Premium
Equipment for Application of Fertilizer at a Linear Increase Rate 1
Author(s) -
Peck N. H.
Publication year - 1976
Publication title -
agronomy journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.752
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1435-0645
pISSN - 0002-1962
DOI - 10.2134/agronj1976.00021962006800050041x
Subject(s) - fertilizer , environmental science , agronomy , mathematics , agricultural engineering , crop , natural rubber , phaseolus , engineering , biology , materials science , composite material
Conventional procedure for evaluating effects of different rates of fertilizer on crop response requires a series of plots, each receiving a different rate. This technique uses a lot of land and requires much time and labor. Thus an experimental planter that delivers fertilizer in continuously increasing rates ranging from zero to the maximum rate desired was designed and constructed. A previously weighed sample of fertilizer is distributed, at uniform depth, in a V‐shaped mold which is placed on top of the rubber belt of a conventional belt fertilizer applicator. The mold is removed and the plot is planted. Gears adjust the rate of travel of the belt so that there is a continuously increasing rate of application from the beginning of the plot, at the front of the belt, to the maximum rate, at the end of the belt where the fertilizer band on the belt is the widest. The equipment performed very satisfactorily for snap beans ( Phaseolus vulgaris L.) and sweet corn ( Zea mays L.) in 1975.