AMS and Gly

[useyourbow]

How hard does the water have to be before it effects Gly? The water at the house is only 2 grains of hardness, would I need to find some AMS? What are the ratios to follow if needed?

Thanks

 

[sagittarius]

It is not just the water hardness. Dirt dust on the leaves can bind to gly making it ineffective. AMS also lowers the ph of the mix making it easier to penetrate the waxy coating on some plants. AMS contains both Nitrogen and sulfur which also benefit the plot. I normally dissolve 2 cups of granular AMS into a 20 gallons water, then add gly. Depending on the AMS, sometimes I'll dissolve it into a bucket of water first, then filter it into the tank. Published mix is up to 17 lbs of AMS per 100 gallons water.

 

[Turkey Creek]

Your water pH is the bigger issue. As the higher the pH above 7 the quicker the glyphosate becomes inactivated.

 

[RGrizzzz]

I just did some reading on this, after an ineffective burn down. Make sure you add the AMS before you add the herbicide!

 

[Mennoniteman]

Granular AMS can clog your sprayer if you pour it in too fast. Pour it in slowly, and stir with a long broom handle or run the tank agitator while pouring. I usually use 48 oz. per 25 gallons of water.

I just did some reading on this, after an ineffective burn down. Make sure you add the AMS before you add the herbicide!

Besides AMS you should also use a surfactant like crop oil or "hot mes" to help glyphosate work better, 16 oz. per 25 gallons

 

[RGrizzzz]

Granular AMS can clog your sprayer if you pour it in too fast. Pour it in slowly, and stir with a long broom handle or run the tank agitator while pouring. I usually use 48 oz. per 25 gallons of water.

Besides AMS you should also use a surfactant like crop oil or "hot mes" to help glyphosate work better, 16 oz. per 25 gallons

Old thread, but I'm curious if anyone else is using adjuvants besides AMS, surfactants, and crop oils? I recently stopped at Helena chemical to look for some liquid AMS/Nitrosurf. They didn't have it, but the guy sold me something called Hel-fire. It seems like a more catch all type additive with some added benefits. Other companies like PowerAg have something similar. Has anyone used any of these products?

Directions

• Water conditioning: HEL-FIRE® should be used at 1-2 quarts per 100 gallons of spray solution when used in place of 8.5-17 pounds of ammonium sulfate.

The costs was a little more than something like AMS, but you use less, and I don't buy enough of it that $20 really makes much of a difference. If it does what it says, and makes herbicides rainfast quicker, it's a big draw to weekend warriors like me, who don't always get the perfect weather on weekends at camp.

 

[KSQ2]

The seed seller we got our alfalfa from said there are several different liquid variations of AMS, but he also said none of them are as good as the old fashioned dry AMS.

Edit to say, that’s a very simplified version of what he said to me, which was much more technical.

 

[RGrizzzz]

The seed seller we got our alfalfa from said there are several different liquid variations of AMS, but he also said none of them are as good as the old fashioned dry AMS.

Edit to say, that’s a very simplified version of what he said to me, which was much more technical.

Can you expand on the technical explanation? I know I need the AMS because we have hard water. With glyphosate and other herbicides being weak acids, you have to change the pH of the water to keep the herbicide from bonding with the water. If these other products and their additives didn't help somehow, I'm curious why they even exist. I realize more people probably don't NEED the "fancy" stuff, but it's what they had, and $20 over 2ish seasons isn't a worrisome cost.

 

[KSQ2]

Can you expand on the technical explanation? I know I need the AMS because we have hard water. With glyphosate and other herbicides being weak acids, you have to change the pH of the water to keep the herbicide from bonding with the water. If these other products and their additives didn't help somehow, I'm curious why they even exist. I realize more people probably don't NEED the "fancy" stuff, but it's what they had, and $20 over 2ish seasons isn't a worrisome cost.

He just said, if you have an agitator, nothing beats the old granular AMS for gly application -- he also went into some of the chemical advantages of the granular, but I'm not exactly sure what he was referring too. Perhaps, in bigger applications, keep the granular "mixed in" is an issue? Or perhaps just the logistics of the liquid is easier, rather than hauling bags of granular AMS.