0
Bazooka Farmstar, in conjunction with the Iowa Soybean Association’ On-Farm Network, led a series of corn plot trials in early May of 2018. The results of these trials will aim to illustrate the distinct advantage side-dressing emerging corn plants with liquid livestock manure has, versus commercial applied fertilizer.
The project highlighted Bazooka Farmstar’s Phantom toolbar that has been redesigned specifically for sidedress applications in standing corn. The units on the toolbar were spaced to accommodate the width of planted rows to ensure the units do not damage any emerged plants as manure is applied. With this, the units deliver manure 6” below grade, which is ideal for nutrient uptake of the corn plants roots.
Despite initial concerns regarding dragline applications, past research indicates that dragging the hose over plants that are in the V1-V4 growth stages has little to no effect on overall population/stand count. All plots associated with the project in Washington County had manure applied during the V-3 stage of growth.
This type of application increases yields, lowers inputs, as well as expands the manure handling season. Iowa is the largest swine producing state in the United States, Washington County ranking number four within Iowa, which leads us to believe the manure handling capacity is bound to be reached. The expansion of the manure handling window, even by a few days, will be beneficial to producers and applicators alike. It is the natural solution of the future.
June 14, 2018 – Bazooka Farmstar
