# Started putting down NH3



## OkhayBallr (Dec 18, 2009)

Finally got the applicator in. Last few days have been ballz to the wallz!!







It pulls a little harder than I expected!!







This field I put down 200lb per acre(164Lb actual N) It ought to go nuts in a few weeks!!!







This makes long day go by way faster and is very handy watching news!!!


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## hay wilson in TX (Jan 28, 2009)

I really like your gig.

For years and years I used an old Clark NH4 applicator that was used for cotton in this country. I had it on 30 inch centers. I wish I had put it on 42 inch centers, but that is hind sight. I put AA into bermudagrass hay meadows and applied 400 to 500 lbs/A of AA.

My old rig finally gave up the ghost and I have a neighbor apply the anhydrous now. The first rig he had was on 20 inch centers and I did not like that but it was not my machine. He also put 10-34-0 down with the ammonia. The ammonia keeps the phosphate from being tied up in my high pH excessively high calcium calcareous clay ground. He now has a newer machine with 30 inch spacing.

Again Congratulations. I would trade you even, your machine for my envy.


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## maknhay (Jan 6, 2010)

I understand it's a cheap source of nitrogen but this stuff is a great way to eliminate your earthworms and it also contributes to compaction. They used it to build landing stips in Viet Nam.......and they are still there to this day.


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## NDVA HAYMAN (Nov 24, 2009)

Love the anhydrous rig. Who was the manufacturer? That hay should start walking. Let us know how it does and more pics please. There is a lot of it used here in ND by local farmers and also always wondered how it would do on grass hay. Keep us informed. Mike


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

I can understand the earthworm part as I really don't care for using anhydrous for nitrogen, but since most if not all of our row crops are no-till these days, the risk of losing all your urea before a rain has a chance to work it down is just too great. Also see a yield boost when we side dress compared to getting the nitrogen on pre plant.

How does it create compaction though? Is it just the knife action? Or does urea actually bind something up in the soil? Course we also use three other sources for nitrogen, spread 6-15-40, use straight 28% when spraying and 10-34-0 starter so when we do apply AA we only are shooting for an another 80 pounds of actual N.


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## OkhayBallr (Dec 18, 2009)

We have had lots of rain this summer up until a week or two ago, I have been very happy with the results of the NH3. I have a few fields that the machine ran out of juice for a strip, its unreal how you can tell exactly where it missed. Heres an example. This field is a new stand of bermuda and hasnt fully filled in. This was in early may.














In this pic its the best first cutting ive gotten off this field, I sprayed a pre emerg on it.


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## OkhayBallr (Dec 18, 2009)

The Johnson grass goes ape chit on NH3 also heres a 3rd cutting field that made 4.5 bale an acre.



 A 3rd cutting Bermuda/Crabgrass field that made alot of rd bales!!!


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## NDVA HAYMAN (Nov 24, 2009)

I take it that you are pulling it with the 7320? I have a 7320 also and a 6430. The 6430 is my go to hay tractors. I dont have the tv. I'm jealous!! Now I know what Bermuda looks like. None around here. Course I'm intimate with crabgrass! Thanks for the pics. What are the spacings on the coulters?


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## OkhayBallr (Dec 18, 2009)

Yeah I have to say the 6430 Is my favorite Rd bale sm sq tractor, It turns so sharp and has pleanty of power. runs 21mph. The Anh. rig is 20" spacings its all the 7320 wants. I would think two 6430's and a 7830 that would be ultimate combo!!! lol


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## maknhay (Jan 6, 2010)

mlappin said:


> I can understand the earthworm part as I really don't care for using anhydrous for nitrogen, but since most if not all of our row crops are no-till these days, the risk of losing all your urea before a rain has a chance to work it down is just too great. Also see a yield boost when we side dress compared to getting the nitrogen on pre plant.
> 
> How does it create compaction though? Is it just the knife action? Or does urea actually bind something up in the soil? Course we also use three other sources for nitrogen, spread 6-15-40, use straight 28% when spraying and 10-34-0 starter so when we do apply AA we only are shooting for an another 80 pounds of actual N.


The knife is not the issue. Anhydrous speeds up decomposition of organic matter,increases acidity in the soil and kills microorganisms and fungi that actualy help to improve soil tilth.


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## hay wilson in TX (Jan 28, 2009)

[quote name='maknhay']I understand it's a cheap source of nitrogen but this stuff is a great way to eliminate your earthworms and it also contributes to compaction. They used it to build landing stips in Viet Nam.......and they are still there to this day.[/QUOTE]

The anhydrous used to build landing strips is the same anhydrous used to put in roads in the good old USA. They use Anhydrous *Calcium*. 
That anhydrous story has been going around for years. Supposidly it was used all over the South Pacific during WWII. They would never have wasted anhydous on dirt when they needed it to make nitrates for explosives.

As for Worms, that is another unsubstantated rumor. One time I applied 1,500 lbs/A AA to a small plot, just to see. It might have killed tons of worms but there were even more tons of worms throwing up worm casts for the next 7 years.

Personally I like to put 10-34-0 down behind the 82-0-0 to slow the conversion of ammonium phosphate to a calcium phosphate.

*Here on my clay soils, with our tends to be a drought year, conditions I prefere to put the anhydrous down using 30" to 60" spacing between drops.*


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## hay wilson in TX (Jan 28, 2009)

If I were in East Texas I would never use anhydrous. There it would leach out of the root zone before I could get off the ground. ( A little poetic licience there)


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