Eastern New York Commercial Horticulture Enrollment

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Dry Fertilizer Unit Calibration

Chuck Bornt, Team Leader, Extension Vegetable Specialist
Eastern New York Commercial Horticulture

April 18, 2018

The first sweet corn was planted under plastic and some under rowcovers last week which is a sure sign of spring right?  If you didn't get it done over the winter, now is the time to finish getting equipment prepared for planting season - especially calibrating your dry fertilizer units.     Over time, the augers, fertilizer disk openers and other parts can get worn out, changing the amount of fertilizer actually coming out. 

Calibrating your fertilizer delivery rates through your planter is really not that difficult using a 1/50th of an acre calculation.  Follow these steps:

  • Look at Table 1 to determine how far to drive to equal 1/50th of an acre using your row spacing.  For example—if your between-row spacing is 30" then you need to travel 349 feet to equal 1/50th of an acre.  If your row spacing doesn't show up in the table, figure it out by dividing 43,560 by your spacing in feet and multiply by 0.02 and that is the distance you need to travel.  Use flags or stakes to mark the distance required. 
  • Disconnect the drop tubes from your fertilizer hoppers and attach a bag or bucket underneath to catch the fertilizer (be sure to weigh the bucket first in order to tare your scale or subtract it from the weight after you catch the fertilizer).  Make sure the hoppers are at least half full of fertilizer when you start.  Make sure augers are "primed" by dropping the planter and moving forward until you see fertilizer coming out of the hoppers. 
  • Remove the bucket or bag and weigh it separately and multiply by 50.  The value you get should be the approximate amount of fertilizer you're applying in pounds per acre.  Do not add the fertilizer amounts from the hopper together.  The value you get per row should be similar.  If they are not, you may need to exam your augers to see if they are worn differently etc.  If the rates are similar, but not what you thought you were putting out, you need to review your manual and adjust your sprocket settings.  I would also recommend you do this 2 or 3 times and average the values together per row.  Repeat this process every time you change a sprocket combination as well. 
  • For example, if the amount you weigh from one tube equals 6 pounds, then you are applying 300 pounds of fertilizer per acre.  You can also use the same formula and techniques to determine how much fertilizer you're using if you are sidedressing with a Cole or other type of unit. 

Also be sure to check your fertilizer disk openers and make sure they are not worn out.  Fertilizer injury is not caused only by high rates, but more often it's because the opener disks were worn or miss-aligned.   For example, if your fertilizer openers are supposed to be 15" and you measure them at 13 ½", you're placing the fertilizer 1 ½" closer to the seed - the rule of thumb for fertilizer placement is 2" below the seed and 2" to the side of the seed - Anything closer than this can result in fertilizer burn.  This is only one part of the planting operation!  Be sure to check all the other parts of your planter including the meters, seed tubes etc.  If you have questions, please feel free to call Chuck Bornt at 518‑859‑6213.




more crops
Apples

Apples

Apricots

Apricots

Asparagus

Asparagus

Beets

Beets

Blueberries

Blueberries

Broccoli

Broccoli

Brussels Sprouts

Brussels Sprouts

Cabbage

Cabbage

Carrots

Carrots

Cauliflower

Cauliflower

Cherries

Cherries

Cucumbers

Cucumbers

Dry Beans

Dry Beans

Eggplant

Eggplant

Ethnic Vegetables

Ethnic Vegetables

Garlic

Garlic

Grapes

Grapes

Horseradish

Horseradish

Kohlrabi

Kohlrabi

Leeks

Leeks

Lettuce / Leafy Greens

Lettuce / Leafy Greens

Melons

Melons

Nectarines

Nectarines

Onions

Onions

Parsnips

Parsnips

Peaches

Peaches

Pears

Pears

Peas

Peas

Peppers

Peppers

Plums

Plums

Potatoes

Potatoes

Pumpkins / Gourds

Pumpkins / Gourds

Radishes

Radishes

Raspberries / Blackberries

Raspberries / Blackberries

Rhubarb

Rhubarb

Rutabaga

Rutabaga

Snap Beans

Snap Beans

Squash - Summer

Squash - Summer

Squash- Winter

Squash- Winter

Strawberries

Strawberries

Sweet Corn

Sweet Corn

Sweet Potatoes

Sweet Potatoes

Tomatoes

Tomatoes

Turnips

Turnips

more crops

Upcoming Events

Blind Industry White Wine Tasting Workshop

April 1, 2025 : Blind Industry White Wine Tasting Workshop
Germantown, NY

This event is a blind wine tasting for ENY grape industry members to get feedback from fellow growers and Cornell Enologists on unfinished white wines (hybrid, vinifera, etc.)

We respectfully request that only professional winemakers or commercial vineyard owners attend, as space is limited. Limit two wines per winery/vineyard.

Pre-registration is required.  For questions, please contact Jeremy Schuster at jds544@cornell.edu

View Blind Industry White Wine Tasting Workshop Details

Announcements

2025 CCE ENYCHP Subscriptions and Guidelines

2025 Guidelines and CCE ENYCHP Subscriptions

We just wanted to let everyone know that the 2025 Cornell Guides for Integrated Pest Management (aka The Recommends), will not be available in either print or online versions until the end of March at the earliest, with many not releasing until April. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. This is also why we were delaying the Eastern NY Commercial Horticulture Subscription notice as we offer the ability for you to order those Management Guidelines through our program. Below is the link to the 2025 CCE ENYCHP Subscription form as well as a link to our 2024 Annual Report.

For questions or comments, please contact Chuck Bornt at 518-859-6213 or cdb13@cornell.edu 

Thank you and have a great 2025 season!

2025 CCE ENYCHP Subscription Form

2023-2024 CCE ENYCHP Annual Report



Resources from CCE ENYCHP!


This website (https://enych.cce.cornell.edu/) contains our calendar of upcoming programs and registration links. For updated programmatic information, technical resources and links to newsletters please see our program blog site: https://blogs.cornell.edu/enychp/.
We also maintain the following online resources that you can view directly from these links:

• CCE ENYCH YouTube (program videos): https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSk_E-ZKqSClcas49Cnvxkw

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• CCE ENYCH Instagram (program social media): https://www.instagram.com/cceenychp/?hl=en


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