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Benien John B.

Angel
BSAEn 4-2

FERTILIZER EQUIPMENTS AND APPLICATION

Introduction

When the soil is used for a long period of time for different purposes especially for

planting, some reactions turns soil into basic, acidic or the amount of essential elements in the

soil (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium) are reduced and are insufficient to support the proper

growth of the plants resulting to loss the quality of the crops and lesser yield.

As the world continuously increase its population, large amount of food is needed and a

faster way of supplying the food requirement are by multiple cropping seasons which results to

the over use of soil. The soil does not have enough time to regenerate or accumulate enough

minerals that is why fertilizers are needed. Fertilizer are applied to supply the needed nutrients of

plants in the soil that can give better crop quality and greater crop yield. This fertilizers uses a

certain equipment or machines designed to apply fertilizers based on their forms and uses.

Objectives

1. To know the different fertilizer used in the farm


2. To know the different machines used for fertilizer application and its principles
Discussion

Kinds of Fertilizers

1. Manure Fertilizers
This kind of fertilizer comes from farms which produces large amounts of manure

every year. Manure acts as a fertilizer and also as a soil conditioner. It is applied to

the surface of the soil before plowing or harrowing to mix it to the soil. It is necessary

to incorporate the manure to the soil to increase the rate of decomposition. A manure

rate of 8 tons per acre has an equivalent nutrient value in a 1000 lb of 20 units of

mixed commercial fertilizers which are chemically composed.


2. Commercial fertilizer
It is also called as granulated fertilizer. This kind of fertilizer are commonly used

by farmers in their farms. It comes with different chemical concentrations and are

applied with different intensity depending on the nutrient needed by the crops. It is

applied by:
applied before plowing or during plowing using a distributor that drops

fertilizer at every furrow


deep placement using chisel type cultivators
broadcasted manually or applied in the soil after plowing and before

planting
applied during planting operations
used as side dress or top dress for crops
drilled in the soil using different equipments
3. Gas and Liquid Fertilizers
This kind of fertilizers are available either high and low pressured or non-pressure

form. It can be injected below the surface of the soil or it can be sprayed on the

foliage of the plants.


Different Fertilizer Applicators and Principles

1. Manure spreaders
Manure spreaders are used for carrying and applying manure on the soil. Manure

spreader can be categorized into two types, a ground driven and a power take off

driven types. Ground driven manure spreaders are driven by chains and sprockets that

is connected to the wheels providing power for the spreader while PTO driven

spreaders as the name states is powered by PTO and the spreaders are attached to the

PTO shafts driving the mechanism.


PTO driven manure spreaders are again classified into three; the tractor-drawn

type, tractor-mounted and side-unloading or flail. Tractor drawn manure spreaders are

attached to the drawbar of the tractor with the PTO shaft attached to the PTO and

have wheels at the rear of the box to support some weight of the mechanism. Truck

mounted manure spreaders are used for handling and applying large amounts of

manure. It is either attached or fixed to large trucks and is powered the trucks engine

power. Last is the side unloading or flail where in the manure is disposed at the side

instead at the rear of the box. This type of spreader can be used either using wet

manure or hard manure.


The parts of a manure spreader are; the frame which is the main base or the

chassis of the spreader. It should be sturdy with reinforced braces installed; the box

which encloses the whole frame and also serve as the storage for manures; the

conveyor which moves the manure to be applied; the beater which is used to tear and

beat manure especially the big and hard ones and the widespread which is used to

control the amount of manure that is applied to the soil


2. Granular Fertilizer Distributor
This type of machine is used to apply granular fertilizers. It is used to distribute

evenly the fertilizers needed by the crops. Some type of granular fertilizer distributor
are manual and mechanical fertilizer broadcaster, tractor attachments and broadcast

fertilizer and lime distributor. Manual broadcasting of fertilizer are done on small

land areas where in farmers throw fertilizer at the side of the crops while mechanical

broadcasting uses mechanical means of application like centrifugal fertilizer

applicator, drop type broadcaster and even aircraft broadcaster which uses airplane to

spread fertilizer in large area of field.


Tractor attachments are used to simultaneously prepare the land and at the same

time apply the needed fertilizer for the soil. This process cuts down the labor cost and

also conserve time by having dual operation. The attachments available are row

planter attachment, Grain-drill fertilizer attachment, fertilizer attachment for

cultivators and fertilizer attachments for chisel plows.

3. Gas and Liquid Fertilizer Distributor


Fertilizers in gas or liquid form are often applied or injected on or inside the soil.

For row crops, liquid fertilizer distributor are located either behind the cultivator

shovels or with a separate openers. Its main parts are a supply tank used as storage of

fertilizer, a metering device which controls the amount of fertilizer applied in or on

the soil and a narrow farrow opener with a tube attached at the end used to release the

liquid or gas at the bottom of the farrow. Sometimes, there are also protector or

covered installed to protect the farrow opener. This mechanisms are available in a

trailing type or mounted type implements.

Factors that Affects Fertilizing Equipment Design

1 Type of fertilizer to be applied


Organic Fertilizers

- the most traditional kind of fertilizer.


- fertilizers that is not made from chemicals.

- are naturally synthesize such as manure of different animal.

- commonly applied to the surface of the soil.

- has low nutrient to volume ratio.

- the design of the equipment have high application rate of 6 to 12 tons per
acre.

Inorganic or Artificial Fertilizer


- most available fertilizer commercially
- they are made of synthetic chemicals.
- Either granulated which are in the solid form of pellet shape and the
other is the liquid or gas artificial fertilizer that is be applied through
pressure.
- Artificial fertilizer are applied through broadcasting, deep placement,
can be mix to the soil, can be simultaneous to planting, as side
dressing and can be drilled.
2 Soil Characteristics and Soil Amendments

The characteristics of soil is also one of the important factor to be considered


in designing fertilizer equipment because the nutrients to be supplied by the fertilizer
are directly absorbed by the soil that will be used by the plant. That is why the design
of the applicator must mix and apply the fertilizer to the soil well and properly. Some
fertilizers are also used as soil conditioners and are applied before planting, which
also requires application rates of 1000 lb/acre.

3 Distribution and Delivery Rates


Distribution and delivery rates of the equipment is also considered because it is
important that the applicator supplies an equal and uniform amount of fertilizer to the
soil. The placement of fertilizer can affect in the performance of the machine and
plant growth. It may improve the application efficiency and may also lead to
deficiency to germination for seed and for the physical structure of plants due to
reaction to chemicals if not properly placed.
Metering and agitation is responsible for the application of proper amount and
distribution of fertilizer to be to be applied in the crop either granulated or liquid and
gas fertilizers.

Summary

There are different kinds of fertilizer used by the farmers. They are manure fertilizers,

which are usually used as soil conditioner; granulated synthetic fertilizer which are solid in state

and is widely and commonly used fertilizers by farmers and the gas and liquid fertilizers. This

fertilizers uses specific machines that are used for its distribution. This machines are designed to

properly distribute and apply fertilizers in the field. These machines can be trailer type which are

drawn by the tractor or mounted where in it is attached on the three point hitch of the tractor.

There are also factors to be considered when designing this fertilizer applicators. This

may affect the performance and effectivity of the fertilizer when applied to the soil. Fertilizers

have great effect on the yield and growth of the crops and proper handling, mixing and

distribution of fertilizers are needed to come up with this result.

Bibliography

Kepner, R.A., Bainer, R. & Barger, E.L. (April 1978). Principles of Farm Machinery 3rd
Edition. AVI Publishing Company, Inc.: United States of America

Smith, H.P., & Wilkes, L.H. (1976). Farm Machinery and Equipment 6th Edition.
McGraw-Hill Company: United States of America

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