Ch- 6 fertilizer.pptx:applications of fertilizer

Fertilizers are applied to the soil to increase the available supply of plant nutrients (principally nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium) and thus promote greater yields or better crop quality.
Fertilizers can be applied to the soil in several forms:
Barnyard manure
Granular/coarse and pelleted/capsule fertilizers of various formula
Fertilizers in liquid and gaseous form
Special equipment is, therefore, required for the handling of these types of fertilizers, which are applied to the soil and crop in various ways at different stages of culture.
Fertilizers can be organic and inorganic fertilizers.
Organic fertilizers include farmyard manures, which are applied in large quantities.
Inorganic or commercial fertilizers include urea, DAP, supper phosphates, which are applied in smaller predetermined quantities relative to the organic ones.
 The fertilizer equipment needed will, therefore, be selected depending on the type of fertilizer and the form of application.
All types of fertilizer equipment will have;
Storage unit
Metering mechanism
Carrying frame attached with Planters
 Dry, granular fertilizers have for many years been the most common types of fertilizers used by farmers.
Their applicators can be designed as attachments with planters so as to permit dual operations in connection.

1. Chapter 6 Fertilizer Applicators Fertilizers are applied to the soil to increase the available supply of plant nutrients (principally nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium) and thus promote greater yields or better crop quality. Fertilizers can be applied to the soil in several forms: Barnyard manure Granular/coarse and pelleted/capsule fertilizers of various formula Fertilizers in liquid and gaseous form Special equipment is, therefore, required for the handling of these types of fertilizers, which are applied to the soil and crop in various ways at different stages of culture. 1

2. GRANULAR FERTILIZER APPLICATORS   Fertilizers can be organic and inorganic fertilizers. Organic fertilizers include farmyard manures , which are applied in large quantities. Inorganic or commercial fertilizers include urea, DAP, supper phosphates, which are applied in smaller predetermined quantities relative to the organic ones.  The fertilizer equipment needed will, therefore, be selected depending on the type of fertilizer and the form of application. 2

3. All types of fertilizer equipment will have; Storage unit Metering mechanism Carrying frame attached with Planters  Dry, granular fertilizers have for many years been the most common types of fertilizers used by farmers. Their applicators can be designed as attachments with planters so as to permit dual operations in connection. 3

4. Some of the application methods for granular fertilizers are Broadcasting before plowing, or placed at the plowing depth by a distributor on the plow that drops fertilizer in each furrow. Deep placement with chisel-type cultivator. Broadcasted and mixed into the soil after plowing and before planting. Applied during the planting operation. Side-dressing applications on growing row crops (generally during a cultivating operation) or broadcasted top-dressing on solid-planted crop. Drilled into established pastures and other sods with special equipment. 4

5. Location of Fertilizer in relation to the Seed  Localized placement of fertilizer bands near the seeds at the time of planting (rather than distribution over the entire area) favors early stimulations of the seedlings and results in more effective utilization of plant nutrients.  However, excessive concentrations of soluble nutrients in contact with the seeds or small roots may seriously injure the initial roots or even impair germination. 5

6. Best results with row crops have been obtained when the bands/groups were 2.3 to 7.5cm below the level of the seed and placed 4 to 10cm laterally from the row on one or both sides.  Band placement during row crop planting is accomplished with applicators that are independent from the seed furrow opener and are adjustable both vertically and laterally.  The fertilizer opener usually precedes the seed furrow opener but may be immediately behind it. 6

7. CALIBRATION   Whatever the type of fertilizer application equipment used, it is necessary to ensure that the machine delivers the quantity which it is set to deliver, otherwise the crop may be damaged (particularly if too much fertilizer has been applied).  The process to ensure this is called calibration. For full width fertilizer distributors the procedures are similar to those used for seed drill. 7

8. LIQUID FERTILIZER APPLICATORS   When nitrogen, phosphorus, and potash are applied as a complete fertilizer, the combination is near chemical neutrality and is termed as a non pressure liquid fertilizer. It can be sprayed out by gravity flow, pump, or air pressure. It can be sprayed either with ground equipment or by aircraft.  Non-pressure liquid fertilizer attachments are available for many planters, usually with one fiberglass tank provided for each two rows. 8

9. Furrow openers and band locations are the same as for dry fertilizers except that the openers have small tubes which discharge the liquid close to the furrow bottom. The simplest metering arrangement for liquids fertilizers is gravity flow through fixed orifices. 9

10. Row crop attachments employing this system have metering units that contain a sediment bowl, a filter, one or two orifice sizes, and a quick-shut off valve.  Flow rate will vary appreciably with head change, unless the tank elevation is large in relation to depth, or bottom venting is employed. With a given orifice size and head, the application rate per hector is inversely proportional to the forward speed. 10