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 Improving Yields at Beemer, Nebraska along the
 Lower Elkhorn River Drainage.

Why is Fall Banding with Exactrix® Mustang so good?

Clint Morgan of Exactrix® setting up a No-till Mustang Tool bar with TAKTS Zn Mn,
and new Ag Leader control system for Rick Engelmeyer at Beemer, NE in 2018.

Exactrix® Plots a Solution.
Thio-sul® gets a little more, about 11 bushels.
No-Till, Fall Banded. Kevin Medow, Land Values ready for upward trend.

It takes Less to Raise More.

Wherever you go in North America Exactrix works the same.

Exactrix® in time proven testing, applies 166% more crop available N, 200% more crop available P, and 500% more crop available K.

How can this be true?

Correct chemistry, hydro mechanical 1% CV uniformity, and placed at 7 to 8 inch vermiculated depths for present and future root systems.

“ No other nitrogen source when combined with KTS can get more soil moisture out of the soil and into the grain in irrigated conditions of Nebraska. This formulation of TAKTS greatly reduces irrigation costs per bushel produced.”

 “The only other nitrogen source in formulation of TAKTS that comes close is Aqua Ammonia.” GJS

Kevin Medow of Seward/Tamora, NE on the Upper Big Blue NRD leads the way to the mystery of Exactrix® Fall Banding and seeking 300 bushels per acre.

At Beemer, NE on the Lower Elkhorn NRD, the 300 bushel per acre mystery and discovery is inside the business opportunity.

The business opportunity is KTS, Trafix Zn and Mn and reduced band spacing to 15 to 20 inch band centers at 7 to 8 inch depth.  

Why Exactrix® Mustang Fall Banding is an excellent management tool at Beemer, NE?

A report for 2017/2018.

A note to Rick Engelmeyer at Beemer, NE following some top yields as high as 292 bushel per acre average for his brother.
 
Thank You for your excellent 2017 report Rick, Here is where we need to go next for 2018/2019 reaching to 300 bushels per acre and beyond.

You can improve your Exactrix® NH3 only application by adding a second product. Place your bet on Thio-sul® with micros.

Addition of Thio-sul® at 7 gallons per acre is about 20 lbs. of Sulfur. This could be a real nutrient need in a manure rotation using soybeans and applying 140 lbs. of N to raise 275 bushel corn, you may finally be able to break the 300 bushel per acre average mark with TATS or Tri-ammonium Thio-Sulfate or Thiosul® and micros.

These plots were very good (Low LSD at 2.5 acres each, 32 total) at Seward/Tamora, Nebraska circa Kevin Medow, and deserve your attention, 11.0 bushels per acre. With DCD added, 14.4 bushels per acre. The DCD is not worth it as there a was dollar swap at $15 cost. You could try a $5.00 rate of DCD and see where that goes.

You can also try KTS®, Potassium Thio-Sulfate, but I think low cost Thio-Sul® is best, 7 gallons is about $15. That should get you $38.50 per acre more gross at $3.50 per bushel corn and an additional net $23.50. It is a very low risk adventure. You should pay for the equipment with the first crop.

You can also add a metals package, Manganese for sure and a low cost, Ammoniated Zinc and get the punch of micros that the manure may not have due to lack of uniformity of application with manure and tillage.

Combining Exactrix NH3 in Liquid streaming flows of liquid state plant nutrients at high pressures assures high yields.

TAPPS is Tri-ammonium Poly Phosphate Sulfate, TATS is Tri-ammonium Thio-Sulfate.

Streaming flows are well published and discovered by the Tennessee Valley Authority in the 60’s.

Exactrix® maintains the 1% CV, high uniformity of application using Mass Flow meters.

GJS, Jan. 16, 2021 

Meeting the Needs or Rick Engelmeyer at Beemer, NE in Lower Elkhorn River, NRD of Eastern Nebraska.  

Following this recommendation from Guy Swanson and Dr. Jim Schepers, Rick Engelmeyer did make a change and installed the Exactrix 2KP formulator along with a new Ag Leader Controller from Chris Winklebauer, Central Ag.  

Rick’s Case 940, five section, 6 x 6  tool bar has twenty of the high speed P-51C Mustangs are spaced on 30 inch centers since he does not use phosphate. Soil test P is very high from the general manure history of Cummins County, NE. Irrigated production. 

The Case 940 tool bar can go 61.25 feet in 7 section on 15 inch centers. Rick’s machine does not have the 7 section, folding wings. The narrow transport machine is 5 section and can go to 51.25 feet on 15 inch band centers.

Typically application speeds are between 7 and 8 mph. With proper power selection on smooth ground a 12 mph speed is possible. His twin tank trailers have bottom outlet valves and the applicator is 600 inches or 50 feet in overall width.  

The P-51C  Mustang openers band very deep to a depth of 7 to 8 inches using 25 inch x 3/8 standard double edge openers. You can check this out at the enclosed video.  

The Injector foot runs at a 2 to 3 inch depth and injects into a vacuum going to an 8 inch depth. The opener self-seals at this banding depth.  

The injector foot has a replaceable wear bit, high carbon, RC 65, side sheets and threaded TIO’s. The threaded TIO’s have a different construction in a 2 piece design that develops a penetrating liquid stream to 350 psi. The band is applied at 1%CV in a vermiculated flow.  

The vermiculation improves the crop availability for the current crop and up to five crops to come following No-tillage Rotational Band Loading. 

Remember in high level test plots and over time in the field….the low application rate always wins with Exactrix.  

Learn Why More is not More. Less is More,  If you would like to learn the practical side, you can review a 7 year study of Rotational Band Loading. http://www.exactrix.com/Broadcast_06_08_2020.html  

Rick has added as a second fertilizer product. This is a new product (10 years) released from TKI,  KTS to many producers.  This is a famous Award Winning Product developed by Dr. Tom Fairweather of TKI. You can finally get economic results with potassium for many years of No-tillage.  

How well does KTS work in 300 bu/A cropping?
You can learn more about Potassium Thio-Sulfate or KTS. http://www.exactrix.com/Broadcast_01_09_2019.html

Testing and tissue sampling proved that Rick had one more hurdle to jump to cross into the 300 bushels per acre range.  

A July discovery, The need for K at the reproductive stage and S and Zn and Mn.  WinField® helped with unique testing charts pointing to the K,S, Zn needs with the tissue testing. Dr. Jim Schepers oversaw the crop and reviewed the tissue samples.  

Using tissue testing timely circa WinField® proves successful and reduces cropping risk. https://www.winfieldunited.com/Winfield/media/images/images/2018-Tissue-Sample-Handbook.pdf  

Rick now applies KTS at seven gallons and KTS® and ATS at seven gallons on certain fields. KTS is now less than $4.00 per gallon….a 40 per cent price reduction over previous years.  

At seven gallons per acre KTS® his delivery is smooth at 140 to 180 psi injection pressures.  

The product that forms in a 1% CV band is Tri-Ammonium Potassium Thiosulfate plus micros Zn and Mn. TAKTS plus TraFix® Zn and when needed Mn.  

Ricks fall banding program starts November 1 with a corn on corn rotation is 140 lbs. N as NH3, 21 lbs. K and 14 lbs. S. and 1 gallon TraFix Zn. An additional micro package of Mn from Helena when Roundup is used.  Since TraFix Zn with Asset Technology is new to you please review at https://helenaagri.com/products/micronutrients-specialized-nutrition/trafix-zn/  

On soybean ground Rick reduces the N rate to 120 lbs. N.

We are certain that no nutrients are lost below the root zone based on top yields and the high 4.5% OM at 25 CEC with good soil test P at 80 ppm typical.  

This fall Rick’s family purchased a quarter of land that joined his farm for $12,500 per acre. This is one the best farming areas in the USA.  

Exactrix® applications have been very successful in reaching 290 bushels per acre average in certain years on a pH of 6.5 to 6.8 and an OM of 4 to 4.5 per cent.  

The outlook or the next chapter is KTS® with micros Zn and Mn in the band….and this powerful nutrient choice will cover the bet for the following crop of soybeans.  Tissue Testing with WinField® will need to continue.  

The only other addition to the machine performance would be 15 inch or 20 inch band spacing which the machine and tractor can do.  

Rick does apply manure and does do a light tillage program following manure application.    A video is included.

As Rick Engelmeyer says, “This is a faith based business”. 

Rick also spring bands TAKTS Zn, Mn.  Here is a short video clip of 3 minutes. https://vimeo.com/bandbvideo/review/217536668/20cc923ba3 

If you need more information go to www.exactrix.com/EWAC.htm. Several articles are available, The things you never knew about that allow producers to lead the pack. 

If you would like to review the crop in 2018 when the decision was made to add the second product system go here. http://exactrix.com/Broadcast_12_28_2018.html

    
Healthy!
     

Wealthy? 

-Wise-

Banding deep….Fall Banding of TAPPS and TAPPKTS (NH3,APP,ATS,KTS, Hydra Hume) is critical to make top yields. 

 Only in North America...The uniform Exactrix® Anhydrous Ammonia when combined with the
 environmental event of  Snow Fall on the landscape can you find producers that have these
 exceptional high yields.

 Snow and ammonia does require No-till to evenly distribute the snow fall across the land and of
 course the Exactrix® system to make uniformly applied TAPPS or TAPPKTS. Yields will jump.

Not many people know that the slowly melting snow fall and snow pack in close to freezing conditions is critical to raise good crops. 

Argentina and Brazil are using No-till to raise good crops….but South America has no Snowfall and this means lower yields….and no Anhydrous Ammonia to drive the yields higher.   

P-51 C Mustang Openers help by lowering the uniform crystal bands deeper into the soil to develop better roots in drought.
The Exactrix® Mustang bands are vermiculated to a depth from 2 inches to 8 inches in depth.
This develops soil life in Rotational Band Loading.

Here is the good News in the Early Years of Anhydrous Ammonia of the West Coast and also Mississippi.

• Circa. 1948/1949 in Southern California, San Francisco and Pittsburgh, California. 
• Anhydrous Ammonia moves ahead with the help of Shell Chemical.
• One thing the Shell Engineers got right. They used orifices to control the NH3 flow and changed the orifices for different rates.
• In 1932 irrigated orange groves (Orange County, CA) were lateral treated with Ammonia bubbled into the water flow. This was called Nitrogation™.
• In 1939 fumigation shanks were used to place ammonia in the soils of California. This was called Nitrojection™.
• Yield increases were reported. Yields improved 15% to 20% and California wheat could increase about 700 lbs. per acre.
• NH3 was better for the soil since it is evenly applied into the soil with orifices as compared to dry spreading of AN and AS.
• Better than Ammonium Sulfate in yield and cost. Also timely available to the crop.
• Better than Ammonium Nitrate in yield and cost. Also timely available to the crop.
• Ammonia should be only applied in soils with good tilth. Dry soils do not work well.
• Ammonia was priced at 12 cents plus 2 cents for freight. In today’s prices and adjusted for inflation the cost is $1.51 per lb. N.
• The Ammonia freight bill from Pittsburgh, California to Pendleton, Oregon was 21 cents per lb. of N adjusted for inflation.
• Ammonium Nitrate was priced at 33 cents  Ammonium Nitrate seems like a good buy. Adjusted for inflation the cost is $3.56 per lb. N.
• Adjusted for Inflation wheat was $24.75 per bushel when the market peaked at $2.29 cents per bushel in 1947.
• Indiana, Illinois yields for soft red wheat was 23 to 35 bushels per acre most likely following Alfalfa and the soils were manured.
• The Nitrogen rates were typically around 50 lbs. N per acre in Pendleton Oregon wheat land soils.
• Ammonia rates in California were up to 200 lbs. N per acre or $300 per acre adjusted.
• Ammonia can be made from Natural Gas rather than electricity. More details in the article.
• Ammonia is 40% the cost of other fertilizers types in 1948. Ammonia prices were was related to the cost to build and transport the material.
• Shell was probably building the ammonia for 4 to 6 cents per lb. Later in 1962 Ammonia was built and sold for 2 cents using Kellogg Single Train Compressors.
• At Pendleton, Oregon NH3 can be custom applied for $7.00 to $7.50 per acre at 75 cents for the tractor and applicator and the balance of 50 lbs. N.
• In Mississippi engineers progressed with the use of Aqua Ammonia. A lot of volume was required.

Here is the incorrect News that eventually surfaced after Shell’s introduction by Mr. F.H. Leavitt of San Francisco.  

Shell Engineers got the 16 inch band spacing wrong.
The band spacing was discovered to best at 9, 10 inch or 12 inch in tillage systems.

Extension makes a mistake.
Arthur S King of Oregon State stated that ammonia would break down residue in trashy fallow.

• Extension did not realize the tall wheats would produce way too much residue with a good deep banded nitrogen source.
• This plant stimulation factor alone of too much top growth was creating a harvest mess and difficulties in residue management.
• The tillage problems became massive and only solved with burning and the plow.

Extension of Oregon State makes a very big mistake.

• Arthur S King felt that Ammonia would help considerably for reducing soil erosion losses in much of the Columbia Basin.
• Arthur S King forgets about Alfalfa and all the tillage required and King marches like a lemming to the sea.

Ammonia goes to -70 F when placed in the soil as a gas.

• Ammonia is placed in two phases with all ammonia systems that meter NH3.
• Most Ammonia N is released as a liquid at -28*F,  15% is gas state N.

Exactrix® only is applied as a liquid NH3 using a terminal injection orifice in a streaming flow and high 1% CV of application.

• A Terminal Injection Orifice. Liquid streaming flow is like Aqua Ammonia where rates are reduced.
• No freezing lines result in high quality delivery in wet soil conditions.
• 100% liquid flow is applied at ambient temperature with no freezing openers or mud balling.

For certain the shanks of the applicator is greatly responsible for the Soil Erosion of the Columbia basin…it was not the ammonia that created the problem.

• The heavy tillage required for shanks to pass through the soil residue required  burning to the crown and many more tillage trips. 
• The Shell Engineer’s applicator engineering was the problem. Plow down of Ammonia in the fall became a solution to residue problems.
• For certain tillage was required to pull the machine through the trash.

Erosion in the Columbia Basin increased dramatically in 12 years. Why? Arthur S King had no idea that Alfalfa would be plowed out on 30% to 45% of the land.

• It was the loss of Alfalfa and cattle on the land.
• Then came the bigger tractors at 200 to 300 hp using diesel power.
• Going into heavy soils and volcanic ash soils applying Anhydrous Ammonia.
• Applying with deep banding requiring heavy shank applicators and soil inversion or plowing tillage every year and every second year.
• It was the lack of good engineering by Shell, and University Ag Engineers that destroyed the soils of the Columbia Basin in a greedy race to drive land values.

Something had to change….and by 1974 it did change forever.  

An article from the Washington Farmer - August 1949

                                                                                           HISTORY OF AMMONIA

  
Click on images to enlarge

Your Great Plains Reporter.  
    
      Guy J Swanson
Exactrix® Global Systems
4501 East Trent Avenue
Spokane, Washington.99212
509.254 6854 office.
509-995-1879 cell.
exactrix@exactrix.com