injecting fertilizer

jimg · Jul 23, 2008

Im interested in finding out more about this but am having a hard time getting information. Already posed questions to my county agent w/o success. I think I want to inject either liquid or solid fertilizer in my hay crop. The goals being to place the fertilizer wheres its going to be used and use less w/ equivalent (injection vs broadcasting) result.

My immediate questions are:

1) Is my goal of using less w/ equivalent results realistic? I think so b/c when broadcast some N is lost back to the atmosphere. Am I on the right track w/ this? If injected does the N get tied up in unusable compounds (more than if allowed to leach in)?

2) If I go w/ a liquid I have no clue what to use. To my knowledge its just not used around here. My coop can provide 32-0-0 they put on corn (via a drop hoses) between rows (in other words its not a foliar b/c it burns). Not sure if this is what I want or not.

3) Any disadvantages of placing fertilizer below the surface?

slowzuki · Jul 23, 2008

Manure injection is just starting around here to save lost nitrogen. I suspect it has to be hot stored in a liquid tank for a while to break down pathogens first.

Out west ammonia is injected into the soil using knives.

Traditionally solid or liquid fertilizer is applied around here into the ground via a planter only.

I'm thinking the fuel cost is quite high to knife fertilizer in vs the gains? We have a lot of rain here so it isn't hard to get solid of liquid applied at the right time to get it right into the ground.

jimg · Jul 23, 2008

I should have mentioned a Hay King pasture renovator will be used to do the injection. Liquid and anhydrous shanks are available but not solid. Although rigging it up for solid probably wouldnt be a big problem.

As for fuel costs thats a good question but off the cuff I dont think it would be all that much more. The shanks dont need to be very deep. Also at least once/yr Ill renovate so might as well fertilize at that time. However, your point is well taken and I should try to estimate what the diff would be. We get fairly good rain in the spring but summer can be a mixed bag and right now that mix is on the VERY dry side.

Hay prices here are very high caused by on-going drought and high input prices.

slowzuki · Jul 23, 2008

How many cuttings are you after? If it is dry are you irrigating to get the growth for multiple cuts? Normally you would fertilize right after a cutting to promote regrowth. Applying fertilizer in the fall may not be the best choice, an running a renovator through your fields between cuts may not be the best either. Also are you haying or trying to improve pasture growth to reduce hay use?

I'm not sure what the best solution is, I only use manure to fertilize myself and don't have a liquid setup to fertilize between cuts.

jimg · Jul 23, 2008

>>How many cuttings are you after?
Minimally 3 (2 spring, 1 fall) giving 6+T/ac/yr. I think this is conservative and doable even w/ the doughty summers we've had for some time.

>>If it is dry are you irrigating to get the growth for multiple cuts?
No, that would req a water source and equipment...neither are in the cards. However, we get plenty of rain in the winter, spring and fall. Summer, right now, is the problem.

>>Normally you would fertilize right after a cutting to promote regrowth.
>>Applying fertilizer in the fall may not be the best choice, an running a
>>renovator through your fields between cuts may not be the best either.
That was my plan, split the N input over X cuttings. Im told this renovator is very easy on the crop and field and is somewhat widely used in this area. However, I dont know how well or poorly it would do on a semi-constant basis. Thats a consideration.

Im going to use the renovator in the early spring when Id fertilize. It would be very handy to be able to get 2 jobs done w/ a single trip over the field. Plus I think it would benefit the stand greatly. If I dont use it to fertilize then Id renovate in the fall.

>>Also are you haying or trying to improve pasture growth to reduce hay
>> use?
Primary goal is to maximize hay production and stand longevity/health.

I do have a tiny pasture which my neighbor uses and Id like to keep that in good condition b/c at some point I might expand into it.

>>I'm not sure what the best solution is, I only use manure to fertilize
>>myself and don't have a liquid setup to fertilize between cuts.
That makes 2 of us then.

I do appreciate your help.

ETA: I do understand what Im proposing is a bit out of the norm but sometimes thinking outside of the box gives good results.

Mike120 · Jul 23, 2008

Injecting fertilizer with row crops works fine because you are putting it in the root zone between the rows. I suspect that if you tried that with a pasture renovator the wider spacing would leave you with a striped hay field. Might be pretty though.