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It seems you are looking at a spinning 3pt type of spreader with an electric motor? And looking to put a deflecter on it to put the fert in a narrow (how narrow?) band around the trees? Could I suggest some other possibilities, most of which will not work for one reason or another, but food for thought? :) Do you have hydraulics available, an orbit motor with adjustable speed valve would handle the shock loads of fert a lot better - as you drive the fert settles, and an electric motor might have a hard time breaking the spinner free - doesn't take much to spin one once it's going, but start-up might be a problem. How far 'to the side' do you need to go? Do you need it scattered, or could you knife it in a shallow grove? A planter fert tub with a set of disks & drop tube slightly angled would feed your fert to a channel in the ground. Will depend upon what your fert is. Some N is much better to be incorporated so it doesn't escape, rain or no rain. As well, P (I think, or is it the K?) does not move well into the ground, and will take a couple years to really be used as it mostly sits on the surface waiting for something to move it down in - better to get it into the soil directly. The negatives are cutting the soil (roots?) and a concentrated patch of fert might not suit your crop. On corn crops we can cut fert use by 1/3 by incorporating fert, rather than broadcasting - worth looking into for the $$$ savings? I'm assuming you are using granular fert, have you looked into liquid ferts???? Those are pretty easy to pump & dribble with an electric (or ground driven) pump. Either the P or K is a little harder to deal with in liquid (I forget which...) but it's not impossible to figure out, and once you are set up (a bit of $$$ for the tanks & pumps to start with) it is very user-friendly (no more shovel!) and all-plastic containers means no rust to use an all-liquid system. Interesting question, not sure how tree fert works or it's needs. Can you explain a bit more? --->Paul
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