How dummy proof is anhydrous applying?

Dave from MN · Jun 8, 2009

Due to the unpredictability of rain and the fact that Anhydrous seems to be more economical, I was considering applying anhydrous rather than spreading urea. Can any one give me some advice if a green horn should try it even? I am on sandy soil, feilds are all smaller, would it just be a pain in the rear? We planted with a 12 row, have a 100 horse tractor, should I go with a 6 row or 4 row applicator? My corn was planted on the 24th of april and it ranges from 12+" to about 6", and from experience I should get some additional fertilizer other than the liquid starter, or should I wait. Chicken manure ground I havent decided if I will add or not. It's fun to see the difference in the corn since I have cow manure ground, chicken manure ground, disked in green rye ground, no tilled ground, min tilled ground, and 3rd year corn ground. With everything planted the same day, it sure interesting to see how seedling vigor is, even in this drought.

Eric W · Jun 8, 2009

You should pull the 6 row fine with 100 hp.

Anonymous-0 · Jun 8, 2009

I'm not saying you can't learn--all of us that use it had to start sometime--but you have to know what you are doing. If you don't have a rate controller, the savings you anticipate can easily get "used up" by over-applying and using more than necessary. Or if you under-apply, your crop will suffer. It is a pressurized gas, and at 4:00 in the afternoon you will get maybe 30-50% more on with the same setting on the meter than early in the morning.(The hot sun causes pressure to build in the tank compared to a tank that has cooled down overnight). More psi in the tank= higher flow rate out=more applied per acre.

You also can get SERIOUSLY injured--severe burns or lost eyesight. And you can severely burn the corn if it isn't sealing properly.

I'd "learn" preplant, not sidedress, and I wouldn't even try it without a rate controller.

Ken 46 · Jun 8, 2009

NH3 is NOT dummy proof - There is a reason that you have to wear goggles and rubber gloves. Make sure that the water box on the tank is FULL.
Many years ago my Uncle stepped up on the side of the NH3 tank to check the gauge.
The pop-off valve blew off in his face!!!!! No water on the tank.
My 18 yr old brother hauled him to town 18 miles away and by the time they got to the hospital my Uncle was blind.
NH3 sucks the water out of things!!!!

It is not all bad- and we have used NH3 a lot since - But my Uncle never saw his children or his grandchildren - what a deal!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ken 46

super99 · Jun 8, 2009

Here is my applicator. I bought it for $250 last year. NH3 is about the cheapest form of N you will find. It can be dangerous, so you have to be careful and use the safety goggles and gloves. NH3 is super cold and exposure to skin and lungs can freeze burn them. Not a lot of these old style applicators left around the country, don't know if your supplier has any or not. If the nurse tank will fit between your rows, you can use a 3pt applicator and pull nurse tank thru the field. Depends on soil and how flat the ground lays, but I would think you could pull 7 knives. My applicator is 5 knives, but I'm on 36" rows. I have 2 more knives for it but the frame isn't long enough to space the extra 2 knives. Kinda hard on the end rows, but you don't need to apply it as heavy as preplant. Just be sure to stand up wind when changing tanks or filling applicator, It'll take your breath away!! Just be careful and make sure you understand what you are doing and you will be OK. MAKE SURE THE RINSE WATER TANK HAS WATER IN IT!!!!!!!! If you are burned, flush with water Immediately!!! I have had nurse tanks show up with empty water containers. Chris

Leroy · Jun 8, 2009

Years ago we tried to apply it and after about 5 acres we told the company to come get the equipment and take it back, went to 28% liquid ever since. And anhydrous is very dangerous stuff, I worked at a fertilizer plant for a while filling the tank wagons and delievering them and filling them has to be one of the most dangerous jobs connected to agriculture. I see it being used or trying to be used around here all the time and if you see someone trying to use it you always see a big cloud from every applicator shank that is being lost in the air and you can smell it a mile away. Years ago some dealers dropped it because it was too dangerous they did not want to handle it. But some people even the ones that put half of it in the air think there is nothing like it. To me it is too dangerous to be allowed. I had to get a CDL with tanker and hazmat to deliever the stuff, turned in my CDL 4 years ago when I would have had to go 80 mile to get fingerprinted and at 62 I did not think it paid me to keep the CDL any longer.

Dave from MN · Jun 8, 2009

Blindness is one thing I couldnt handle. Maybe I should just stay away from it. I only have 50 acres of corn this year, thought maybe it would come set up and one tank would finish the job.

super99 · Jun 8, 2009

Another thought. If you are unsure about using NH3, you can sidedress liquid N. Costs more, but still cheaper than urea. MUCH SAFER TO USE!!! Chris

Leroy · Jun 8, 2009

Those applicators like pictured they will not transport if full as the nature of them they will not pull safe loaded

Allan in NE · Jun 8, 2009

Would really, REALLY suggest that you have someone show you how to run the applicator, because that stuff is nothing to play around with; it's dangerous.

However, always trip the valve with the knives IN THE GROUND, BOTH ENDS OF THE FIELD. Otherwise, you will burn corn.

Make sure the ground is fairly dry because if you can see it behind you, you're not sealing.

On heavy ground, it works best to cultivate first.

Allan

caterpillar guy · Jun 8, 2009

If you are using a 100hp it will pull 7 knifves fine on worked ground. I never tried to knife it in on hard ground. As for the loss it is from not keeping the knife replaced in time and not being deep enough. I have used it for years like 20or so without incident. We have pulled applicators and own a toolbar for 3pt and pull the nurse tank. We also use the cheaper option if 28 or urea is cheaper then that is the route we go. What I always did when entering an area where NH3 was used is enter by sniffing light sniffs ,as this way I didn"t get a big breath of it and not be able to breath. My 2cents

Anonymous-0 · Jun 8, 2009

Like most things, if you are careful and you have someone to show you the basics, and you read the equipment manual, you will be fine. As the other guys said, make very sure you have a water rinse system in good shape and full at all times.

I pulled one for a couple days for the local grain elevator when one of their guys was on vacation. If you have an older applicator, be sure to put the blade in the ground BEFORE you turn on the nitrogen.

Larry806 · Jun 8, 2009

It can be as dangerous as owning a car , pickup or a gun .
Not trying to be smart buy most everything can be dangerous .
I started running anhydrous when I was 11 .
I had the skin burnt off my right arm , they used artificial shin instead of grafting . I went to check the tank and when I touched the nurse hose with my left hand it came apart & sprayed my right arm .
I washed it off from the water tank on the wagon & than went to the house & washed some more . At the hospital they said a minimum of 45 minutes of continuous running water over it after a burn or the anhydrous keeps going deeper and burning .
I still use it and hope to start side dressing by the end of the week .

Anonymous-0 · Jun 8, 2009

I agree with Super99. We sidedress with liquid nitrogen, a lot more safe and if you only have 50 acres there can't be that much of a cost savings. (We farm small too - 40 acres that I own and rent to my cousin, I help him about 400 acres total. We both have regular jobs) If you ever ran a cultivator you can run a liquid applicator, nothing to it. My cousin doesn't even own one, the chemical dealer has them to rent for little of nothing.

GeneMO · Jun 8, 2009

Maybe you could hire someone to apply it if you are not comfortable with it.

But by all means, what the others have said, use gloves, goggles and make sure the water tank is full.

Also have the COOP or whoever you buy it from, go over with you how to fill the applicator.

If you know what to do, and are carefull and never let your guard down, you will be OK.

Gene

Goose · Jun 8, 2009

I knew my father-in-law for 17 years from the time I began dating my wife until he passed away.

He was a very devout Methodist, and in the whole 17 years I only heard him swear twice. Both times he burnt his fingers with anhydrous.

I had at least one close call, myself. Anyone who says they aren't scared of the stuff is either a liar or a darned fool.

Anonymous-0 · Jun 8, 2009

You must respect anyhydrous but not be afraid of it. Several years ago I disconnected a hose and a large puff hit me in the face and knocked me down. Luckily I was wearing safety glasses but not goggles. It caught me in the mouth and my throat swelled up and was afraid I was going to sufficate. I did loose my voice for about a week. Since then I have been very careful around it and have not had any more incidents.

MSJ from MN · Jun 8, 2009

There was a guy around my place that was blind from it. I can't remember exactly what happened but I recall that a hose came off and it whipped by his face and blinded him.

olgentdc · Jun 8, 2009

ignorance can kill ya ... get yourself educated on annhydrous

olgentdc · Jun 8, 2009

its about like flying a airplane ,, people do it everyday successfully ,,,after training

bc · Jun 8, 2009

Sounds worse than owning horses. Every time I go to a horse sale or show, all the old horsemen around seem to have some type of hitch in their getalong from broken legs, etc. They all have a story about something getting busted up.

I've been around a lot of propane and not much nh3. If I ever did want to use it, I'd probably want to ride with someone a day or two to learn the ropes. Maybe hire the coop to put it down and ride along.

But then there are plenty of kids around stealing nh3 for their meth labs who manage "most" of the time not to get hurt when stealing it in the dark. Good luck

IaGary · Jun 8, 2009

Sidedressing with liquid 28%N seems to work best on the sand for me. NH3 will leach out or disappear quicker in sand.

Gary

John B. · Jun 8, 2009

Applying anhydrous can be very dangerous and or deadly if you're not educated on what it can do to a person.

NH3 means no water. So it seeks out water and will burn the human body soaking up all it's liquid until water is put on it to neutralize the NH3. This is why there is always a source of water on every portable NH3 tank delivered to the field. There is also a water tank at every filling station where the NH3 wagons are filled. It must accomadate a full grown person and be within 50 ft of the filling hose. 50ft is a long way when you can't breath or have our eyes burnt and can't see where you need to go.

Get educated on it and be d@mn careful. I've been to too many classes and seen too many films on victims whom been injured with it and I still don't want to mess with it.

Howard H. · Jun 8, 2009

I was side-dressing crops in early high-school with anhydrous and a rope trip cutoff...

Dad told me to just point it into the wind, if the rope broke with it turned on - and then dig it into the ground and try to shut it off at the tank if I could...

I've put a LOT of it down over the years and never had a real mishap, but you sure have to be careful - inspect your hoses, fittings, hitch pins for trail-behind nurse tanks, etc, often...

I set up my big 54 foot Versatile stubble mulch plow to pull 2 tanks at a time - I could sure cover the territory with that rig!!!!

It worked great for cleaning up fallow wheat ground in the fall - and fertilizing at the same time...

I put down 10 tanks in one day with it one time...

Howard

John A. · Jun 8, 2009

Dave, I always put NH3 down with a cabbed tractor. In some ways is is very simple with the danger that NH3 can severly burn or KILL you if you are not educated to the doos and don'ts. Get educated, use a cabbed tractor if at all possible. When adjusting or changing out nurse trailers point the tractor into the wind! Leave yourself an out! Pathways vary from rig to rig depending on weather it is easier to work off the right or left side when hooking up or unhooking tanks. or where the problem is on the appilicator
A path that you can go, that is uncluttered by applicator so the wind will blow escaping NH3 away from you and tractor, if all H3ll breaks loose.
Still get educated about NH3, your appilicator all metering equipment on board. This is most important.
A cab will not protect you from a major blow out just get you through the little whiffs that come your way as you are going down wind.
Later,
John A.

Wilson · Jun 8, 2009

KEEP WATER HANDY VERY IMPORTANT

Mark-Mi · Jun 8, 2009

Always treat all hoses as if they are pressurized.We pull tanks with a toolbar.What I do when a tank is near empty and ready to be switched.Leave knives in ground,go back and close tank valve.Open toolbar valve and drive ahead while pressure bleeds off.That way no hoses are pressurized in case something would happen with a hose,bleeder or coupler.
Hook up,make connections then close toolbar valve from tractor.Then go back and slowly open tank valve.
Sure is nice to transport and apply 1/3 of the amount of 28% liquid and get the same pounds of N. And at a good cost savings. Mark

How dummy proof is anhydrous applying?

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