DlS—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, April 2,1983
NEWARK, DEL. There are
many differences among fer
tilizers and good reasons why one
may be a better choice than
another for planter use in a given
situation. Take nitrogen sources
for example.
Some folks still think these are
all the same. “A pound of nitrogen
is a pound of nitrogen and only the
price is important,” is a common
assumption among farmers and
industry representatives. But it’s
no longer very apt.
“In a less competitive world this
might have been good enough,”
says University of Delaware ex
tension agronomist William H.
Mitchell. “But today’s farmers are
on a fast track and they can’t af
ford a casual view of an input
that’s as critical to the success of
their operation as nitrogen.”
Nitrogen sources are not all alike
HAVIM
Hei
Be sui
The new highi
more lime eai
soil that tests
_L I.
LI
Blue Ball. Pa. (7:
Gap, Pa. (717]
I ** >v
I v
MARTIN’S REFRIGERATION SERVICE
1122 Woodstock Rd., Fayetteville, Pa. 17222
Phone (717) 352-2783
Sales & Service
/£\ Look for the
i!£j “REAL’ Seal on Milk
Choose the planter fertilizer carefully
in the way they perform, he says.
Some cost less than others. Some
are more stable. Some contain
other valuable nutrients in ad
dition to N. Some have a greater
acidifying effect than others or are
more likely to cause seedling or
crop injury. Different materials
vary in nitrogen content as well as
form ammonia or nitrate. Also,
some sources are wet while others
are dry.
In other words, each nitrogen
source has special characteristics
which must be considered when
choosing a planter fertilizer.
Ammonium nitrate, for instance,
contains about 34 percent nitrogen
half as ammonium and half as
nitrate. This material is stable and
effective whether placed in or on
the soil. However, because of its
unique properties and demand for
use outside of agriculture, in the
You »e known about me reputot on of Mueller Milk Coolers for years You know n s the
Numocr One Cooler selected By da rymen around the world because of is automatic
wash nq system <ts ellioen) temperature control and agitai on system *ts cooling
elf crency reliability and durability
Tht Mueller FRE HEATER u>*l the energy wetted by you« refrigeration unit Jne fm
Hmh '<s a treat recovery nlwh i n { artu'es i large port on ol the normally wasted heat
energy from «ct> geration and » r conditionrng systems ana uses this captures heat energy
to heat water to apuronmateiy MO F with no artflil onai energy requ rements
USED TANKS
AVAILABLE
L-*w|
future it’s likely to become in
creasingly expensive compared to
other dry nitrogen sources.
Urea is another option. Con
taining 45 percent nitrogen (all as
ammonium), this is the most
concentrated dry nitrogen source.
But on breakdown some free
ammonia will be released which
can be lost in the atmosphere if this
material is not soil incorporated. It
is highly soluble and moves readily
into the soil under rainfall or
irrigation. %
UAN is a liquid blend of urea and
ammonium nitrate. It contains 30
percent nitrogen and Is a useful
carrier for herbicides or
micronutrients. It can be broad
cast, dribbled, banded or applied
with irrigation water. It is often
mixed with other liquid nitrogen
sources to achieve desired nutrient
ratios. Since UAN contains urea,
POURED SOLID
CONCRETE
<n
Increase Your Volume
By In-Ground Storage
410 Main St. • Akron, PA 17501 • (717) 859-2074 or 733-9196
it, too, produces free ammonia on
breakdown. Some of this may be
lost unless soil incorporated.
Mitchell does not recommend
using this material for no-tillage
systems.
All ammonium sources of
nitrogen are acid-forming, but
ammonium sulfate is the most acid
of all. On the other hand, it con
tains 20 percent nitrogen and is an
excellent source of sulfur, so it is
useful for band application to solve
specific problems.
MAP, DAP and 10-34-0 all con
tain ammonium phosphate, which
makes them excellent planter
fertilizers. On breakdown, DAP
releases ammonia and can be toxic
if placed too close to ger
minating seeds. For this reason,
the agronomist recommends
placing it 2 inches from the seed
row. Of the three, 10-34-0 is the only
liquid. It can be placed closer to
the row than most other nitrogen
sources and is an excellent carrier
for micronutrients. It can also be
mixed with UAN and potash to
make a range of complete liquid
fertilizers.
One consideration in choosing a
planter fertilizer is whether to go
with a liquid or dry form. Being a
liquid doesn’t make a fertilizer
STORAGE SYSTEMS
Any Size
CONCRETE WORK, !NC.
more available to plants. More
important considerations are its
local availability, convenience of
handling and uniformity. A farmer
who is renovating a planter and
equipping it with fertilizer at*
tarhmenta will also want to know
the relative cost of going wet or
dry.
Mitchell suggests growers also
consider ease and speed of loading
the planter with fertilizer. Liquids
generally do better on this point;
however, improvements have been
made in dry handling equipment,
and with highly concentrated
materials on the market, ap
plication rates are often low. This
tends to minimize the handling
advantage of liquids.
As carriers for micronutrients,
liquids have a definite advantage.
Very small amounts of boron, zinc
and manganese are often needed in
planter fertilizers. These can be
mixed and applied more evenly in
liquid form. But again, the dif
ference is relative. With care, an
adequate job can also be done with
dry products
During bulk blending, dry
components in a fertilizer mix
often become segregated. With
r COMMERCIAL |
& i
| RESIDENTIAL !
i FENCING & SUPPLIES I
1 Also I
i CHAIN LINK DOG KENNELS |
QUALITY FENCING & SUPPLY
RD 1, Box 428
New Holland, Pa. 17557
717-354-4374
f
! __
See Us Fridays At The
Green Dragon Farmer’s Market
(Turn to Page DI9)
Pit Walls
e Pit Walls
ling Walls