So I know that title is lame, but they can't all be homeruns. But today I was back at the NCRS feeding some N to corn with some drop nozzle treatments. This is a way to spread out applications, although our results have generally shown that a single timely application is as good as spreading it out over multiple applications. Even with our lighter textured soils. Hmmm. But with all the rain this year, we will see if maybe there was an advantage to multiple trips. You can't see the nozzles in the picture below, but they are there.
Stephanie took this picture of the N band between two rows of corn in the V9 growth stage, and about 3 feet tall. The corn is looking pretty good now that we have had some sunny days. The bad part is that there are spots around where water stood and the corn is shorter, or less stand. That complicates research.
We applied several different rates of several different N sources. We used regular broadcast nozzles (actually Turbo Tee Jets) turned sideways to make a band. This to minimize chance of spraying N on leaves. But I run the nozzles just a couple inches off the ground, and at moderate pressure, around 20 psi to minimize splashing. I recommend a nozzle in every row middle too rather than every other row. And it is nice having my boom nozzles on 15 inch centers which makes it easy to have a drop nozzle in the exact middle of each 30 inch row. Below, Jeff and Amanda change nozzles at this pit stop. Now if you do this, you should split the line to the two outside nozzles in the guess rows, and use half sized rate nozzles on those. This is because the guess row will get sprayed twice, as on the trip back the other way, and you don't want to put a double dose on there. We do this on our sidedress applicator too, as explained in a past posting.
We made drop nozzle applications to two different experiments on two different farms. After that it was time to make some broadcast nitrogen applications to the sugarbeet demonstration plots planted on Tuesday. So after the nozzle switcheroo, it happened.
So that's done. Probably have to do something else tomorrow.
Stephanie took this picture of the N band between two rows of corn in the V9 growth stage, and about 3 feet tall. The corn is looking pretty good now that we have had some sunny days. The bad part is that there are spots around where water stood and the corn is shorter, or less stand. That complicates research.
We applied several different rates of several different N sources. We used regular broadcast nozzles (actually Turbo Tee Jets) turned sideways to make a band. This to minimize chance of spraying N on leaves. But I run the nozzles just a couple inches off the ground, and at moderate pressure, around 20 psi to minimize splashing. I recommend a nozzle in every row middle too rather than every other row. And it is nice having my boom nozzles on 15 inch centers which makes it easy to have a drop nozzle in the exact middle of each 30 inch row. Below, Jeff and Amanda change nozzles at this pit stop. Now if you do this, you should split the line to the two outside nozzles in the guess rows, and use half sized rate nozzles on those. This is because the guess row will get sprayed twice, as on the trip back the other way, and you don't want to put a double dose on there. We do this on our sidedress applicator too, as explained in a past posting.
We made drop nozzle applications to two different experiments on two different farms. After that it was time to make some broadcast nitrogen applications to the sugarbeet demonstration plots planted on Tuesday. So after the nozzle switcheroo, it happened.
So that's done. Probably have to do something else tomorrow.