Alfalfa Sprayed On With Fertilizer and Insecticide

Alfalfa Sprayed On With Fertilizer and Insecticide CROPS New Techniques 6-3-22 It's being done successfully in Pennsylvania ù spraying on alfalfa seed mixed right in with the liquid fertilizer and insecticide. The benefits claimed are money and time savings, and good weed control in direct seeding (no nurse crop) without an herbicide. The system was developed by Martin Seed and Fertilizer, Coburn, Pa. According to Paul Martin, who does the actual spraying of alfalfa seed, approximately 1,250 acres have been spray-seeded for farmer customers. "Generally, the results have been very good," Martin told FARM SHOW. John Divinney, a dairyman at nearby Spring Mills who has spray-seeded alfalfa, verifies that Martin's system works: "We have 25 acres that the Martins spray-seeded for us in two separate seedings, and this spring we're doing 20 acres more. The big benefits are savings in time and fuel. And spray-seeding does a better job ù there are no skips in the broadcast stand. The alfalfa comes up like a mat and the weeds are just crowded out. We used no herbicide, yet had no weed problem even in the first year of the direct-seeded stand." Martin says he sometimes also sprays grass seed along with the alfalfa, to provide a mixed hay, such as alfalfa-timothy. "Spray-seeding takes good equipment that most farmers themselves don't have," he adds. "We use a John Blue L-3000 piston pump on the sprayer, and fan nozzles with 3/16 in. openings. Most farmers in this area don't have drills to plant alfalfa with anyway." A family operation, the Martins charge $4/acre to do the spraying. The alfalfa seed cost/acre runs $46.20 (15 lbs. at $3.08/lb.); fertilizer is $36.90 (600 lbs./acre of 3-10-10 at $6.15/cwt.); Furadan to control leafhopper and alfalfa weevil is $21 (2 qts. 4-L); for a total cost per acre of $108. After spraying on the seed, a field is cultipacked to assure good soil-to-seed contact. "I don't see any reason why the idea wouldn't work in other parts of the country where alfalfa is grown," says Martin. For more information, contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Paul Martin, Martin Feed and Fertilizer, Coburn, Pa. 16832 (ph 814 349-8787).

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