Furrow Sowing

(also lister sowing), the sowing of seeds in furrows. It is done by seeders that have so-called furrowers that cut furrows attached in front of the plowshares. Compared with ordinary (compact) drill sowing, furrow sowing of, for example, winter wheat in steppe regions having freezing winters with little snow, has certain advantages: snow accumulates in the furrows, protecting the plants from low temperatures and augmenting moisture at the root layer of the soil in the spring. In the furrow sowing of spring wheat under drought conditions, the seeds are placed in the deeper, moister layer of soil, which results in uniform, rapid, and well-rooted shoots. Furrow sowing protects seeds and shoots from being blown away. It is also used for sowing corn, seed plants of perennial herbs, and a few other agricultural crops.