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He Changed The Way He Puts On Nitrogen
For 40 years William Beckerman, Mt. Carmel, Ill., put nitrogen on fields the same way - using 82% anhydrous ammonia in dry bulk, applied before planting. Last year, all that changed. He now uses 28 percent liquid nitrogen applied at planting. It saves him money, time and has not affected yields.
"I was already using Na-Churs liquid fertilizer applied at planting time through an attachment mounted between the seed fur-row openers, putting it 3/4 in. to the side of the seed. The Na-Churs is carried in plastic tanks mounted on the planter frame and applied by a squeeze pump. I decided I could just as well do the whole job - fertilizer and nitrogen - at the same time by switching to liquid N.
"I mounted a 500-gal. poly tank on an old fertilizer buggy chassis to make an in-between cart to pull between tractor and planter. Then I mounted the Deere fertilizer openers - mounted on the front bar of the planter - to put the 28 percent liquid nitrogen about 4 in. to the side of row and 3 to 4 in. deep.
"Key to success is the way I made a jack shaft off the Na-Churs squeeze pump to drive a second squeeze pump to apple nitro-gen. I can change sprockets on either pump to vary application rates. They're both driven by the same chain.
"I now apply 20 gal. of 28 percent N as a carrier for pre-plant incorporated chemicals before planting and another 20 to 30 gal. when planting fora total of about 120lbs. of N per acre compared to the 160 lbs. of N I was applying before with dry bulk (I have applied as much as 40 gal. per acre of 28 percent through the planter with no problem). Another advantage is that by putting in bulk tanks, I have been able to purchase 20 percent N for as low as $91 per ton.
"I've used this system for two years and I'd never go back to the old way. I've run several check plots between dry bulk/82 percent anhydrous and 28 percent liquid and have found no difference in yield. I am considering putting no-till fertilizer openers on the planter and applying all the 28 percent N at the same time."
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, William Beckerman, Rt. 4, Mt. Cannel, Ill. 62863 (ph 618 298-2430).


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1993 - Volume #17, Issue #3