"Made-It-Myself" Rig Sidedresses Crops

Made-It-Myself Rig Sidedresses Crops FERTILIZER APPLICATION “I built my own fertilizer side dress machine last winter to gain the benefits of split-applying nitrogen to my corn ” says Streator Illinois farmer Larry Tombaugh “The 12-row machine has parts from a row-crop cultivator re-manufactured spike wheel anhydrous applicators and a John Blue ground drive pump ” Liquid is supplied to the toolbar from a 1 600-gal tank that’s mounted on an E-Z Trail all-steer wagon pulled behind the toolbar Tombaugh and two of his employees started the project by dismantling the cultivator then adding a hitch and building new brackets on the front for two gauge wheels They built a complex bracket to mount a John Blue pump and its drive wheel to the front of the bar The wheel has a large sprocket which connects to a smaller sprocket on the pump with #30 roller chain Tombaugh and his crew then attached the spike-wheel applicators to the tool bar with U-bolts They’re mounted 30 in on center so they can apply liquid about 8 in to the side of the growing crop In 2013 Tombaugh used the rig to sidedress 20 gal of 32 percent nitrogen per acre Tombaugh says he built the machine because he had been applying 200 lbs of anhydrous per acre with a stabilizer but he knows that heavy rains early in the growing season may have washed away nearly 40 percent of that full application “After 20 years of farming I’ve learned it’s important to apply some fertilizer in the fall some in the spring some at planting and some as a side dress when corn needs it the most during early to mid-summer ” Tombaugh says His machine will apply up to 38 gal an acre traveling 5 to 5 1/2 mph although he doesn’t anticipate using that high of a rate “The spike wheel injectors put the nitrogen about 1 to 2 in into the ground and 8 in away from the growing plants” says Tombaugh “and that’s ideal placement The roots are just beginning to take off and I’m putting the nutrients where the roots have immediate access ” Tombaugh says the spike wheels inject the liquid into the ground when the wheels rotate 7 degrees from dead center He’s also excited about using Soil Biotics XL with his nitrogen which has shown excellent results in several trials around the country “Last year irrigated corn had 8 yields over 235 bu per acre and 2 over 250 bu per acre ” In the fall Tombaugh hopes to use the same rig to apply 10 to 12 gal of 3-18-18 along with another shot of Soil Biotics and stay completely away from anhydrous “I know that anhydrous isn’t good for soil microbes and earthworms so I think this new setup of mine with split fertilizer applications will show big benefits ” Tombaugh spent only $200 for the used tool bar and together with the remanufactured spike wheels the used pump and new liquid cart figures he’s got a custom applicator for about a third the cost of buying a new one Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Larry Tombaugh 32815 N 200 E Rd Streator Ill 61364 ph 815 673-1449; www tomkatroofing com

To read the rest of this story, download this issue below or click here to register with your account number.