User Manual

Seed Hawk Manual Tool Bar Page 40
4.12 SIDE BANDING WITH ANHYDROUS AMMONIA
WHILE SEEDING
WARNING! Use extreme caution when applying anhydrous ammonia
fertilizer. Inhalation, skin and/or eye contact, or skin penetration can cause
serious health problems. Seek medical attention immediately if coming into
contact 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 lower
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 heavier
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 fertilizer
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
.
A testing kit, available from your NH
3
dealer, can be used to determine the
separation distance between the seed and fertilizer. It is highly recommended that
this kit be obtained and used to determine seed and fertilizer separation and to
check various slope positions in the field.