# Brome seed won't flow through drill



## FarmerCline (Oct 12, 2011)

I am having trouble getting brome seed to flow through a JD 1590 drill. The drill does have an agitator but the seed still does not want to meter out of the fluted feeds. I planted smooth brome with this drill last spring and had an issue with just a couple rows not metering out. A couple weeks ago I tried to plant some meadow brome and had the same issue but a little worse. Now today I was trying to plant a 50-50 by weight mix of smooth brome and orchard grass and it will not feed out of any of the meters. I would have thought that the mix would have metered out just fine.....pure orchard grass doesn't give any issues. Any ideas on how to get this seed to meter out of the drill? I have a couple hundred pounds mixed up ready to plant.

Hayden


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## BWfarms (Aug 3, 2015)

Talc or Graphite.


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## Farmineer95 (Aug 11, 2014)

Mix oats with it and it will help it flow. Oats will winter kill if it gets cold enough in your area.
Some bromes are with small barbs on the seed and the stuff bridges like a bugger.


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## endrow (Dec 15, 2011)

We buy planter talc every seed that goes in the small box on the 1590 sees talcum powder


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## FarmerCline (Oct 12, 2011)

Farmineer95 said:


> Mix oats with it and it will help it flow. Oats will winter kill if it gets cold enough in your area.
> Some bromes are with small barbs on the seed and the stuff bridges like a bugger.


 Oats won't winterkill here unless planted too late......now is ideal time to be planting oats here. Don't really want to mix oats with it either as fall planted oats get pretty lush and would be very competitive and may choke out the grass seedlings.

This brome doesn't have any bards or awns.....just kind of light and chaffy elongated seeds.


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## FarmerCline (Oct 12, 2011)

BWfarms said:


> Talc or Graphite.





endrow said:


> We buy planter talc every seed that goes in the small box on the 1590 sees talcum powder


 I guess I could try talcum powder. How will it actually make the seeds meter out? A few years ago I tried one talcum powder on some teff that I planted through the small seed box and didn't really see any benefit. This brome/orchard mix I am planting through the grain box since the small box won't handle the volume of the large brome seeds.


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## gosh (Sep 28, 2014)

FarmerCline said:


> I guess I could try talcum powder. How will it actually make the seeds meter out? A few years ago I tried one talcum powder on some teff that I planted through the small seed box and didn't really see any benefit. This brome/orchard mix I am planting through the grain box since the small box won't handle the volume of the large brome seeds.


Keep us posted on what route you take and how it works out!


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## carcajou (Jan 28, 2011)

Have you tried blending the brome 50/50 with urea? I think this would solve your problem.


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

carcajou said:


> Have you tried blending the brome 50/50 with urea? I think this would solve your problem.


Running urea through a 1590 drill? Or how would you suggest to dispense?

Regards, Mike


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## carcajou (Jan 28, 2011)

Hmm maybe we are thinking different urea, i'm thing 46-0-0 fertilizer.


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

carcajou said:


> Hmm maybe we are thinking different urea, i'm thing 46-0-0 fertilizer.


Yes, that is what I thought you meant Ray. Are you saying to blend the Brome into the urea and broadcast with a fertilizer buggy/cart?

Regards, Mike


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## Teslan (Aug 20, 2011)

With our Great Plains drill we can't have the drill full of grass seed. It just won't flow good. So we start with just maybe 50 pounds in each side. 15 foot drill. Or maybe 2 inches of seed in the bottom. We don't have an agitator. Maybe the same would help with your drill. Also depends on the seed in any given year.


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## BWfarms (Aug 3, 2015)

Two common issues when having clumping issues with metering seed:
1) Coating on seeds get rougher and tackier when they absorb moisture.
2) Your plates are producing static electricity as they turn causing seeds to attract to one another.

Talc is a dry lube that absorbs moisture, this works if seeds are clumping together due to moisture. Graphite is also a dry lube and will actually make the seed slippery in your fingers. Both have anti static characteristics, Talc is an insulator while Graphite conducts it and forces it to ground out on metal components.


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

carcajou said:


> Have you tried blending the brome 50/50 with urea? I think this would solve your problem.


I'd maybe try to get something inert from co-op or fert store but same concept. I'd prefer a small grain seed (always planted my brome with small grain to make it flow) but if one doesn't want grain in it, some sort of fertilizer product is probably the next course of action.


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## carcajou (Jan 28, 2011)

Vol said:


> Yes, that is what I thought you meant Ray. Are you saying to blend the Brome into the urea and broadcast with a fertilizer buggy/cart?
> 
> Regards, Mike


No just blend 50 lbs/acre of 46-0-0 and seed it through the grain box not the small seed box. i prefer oats too but i have done it this way with good results. And never fill the boxes more than 1/2 full at a time to prevent separation.


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

Which box are you using, Cline?


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

I sure would hate to run fertilizer through a grain box....and I know it is done, but there always seems to be some fertilizer missed on the wash out. It would be very hard for me to run fertilizer through a 1590 JD drill as expensive as those drills are....but that is just me, as I mentioned it is done by others.

Regards, Mike


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

If you need something inert, maybe you have a buddy with some ancient bags of seed corn in the back of a shed or something.


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## FarmerCline (Oct 12, 2011)

Vol said:


> I sure would hate to run fertilizer through a grain box....and I know it is done, but there always seems to be some fertilizer missed on the wash out. It would be very hard for me to run fertilizer through a 1590 JD drill as expensive as those drills are....but that is just me, as I mentioned it is done by others.
> 
> Regards, Mike


 Yeah, that is what I was thinking. Unless there is a kind of fertilizer that I'm not aware of that will not corrode I don't want to be putting fertilizer through such an expensive drill. Seems like even if washed out fertilizer still will cause corrosion and rust.


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## FarmerCline (Oct 12, 2011)

Teslan said:


> With our Great Plains drill we can't have the drill full of grass seed. It just won't flow good. So we start with just maybe 50 pounds in each side. 15 foot drill. Or maybe 2 inches of seed in the bottom. We don't have an agitator. Maybe the same would help with your drill. Also depends on the seed in any given year.


 I only put a 50 pound bag in the drill.....it is a 10 footer. It started feeding out initially but quit after drilling about 50'.


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## FarmerCline (Oct 12, 2011)

8350HiTech said:


> Which box are you using, Cline?


 Using the grain (large) box. Don't think the big fluffy brome seed would even go down the tubes of the small seed box.


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## FarmerCline (Oct 12, 2011)

BWfarms said:


> Two common issues when having clumping issues with metering seed:
> 1) Coating on seeds get rougher and tackier when they absorb moisture.
> 2) Your plates are producing static electricity as they turn causing seeds to attract to one another.
> Talc is a dry lube that absorbs moisture, this works if seeds are clumping together due to moisture. Graphite is also a dry lube and will actually make the seed slippery in your fingers. Both have anti static characteristics, Talc is an insulator while Graphite conducts it and forces it to ground out on metal components.


 This seed is not coated and seems very dry and dusty. Static electricity might be part of the problem.....when I was mixing the orchard and brome together the brome seed would be attached to the arms and I kept having to rub it off. It sounds like graphite may be best for this situation? It is very messy to apply to the seed?


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

FarmerCline said:


> Yeah, that is what I was thinking. Unless there is a kind of fertilizer that I'm not aware of that will not corrode I don't want to be putting fertilizer through such an expensive drill. Seems like even if washed out fertilizer still will cause corrosion and rust.


You should be able to get an inert filler.


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## FarmerCline (Oct 12, 2011)

8350HiTech said:


> If you need something inert, maybe you have a buddy with some ancient bags of seed corn in the back of a shed or something.


 What about using cracked corn? Or I could probably get some grain sorghum from the feed mill.....even if it sprouts we will soon have a frost that will kill it.

Would doing that be better than using a talc or graphite like BWfarms was talking about?


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

FarmerCline said:


> What about using cracked corn? Or I could probably get some grain sorghum from the feed mill.....even if it sprouts we will soon have a frost that will kill it.
> 
> Would doing that be better than using a talc or graphite like BWfarms was talking about?


My gut feeling is seed lubricants work great on seeds like corn because they're easily lubricated, hard and smooth shells that are dense. I think brome bridges due to its less smooth nature combined with the super light weight. So that's why I always use grain, I guess. Anyway, if grain works and fertilizer works, I'd imagine anything solid and dense would work including sorghum.


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## FarmerCline (Oct 12, 2011)

8350HiTech said:


> My gut feeling is seed lubricants work great on seeds like corn because they're easily lubricated, hard and smooth shells that are dense. I think brome bridges due to its less smooth nature combined with the super light weight. So that's why I always use grain, I guess. Anyway, if grain works and fertilizer works, I'd imagine anything solid and dense would work including sorghum.


 Do you think it would make any difference as to which filler I use? I was thinking that maybe since the sorghum is small and round that it might be more prone to settling to the bottom than the cracked corn? Or maybe separation isn't really an issue to be concerned about? Should I mix the filler and seed 50/50 or could I get by with less?

I'm interseeding this into alfalfa so that is another reason I don't want to add a small grain as a filler since the seedlings are already going to have enough competition from the alfalfa.


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## reede (May 17, 2010)

I've also seen folks use sand with seeded bermuda, maybe that would be an option to have something else in the mix to help it flow, without eating up your equipment.


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## carcajou (Jan 28, 2011)

I use floor dry with straight timothy seed but i doubt if it will work for brome.


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## Teslan (Aug 20, 2011)

Another thought. We had suggested to us to mix cracked corn before we figured out our drill.


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## Farmineer95 (Aug 11, 2014)

Would vermiculite work with brome? Think garden centers have it. Its inert and light.


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

Farmineer95 said:


> Would vermiculite work with brome? Think garden centers have it. Its inert and light.


Light is not a positive.


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

I think that i might try floor dry like carcajou recommended.

Regards, Mike


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

I know it’s not perfect but urea used to be used for airport de-icing as it was reasonably non-corrosive to planes. The problem I’ve had is it usually comes contaiminated with other fertilizers.


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

Well everyone uses Talc or graphite in planting corn and beans here to help with the flow in planters and it keeps metering units from wearing.Talc in air metering units and graphite in mechanical metering units.Some are useing a 50-50 blend of talc and graphit also.It's cheap and goes a long way.I think I'd try either the graphite or graphite/ talc blend.


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

Something like this
https://www.sloanex.com/ez-slide-8lb-jug-80-20-talc-graphite-seed-flow-lubricant.html


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## FarmerCline (Oct 12, 2011)

Picked up some graphite yesterday. Since it only cost $5 for a pound package I thought I would give that a try first....figured if that works it's easier than trying to blend the seed with a filler and hope it doesn't separate too much while planting. The instructions say to apply 1.5 tablespoons of graphite per bushel of seed. That sounds awfully low.....should I apply a heavier rate than that or is too much a bad thing?


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

FarmerCline said:


> Picked up some graphite yesterday. Since it only cost $5 for a pound package I thought I would give that a try first....figured if that works it's easier than trying to blend the seed with a filler and hope it doesn't separate too much while planting. The instructions say to apply 1.5 tablespoons of graphite per bushel of seed. That sounds awfully low.....should I apply a heavier rate than that or is too much a bad thing?


Thats what it takes for corn and soybeans what it is usually used for.With the smaller seeds it has more area to cover so I would think it will take more.To much won't hurt a thing.wear some gloves or your hands will be black!


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## FarmerCline (Oct 12, 2011)

Well I tried the graphite on some meadow brome seed a few days ago and it didn't work.....seed still won't meter out of the drill any better than before. Didn't try the smooth brome/orchard mix but I don't suspect it would be any different.

Guess I will try a filler next. I was thinking about using pelletized lime or possibly cracked corn but the company I bought the seed from is recommending rice hulls......said the density of the rice hulls was more similar to the brome seed and wouldn't settle to the bottom and separate as bad as the other fillers. It was getting too late to be planting and now after all the additional rain we just got it will probably be spring before I can try to plant again now.


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## Teslan (Aug 20, 2011)

FarmerCline said:


> Well I tried the graphite on some meadow brome seed a few days ago and it didn't work.....seed still won't meter out of the drill any better than before. Didn't try the smooth brome/orchard mix but I don't suspect it would be any different.
> 
> Guess I will try a filler next. I was thinking about using pelletized lime or possibly cracked corn but the company I bought the seed from is recommending rice hulls......said the density of the rice hulls was more similar to the brome seed and wouldn't settle to the bottom and separate as bad as the other fillers. It was getting too late to be planting and now after all the additional rain we just got it will probably be spring before I can try to plant again now.


. Is this the first time you have planted this seed mix with this drill? Sometimes it can be the seed itself. The spring before this I planted an orchard brome mix and had a terrible time with it plugging in the seed tube. Planted same mix this spring and it went fine.


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## FarmerCline (Oct 12, 2011)

Teslan said:


> . Is this the first time you have planted this seed mix with this drill? Sometimes it can be the seed itself. The spring before this I planted an orchard brome mix and had a terrible time with it plugging in the seed tube. Planted same mix this spring and it went fine.


 First time planting meadow brome and the smooth brome/orchard mix. I did plant some pure smooth brome back in the spring and had some issues with it as well but not this bad. I'm not really having an issue with it plugging the seed tubes.....it just won't meter out of the drill through the fluted feeds.


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## Teslan (Aug 20, 2011)

FarmerCline said:


> First time planting meadow brome and the smooth brome/orchard mix. I did plant some pure smooth brome back in the spring and had some issues with it as well but not this bad. I'm not really having an issue with it plugging the seed tubes.....it just won't meter out of the drill through the fluted feeds.


Right. I guess I'm trying to see if it is the seed for this year that is the problem for you. Not necessarily your drill. I remember one year we just couldn't get our drill to work with the grass seed. Same problems you are having. Haven't had the same problems since. Like last year the seed mix I had trouble with and this year no problem. It had some little stems in it last year but was cleaner this year. Same mix and same supplier.


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## gosh (Sep 28, 2014)

FarmerCline said:


> Well I tried the graphite on some meadow brome seed a few days ago and it didn't work.....seed still won't meter out of the drill any better than before. Didn't try the smooth brome/orchard mix but I don't suspect it would be any different.
> Guess I will try a filler next. I was thinking about using pelletized lime or possibly cracked corn but the company I bought the seed from is recommending rice hulls......said the density of the rice hulls was more similar to the brome seed and wouldn't settle to the bottom and separate as bad as the other fillers. It was getting too late to be planting and now after all the additional rain we just got it will probably be spring before I can try to plant again now.


Thanks for remembering to update us.


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## Farmineer95 (Aug 11, 2014)

I know of a guy with intimate Seeder knowledge, I'll see what information I can get from him.

What Brome variety and what's your target rate?


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## FarmerCline (Oct 12, 2011)

Farmineer95 said:


> I know of a guy with intimate Seeder knowledge, I'll see what information I can get from him.
> 
> What Brome variety and what's your target rate?


 Just now saw your reply.

I'm planting a 50/50 mix of smooth brome and orchard grass at 10 pounds an acre. Also planting some meadow brome at 20 pounds per acre.


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## FarmerCline (Oct 12, 2011)

I decided to try the rice hulls that the seed company recommended. I was kind of skeptical if the rice hulls would work since they were so light weight......even lighter weight than the brome. I mixed about 10 pounds of rice hulls with 20 pounds of meadow brome seed. Surprisinly it fed out of the drill pretty good. At first I had two of the rows that weren't feeding but after messing with them they started.....I think they had some brome seed that wasn't mixed with the rice hulls down in them. Probably best to mix the seed and hulls together before dumping in the drill. I also tried the rice hulls mixed with the smooth brome/orchard mix and it worked as well. Not sure what it is about the rice hulls that keeps the brome feeding through but they worked. Also since both the rice hulls and seed are light weight the mix didn't separate while planting.

I only planted just a couple acres because it really is too late to be planting but I wanted to see if I could get it to meter out of the drill. It might do okay if we have a mild winter.


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

That's good to know FarmerCline.....you just saved others a lot of grief by your persistence. Do the rice hulls come in sacks like the seed does?

Regards, Mike


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## FarmerCline (Oct 12, 2011)

Vol said:


> That's good to know FarmerCline.....you just saved others a lot of grief by your persistence. Do the rice hulls come in sacks like the seed does?
> 
> Regards, Mike


 The rice hulls were in a compressed bag. They are extremely light weigh so a 50 pound bag would be huge if it wasn't compressed. The 10 pounds of hulls to 20 pounds of brome seed looked about 50-50 by volume. If I were planting a larger amount of acres I would try to find some rice hulls that were cheaper. I ordered these online and it cost $20 for 50 pounds of hulls but the shipping was another $20 coming from Virginia.


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## paoutdoorsman (Apr 23, 2016)

Good to hear you had success and a game plan for planting in the spring.


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