Fert. cans

[ryanwheelock]

When planters like this were more commonly used what kind of fert. did the farmer use in the fert. cans. Whatever NPK the soil test indicated?? Or was it something diff. becasue its in the row with the corn???
Thanks
Ryan

 

[thurlow]

Way back when, it was (somewhat) common to put a little 'starter' fertlizer in the row, usually "sodie" ("Bulldog soda".......sodium nitrate); for folks of my grandparents generation, it was the only fertlizer used.

 

[Farmallhal]

Back in the 1950's and early 60's when we did real farming and planted all kinds of crops including corn with a planter like the one in your photo we just used a phosphate, nitrogen, and potash mix fertilizer with the seed. That was the only fertilizer the crop would see so I guess you could call it a starter fertilizer. This was before the days of liquid fertilizer and herbicide applications. Dad was very good about doing soil tests and I'm sure would have used something which was driven by the crop and what the soil needed. I certainly don't remember to percentage of each of those nutrients though. Dad always planted the corn with a neighbors team using an old IHC horse drawn planter. It was my job to move the pick-up truck across the field as he planted the rows. I poured the fertilizer and seed corn into the planter when he got back to the end after making a down and back trip. Haven't done that in a long time though but the planter is still in the machine shed along with all the real farming implements we used every year, Hal.

 

[JMS/.MN]

thurlow mentions putting fertilizer in the row. Doing that, you are limited to a very small amount- some years ago that was restarted, calling it "popup" fertilizer. Too much and you burn the seed, but it got plants off to an early start- especially with yesterday"s older varieties that did not have today"s stamina. For years, the full dose applied with the planter was put in 2x2- 2 inches to the side of the row, and 2 inches below. Openers had to be set to run there, otherwise the seed could be burned. NPK mixes varied according to the soil and what soil tests recommendations were. There is no one-size-fits-all.

 

[kyhayman]

Im one of the few "radicals" in the neighborhood who actually takes and follows a soil test. I remember when the standard practice here was to put 300 pounds of 10-10-10 in a band by the road and then put down ammonium nitrate broadcast over the growing corn. A few other radicals use 15-15-15 up to 19-19-19. The guy who plants my corn usually puts down 300 pounds of triple 17 in a band and broadcasts anything else the soil test calls for with urea going for 100 units actual N.

 

[John Harmon]

That is a 244 IHC Planter and granular 10-10-10 or any other combination fertilizer was used as a starter in small amounts and was "Side Dressed" as the crop was planted. The fertilizer was not actually applied in the row with the seed but alongside of the seed with a dirt barrier between the seed and fert. The theory was that as the plant grew the fertilizer was made soluable from moisture in the ground and the plant fed on it as it matured. I had a 444 ,4 row planter with granular fertilizer boxes such as shown here and used 4-12-12 as a starter fertilizer along with Manure plow down and soil test determined lime ,and a good crop rotation.corn-Oats-Hay-Hay-Corn etc.

 

[LRTX1]

What we do is side dress fertilizer, with a distributer, about a week before planting. A little deeper and off to the side of the row. Again at about a 1 to 1 1/2 months after the crop comes out. Like said the theory is the fertilizer will break down before the plants roots get to it.

Layne