass required (kg) used in the calculation.

Seed mass with 20% buffer (kg)

Seed mass with 20% buffer (kg) used in the calculation.

When to use this calculator

Translate trial plot geometry into expected plant counts
Estimate how many kilograms of seed to order for a given acreage
Experiment with tighter or wider spacing to hit a target population

Last updated: November 19, 2025

Plant population calculator explained

Row spacing and in-row spacing define a rectangle of area reserved for each plant. The plant population calculator divides the field area by that spacing rectangle, adjusts for plants per stand or walkways, and multiplies by seeds-per-kilogram data to tell you how much seed to order, plus a 20% buffer for skips.

How the conversion works

Let $A$ be field area (m²), $R$ the row spacing (m), $S$ the in-row spacing (m), $W$ any walkway width (m), and $P_s$ plants per stand. The population ( $P$ ) is

P = \\frac{A \\times P_s}{R \\times (S + W)}

Population density equals $P / A$ . Seed mass (kg) divides the plant count by seeds per kilogram ( $N_{kg}$ ), and the buffered mass multiplies by 1.2 to cover skips or calibration losses.

Units and conversions

Quantity	Units	Notes
Field area $A$	m², ha, acres	Converter handles area unit changes automatically.
Row/in-row spacing	m, cm, in	All distances convert to meters internally.
Walkway $W$	m	Set to zero for solid plantings.
Seeds per kg	seeds/kg	Seed lots usually provide this figure.
Seed mass	kg	Multiply by 2.205 for pounds if needed.

Worked examples

One hectare of maize
$R = 0.75$ m, $S = 0.20$ m, $P_s = 1$ , $A = 1$ ha ( $10{,}000$ m²).

P = \\frac{10{,}000}{0.75 \\times 0.20} = 66{,}667\\ \\text{plants}

With 70,000 seeds/kg, seed mass $= 66{,}667 / 70{,}000 = 0.95$ kg and buffered mass $= 1.14$ kg.

Two seeds per hill with walkways
Field 80 m x 50 m, $R = 0.60$ m, $S = 0.25$ m, $W = 0.10$ m, $P_s = 2$ .

A = 4{,}000\\ \\text{m}^2,\\quad P = \\frac{4{,}000 \\times 2}{0.60 \\times (0.25 + 0.10)} = 53{,}333\\ \\text{plants}

Tips and pitfalls

Always measure spacing at the planter units; nominal toolbar spacing can differ from actual ground spacing.
Update seeds-per-kg for each lot; hybrids vary widely in kernel size.
Add walkways or alleys when planning research plots so actual stand counts match the plan.
Recalculate when changing populations mid-season to ensure fertilizer and irrigation plans match the new plant load.

References and further reading

Frequently Asked Questions

Was this calculator helpful?

Your feedback helps us improve calculators for everyone.

Found an error?

Report incorrect formulas, unit conversions, or worked examples.

Report an issue

Calculator info

Version:: v1.0.0
Last reviewed:: Nov 15, 2025
Sensitivity:: low
References:: 1

Last updated: November 19, 2025

Plant population calculator explained

How the conversion works

Let $A$ be field area (m²), $R$ the row spacing (m), $S$ the in-row spacing (m), $W$ any walkway width (m), and $P_s$ plants per stand. The population ( $P$ ) is

P = \\frac{A \\times P_s}{R \\times (S + W)}

Population density equals $P / A$ . Seed mass (kg) divides the plant count by seeds per kilogram ( $N_{kg}$ ), and the buffered mass multiplies by 1.2 to cover skips or calibration losses.

Units and conversions

Quantity	Units	Notes
Field area $A$	m², ha, acres	Converter handles area unit changes automatically.
Row/in-row spacing	m, cm, in	All distances convert to meters internally.
Walkway $W$	m	Set to zero for solid plantings.
Seeds per kg	seeds/kg	Seed lots usually provide this figure.
Seed mass	kg	Multiply by 2.205 for pounds if needed.

Worked examples

One hectare of maize
$R = 0.75$ m, $S = 0.20$ m, $P_s = 1$ , $A = 1$ ha ( $10{,}000$ m²).

P = \\frac{10{,}000}{0.75 \\times 0.20} = 66{,}667\\ \\text{plants}

With 70,000 seeds/kg, seed mass $= 66{,}667 / 70{,}000 = 0.95$ kg and buffered mass $= 1.14$ kg.

Two seeds per hill with walkways
Field 80 m x 50 m, $R = 0.60$ m, $S = 0.25$ m, $W = 0.10$ m, $P_s = 2$ .

A = 4{,}000\\ \\text{m}^2,\\quad P = \\frac{4{,}000 \\times 2}{0.60 \\times (0.25 + 0.10)} = 53{,}333\\ \\text{plants}

Tips and pitfalls

Always measure spacing at the planter units; nominal toolbar spacing can differ from actual ground spacing.
Update seeds-per-kg for each lot; hybrids vary widely in kernel size.
Add walkways or alleys when planning research plots so actual stand counts match the plan.
Recalculate when changing populations mid-season to ensure fertilizer and irrigation plans match the new plant load.

Quick Summary

Calculator Tool

How this is calculated

What these terms mean

Field length

Field width

Field area

Row spacing

In-row spacing

Walkway / alley width

Plants per stand (seeds per hill)

Total plants

Plants per m²

Seeds per kilogram

Seed mass required (kg)

Seed mass with 20% buffer (kg)

When to use this calculator

Plant population calculator explained

How the conversion works

Units and conversions

Worked examples

Tips and pitfalls

References and further reading

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Calculators

Fertilizer Calculator

Acres Per Hour Calculator

Benadryl Dosage Calculator for Dogs

Animal Mortality Rate Calculator

Cat BMI Calculator

Cell Dilution Calculator

Was this calculator helpful?

Found an error?

Calculator info

Plant population calculator explained

How the conversion works

Units and conversions

Worked examples

Tips and pitfalls

References and further reading

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Calculators

Fertilizer Calculator

Acres Per Hour Calculator

Benadryl Dosage Calculator for Dogs

Animal Mortality Rate Calculator

Cat BMI Calculator

Cell Dilution Calculator

Was this calculator helpful?

Found an error?

Calculator info