Seed Hawk TOOLBAR 2010 - Manual (Page 44)

Seed Hawk Manual Tool Bar Page 41
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 is 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.