Can I fertilize established winter wheat with single disc openers and Exactrix liquid direct injection NH3?
Yes, This is a very acceptable practice. The single disc openers on 15 or 12 centers do not damage the non-tillered winter wheat root system since the openers operate at a 2 to 3 depth at 10 mph ground speeds. This is really a form of placed side dressing of nitrogen using timing. Less than 1% of the crop shows damage from the openers or the Exactrix high-pressure liquid NH3. The application can be askew or with the rows. The Exactrix NH3 is injected as a liquid into the soil about 2 inches deeper than the opener depth at pressures of 100 psi above the tank pressure. There are normally outstanding yield results since the application is so uniform and the N is timed to when the wheat needs the nitrogen. The nitrogen is placed in the root zone and away from surface residues that can tie up surface applied nitrogen. Roots tend to colonize where nitrogen is placed. Soil moisture is definitely more consistent at depths of 4 inches as compared to surface applied nitrogen. Approximately 40% l
