Drill And Fertilize In Just One Pass

Drill And Fertilize In Just One Pass DRILLS Drills (42C) 8-1-14 Thanks to a new-style opener designed by Oregon wheat farmer Larry Garrison, of Maupin, you can inject liquid fertilizer as you drill in your small grains. Garrison designed and is manufacturing the opener that places liquid fertilizer 1¢ to 2 in. directly below the seed. The narrow profile opener cuts through trash, leaving a clean opening for the seed. Besides eliminating the separate trip to apply fertilizer, Garrison notes that, by placing the fertilizer close to the seed, the roots extend down through the soil, keeping pace as the fertilizer leaches down. Thus, the plant gets more use out of the fertilizer. "Placing the nutrients under the seed also eliminates weed competition by restricting the fertilizer to use by the growing crop, not the weeds," Garrison points out. The openers bolt in place of the old shoes or hoes. They fit on most shoe and hoe type drills, as well as the IH 510 double disc opener drill which is built strong enough so no reinforcement is needed for the openers. Equipped with a chrome point, and stainless steel fertilizer tube, they sell for $125 to $150 each, depending on the make of drill. Garrison points out that "by installing the new opener on your conventional drill, you convert it into a no-till or minimum till drill that applies liquid fertilizer as it seeds ù for about one-sixth the per foot cost of a new no-till drill." For more information, contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Larry Garrison, Star Rt., Box 3AA, Maupin, Ore. 97037 (ph 503 475-7349).

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