Liquid fert in the seed trough?

[Catscratch]

Any of you guys ever do this, spray a mild mix of liquid fert in the seed trough before covering with dirt? I know farmers have done it in the past with certain crops, but now it seems they like to inject a more concentrated solution an inch or two to the side. I believe they even used to flood the trough with water to try to get more even germinations.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

I never have but they make these seed firmers for the drills that some of us use that place it in furrow. Seems like an interesting idea to me but I haven't messed with it. I think @omicron1792 has a set but hadn't used them a year ago when we messaged above em.

 

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Spraying fungicide is a common thing too.

 

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What are you looking to improve? Rye is easier to grow and very tolerant of planting depth. You could just increase your planting depth. Whats your spacing. IF your soil is easy to go into, you could turn up your press wheel tension. Also, post plant cultipack is an option too. Sometimes light tillage where your tractor does alot of turns is a good practice.

Farmers have for many years boradcasted equal parts oats and potash.

Making an ATV rye n clover drill is still on my list. I was planing on adding a fertilizer box. Was going to make a single disc opener, drop seed, then close it with a 2nd disc then light press wheel afterwards. Likely put the fertilizer right after the closing disc. Might mix clover seed with fertilizer, but I do have a small seed box from a john deere drill already. I think mixing large seed and fertilizer is going to beat up the seed too much mechanically, not so much chemically.

 

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The problem with liquid fertilizer is flow division of several nozzles. One or two get clogged, the other get more flow. Many commercial AG multi jet applications have flow dividers. They are a small positive displacement pump for each nozzle. If a nozzle flows better, it just makes less pressure. Oten theyre just meter chambers in a wheel and a main inlet pump provides the hydraulic force, the flow dividers just evens it out.

 

[Catscratch]

What are you looking to improve? Rye is easier to grow and very tolerant of planting depth. You could just increase your planting depth. Whats your spacing. IF your soil is easy to go into, you could turn up your press wheel tension. Also, post plant cultipack is an option too. Sometimes light tillage where your tractor does alot of turns is a good practice.

Farmers have for many years boradcasted equal parts oats and potash.

Making an ATV rye n clover drill is still on my list. I was planing on adding a fertilizer box. Was going to make a single disc opener, drop seed, then close it with a 2nd disc then light press wheel afterwards. Likely put the fertilizer right after the closing disc. Might mix clover seed with fertilizer, but I do have a small seed box from a john deere drill already. I think mixing large seed and fertilizer is going to beat up the seed too much mechanically, not so much chemically.

It would be a row crop scenario. No rye involved.

Not worried about nozzles or equipment. I have the "hows" figured out. Just curious if do it would give the plants better growth, or would it hurt them?

 

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I personally know nothing about liquid fertilizers other than using miracle grow. Id look into slow release nitrogen. I think AMS is not that. I'd lean more towards solid fertilizer.

Your oil has high CEC or low like sandy soil? Sandy soil and not slow relase fertilizer, I'd be worried about root burn. Far as a light irrigation goes to do a 1/4" of rain over lets say 25% of an acre (wet rows), you'd need around 1700 gallons / acre. So an initial moistening of the seed through is not too practical. Also, are those seeds are better off being dormant until ther's enough moisture to get them started.

Weeds a problem?

If soil tends to be pretty loose, maybe add some cultipackers behind the seeder. Just the rows.

Corn in general takes a bunch of nitrogen, a general broadcast of fertilizer is necesary for good production anyways.

My bortheri n law does both, fertilize while plant and not. Usually he leans on both the soil test and how cozy he feels about the land being leased to him for another year. Needs alot, he put alot ahead of time. Needs a little or might not get it next year, he puts in while planting.

I think mainteance dose of around 110lbs of nitrogen per acre a year is corn.

Corn can be real fun to hunt in. Doing it well can be worth it.