Maximize Your Planter Pass: An On-furrow Program Offers Payback
Months of planning precede each planter pass on Joe Zumwalt’s farm in Warsaw, Ill. He knows his in-furrow program can set the stage for a healthy and high-yielding crop.
“We are accomplishing a lot more goals in-furrow than I would have imagined five years ago,” he says. “Our planter applies liquid fertilizer or starter, insecticide, herbicide and plants all in one pass. I am not wanting to put an immense amount of product out in the spring. I just want enough to give seedlings a boost and safety.”
WIN THE FURROW
Base your in-furrow program and products on your soil type and seed.
In lighter soils, where seed burn might be an issue, consider a low-salt fertilizer if it’s directly in-furrow, says Missy Bauer, Farm Journal Field Agronomist. However, with new technology, such as a FurrowJet (Precision Planting) or Y-Not Split-It (Schaffert Manufacturing), a less expensive 10-34-0 applied into the seed trench sidewall has proven effective as well as economical.
“Placement can change what you do from a crop safety perspective,” she says. “As you change placement, it allows you to run different types of fertilizer products, some of which are much less expensive.”
Know your end goal so your in-furrow program complements your season-long plan, Bauer says.
“Starter fertilizer is called ‘starter’ for a reason,” she says. “It’s not your season-long fertilizer program.”
Zumwalt does a fall nitrogen fertilizer pass, and then adds around 5 gal. of starter nitrogen fertilizer in-furrow at planting.
“The reason I do just that amount is I come back and sidedress by V4 another 40 to 60 units of nitrogen,” he says. “I don’t have to put all the additional nitrogen on at planting, since I’m an early sidedresser. I just want the benefit of starter.”
In-furrow applications will slow down your planting progress, Bauer says, but the benefits can outweigh the costs. To evaluate the success of your program, look beyond yield.
“Evaluate your early growth,” Bauer says. “Is your in-furrow fertilizer program making the plant bigger and green-er and advancing its maturity? Are your in-furrow insecticides creating better uniformity, stand counts and ear counts?”
MEASURE ROI
Zumwalt sees ROI in improved plant health and greater insect and bacteria protection, which all lead to higher yields.
“I would speculate the in-furrow treatments add 2 bu. to 4 bu. on corn,” he says. “As we build out our program for soybeans, I’m guessing returns could be 3 bu. to 5 bu.”
To learn more ways to minimize mistakes at planting, visit bit.ly/WinTheFurrow
Master the planter basics by watching Planter Clinic Online Courses from Missy Bauer and B&M Crop Consulting.
