Liquid or Dry fertilizer for new 2 row no-till corn planter?

[Bowhunter]

I’m finally going to take the plunge and buy a new 2 row no-till corn planter but I’m undecided on what fertilizer attachment to go with. I know that a lot of farmers that put in a lot of corn use liquid fertilizer nowadays but I’ve heard arguments for both applications.

I’m looking for advice from anyone who has a corn planter with either setup who can give me any advice on which way I should go or what they have had success with?

 

[cutman]

I have the dry fertilizer attachment. It works pretty darn well. I recommend getting the hopper extender on it so you can load it with 800# instead of 400#.

It’s hard to control the depth - that’s my only complaint.

 

[farmer]

Are you able to handle an transfer liquid?
Dry worst case scenario you can buy 50 lb bags and get it down which can be easier. We run liquid on our big planter but I’m loading it off a semi trailer, buying 5000 gal at a time. If I was doing food plots I think I would go with dry it seems easier in small amounts.

 

[Bowhunter]

I have the dry fertilizer attachment. It works pretty darn well. I recommend getting the hopper extender on it so you can load it with 800# instead of 400#.

It’s hard to control the depth - that’s my only complaint.

How many acres or how long does the 400# last you on your planter?

 

[Bowhunter]

Are you able to handle an transfer liquid?
Dry worst case scenario you can buy 50 lb bags and get it down which can be easier. We run liquid on our big planter but I’m loading it off a semi trailer, buying 5000 gal at a time. If I was doing food plots I think I would go with dry it seems easier in small amounts.

The size of my fields are small in size so I wouldn't have to buy anything in that kind of quantity. I could handle a liquid transfer if need be.

My largest field that I would be planting would be less than 5 acres.

 

[cutman]

How many acres or how long does the 400# last you on your planter?

I usually put down 400# of 15-0-15 per acre at planting then top dress with 300# of 34-0-0 when the corn is knee high. Needless to say, it gets very old having to fill the hopper every acre (I usually plant 8-12 acres per year).

 

[farmer]

The size of my fields are small in size so I wouldn't have to buy anything in that kind of quantity. I could handle a liquid transfer if need be.

There are 3.26 units of N in 1 gal of 30%, so that should help u figure out how many gal you would have to handle annually. Another pro of dry it’s easy to throw a lil P or K in there or have a local coop custom mix what u need. Hope this helps

My largest field that I would be planting would be less than 5 acres.

 

[Mennoniteman]

I just ordered a refurbished 7000 4 row from an Amish guy that rebuilds them, to replace my 2 row that I was using, I usually plant around 6 acres. Dry fertilizer was a must for me, it's easier for me to purchase and handle. I don't mind dumping twenty - 50 lb bags to fill the two 8.5 cuft. boxes, this half ton will do my 6 acres, although I usually am applying the starter just a little heavier that I need to. Liquid fertilizer use can also lead to a sulfur deficiency if not specifically applied, dry fertilizer generally has sufficient sulfur to replace losses.
Below are the PennState fertilizer recommendations for corn planting:
For corn, if the fertility level is good, a small amount of fertilizer (about 100 pounds of starter per acre) will provide an adequate starter response. Do not apply more than 70 pounds of N + K2O per acre if the fertilizer is placed approximately 2 inches away from the seed.

 

[Bowhunter]

I just ordered a refurbished 7000 4 row from an Amish guy that rebuilds them, to replace my 2 row that I was using, I usually plant around 6 acres. Dry fertilizer was a must for me, it's easier for me to purchase and handle. I don't mind dumping twenty - 50 lb bags to fill the two 8.5 cuft. boxes, this half ton will do my 6 acres, although I usually am applying the starter just a little heavier that I need to. Liquid fertilizer use can also lead to a sulfur deficiency if not specifically applied, dry fertilizer generally has sufficient sulfur to replace losses.
Below are the PennState fertilizer recommendations for corn planting:
For corn, if the fertility level is good, a small amount of fertilizer (about 100 pounds of starter per acre) will provide an adequate starter response. Do not apply more than 70 pounds of N + K2O per acre if the fertilizer is placed approximately 2 inches away from the seed.

The dry fertilizer attachment was the way that I was leaning simply because of the ease of handling. The only reason I thought about going with the liquid is because the planter would have been much lower of a cost.

What are you typically using for a starter?

 

[Mennoniteman]

The dry fertilizer attachment was the way that I was leaning simply because of the ease of handling. The only reason I thought about going with the liquid is because the planter would have been much lower of a cost.

What are you typically using for a starter?

I often buy whatever my supplier has on sale. 18-46-0 or 20-20-0 is two common ones.