Seed Hawk TOOLBAR 2014 - Manual (Page 24)

SEED HAWK ® 2014 TOOLBAR OPERATOR’S MANUAL SEED HAWK ® 2014 TOOLBAR OPERATOR’S MANUAL 40
4.11 Side Banding with Anhydrous
Ammonia
Extreme caution must be exercised when side banding with anhydrous ammonia
(NH
3
). If the separation distance between the seed and the NH
3
is not sufficient,
the germinating seedling can be damaged.
Several factors affect how far from the point of injection in the soil NH
3
will
move:
• NH
3
will move farther in dry soils than wet soils. Hilltops tend to have low-
er soil moisture content and are therefore more susceptible to NH
3
travel.
• NH
3
will move farther in light textured soils (e.g., sandy soils) than in heavi-
er textured soils (e.g., clay soils).
• NH
3
will move farther in soils with low organic matter.
• If the soil is lumpy or not closing behind the knives, NH
3
can move more
quickly through the cracks or between the lumps of soil.
• Higher concentrations of NH
3
will cause the product to move farther in the
soil.
Other Factors to Consider:
• Some crops are more sensitive to NH
3
burn. Generally, oilseed and pulse
crops are more sensitive than cereal crops.
• Turning, while seeding, can vary the relative position of the seed and fertiliz-
er knives. This results in a larger separation of seed and NH
3
.
• When the fertilizer knife trips, it raises the injection point of the NH
3
and
may affect the separation of the seed and NH
3
.
WARNING! Use extreme caution when applying anhy-
drous ammonia fertilizer. Inhalation, skin and/or eye con-
tact, or skin penetration can cause serious health problems.
Seek medical attention immediately if coming into contact
with anhydrous ammonia.
4.12 Drop Tube Extension with NH
3
The delivery drop tube should extend 0.5 in (13 mm) past the stainless steel
clips. This usually prevents mud from freezing to the fertilizer knife.
IMPORTANT! Seed Hawk ® assumes no responsibility for any seedling damage
caused by anhydrous ammonia burn. The operator is responsible for checking
and setting the seeder in all field conditions.
41
4.13 Placing Fertilizer with Seed
IMPORTANT! For the fastest and most even germination, Seed Hawk ® recom-
mends that growers should not place any fertilizer with the seed.
• Fertilizer placed directly with the seed will compete for moisture causing
slower germination and reduced plant counts (especially with pulses and
oilseeds). The only exception to this is liquid forms of phosphate.
• The Seed Hawk ® opener allows roots to grow into the fertilizer band very
quickly (within days of germination) so starter fertilizer is not necessary.
• When fertilizer is placed with the seed, blockage monitors will not sense a
problem with the seed flow.
• Our agronomists at Seed Hawk ® have carefully reviewed the Canola Grow-
ers Manual and other research. The have also seen evidence in fields, field
scale trials and their own trials, which indicates that placing fertilizer directly
with the seed a very risky practice.
• Many field agronomists recommend a starter fertilizer be placed directly
with the seed. We recommend that your field agronomist call our Seed
Hawk Agronomists before giving recommendations to place ANY fertilizer
with the seed on a Seed Hawk
® .
The Seed Hawk ® Twin Wing™ system is designed to place seed away from the
complete blend of fertilizer. However, if anhydrous ammonia or liquid nitrogen
is applied, there may be a temptation to blend dry or granular fertilizer with the
seed. High levels of phosphate fertilizer placed in close proximity to the seed
will cause seedling damage. Oilseeds and pulse crops are the most sensitive to
phosphate burn.