Unit 5 Lesson 10 Fertilizer Placement and Application Methods

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Unit 5Lesson 10Fertilizer Placement and
Application Methods

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Fertilizer

• Fertilizer
• Improve quality and quantity of crops
• Crops
• Have specific fertilizer needs
• Various crops respond differently to
• Fertilizer applications
• To soils in which they grow

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Fertilizer

• Distributed
• Bulk or packages
• Solid
• Liquid
• Gaseous forms

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Fertilizer

• Application
• Just as important as proper amounts
• Based on fertilizer analyses
• Influenced by
• Nutrient deficiencies
• Soil types
• Climatic conditions
• Fertilizer availability
• Crop types grown

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Fertilizer

• Knowledge of proper application is essential but
  insufficient.

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Fertilizer Placement

• Availability
• Depends on fertilizer application method used
• Spraying or Broadcasting phosphate and mixing it
  in soil may cause fixation.
• Broadcasting scattering fertilizer material in
  all directions
• Fixation process in a soil by which chemical
  elements are converted from a soluble
  (exchangeable) form to an insoluble
  form
• An improper fertilizer application may result in
  a complete loss of the applied plant food
  nutrient.
• If fertilizer is not in reach of plant roots and
  not dissolved by moisture in soil, it is
  considered a loss to plants.

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Fertilizer Placement

• Proper fertilizer application includes placing
  fertilizer materials to the side of and below
  seed
• Or mixing fertilizer materials in the soil
• Fertilizer must not be placed too close to seed
  or seedling
• Seedling injury due to salt burn from
  fertilizer may occur, particularly in sandy soils
  or if large amounts of soluble nitrogen or
  potassium are applied. Similar problems occur in
  growing crops if fertilizers are placed to close
  to roots.

• Scanned Image

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Fertilizer Application Method

• Banding
• Fertilizer is placed near the seed
• Usually used on row crops
• Fertilizer is placed 2 below and to the side of
  the seed
• Keeps it from injuring the seedling

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Fertilizer Applicaton Methods

• Sidedressing
• Type of banding
• Fertilizer is placed
• Near the soil surface
• To the side of plant
• Usually used when applying
• Nigtrogen
• Potassium
• As a second application
• After the plant emerges
• Reduces loss by leaching
• Used during favorable soil moisture conditions

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Fertilizer Application Methods

• Topdressing
• Applying a second application to the soil surface
• Used mainly on
• Small grains
• Legumes
• Grasses

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Fertilizer Application Methods

• Broadcasting
• Differs from banding in that the total cropland
  area is covered with fertilizer
• Mostly used

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Fertilizer Application Methods

• Fertigating
• Applying fertilizer through irrigation water
• Works best with
• Nitrogen
• Potassium
• Most effective when water is uniformly
  distributed
• Most efficient in a sprinkler-type irrigation
  systems

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Fertilizer Application Methods

• Foliage Spraying
• Satisfactory when trace elements are needed
  immediately or
• Nutrients must be applied to sandy soils
• Popular on
• Citrus
• Ornamental crops

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Fertilizer Application Methods

• Injecting Gaseous Fertilizers
• Nitrogen
• Applied by
• Injecting anhydrous ammonia
• Under pressure
• In six inches soil depth
• Tractor drawn applicators