Urea in the seedbed for spring barley

JCfarmer

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
warks
Having finally arrived the new drill is capable of putting fert with the seed.
It does use the same tubes so what would be a safe rate of urea application along with the seed.
Experiences please as this new to me.
 

David.

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
J11 M40
Concern I would have would be blockages due to dust in damp atmospheric conditions. Some damp days fert spreader is very quickly covered with white slimy film when spreading.
But yours won't be the first they have sold..
 

Flatlander

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Lorette Manitoba
rate of N will depend on seed bed utilization If you covering 50% of the field with urea via the opener and assuming good moisture I’d go no higher than 50 units an acre. Someone will be able to modernize that number. I’ve drilled spring barley at that rate and had few issues. Barley is sensitive to n in the seedrow More so than wheat and oats. Canola is a no no. I’ve had better establishment since dropping n from seedrow. In the seedbed and incorporated Is preferred in my soil. As mentioned plugging can be an issue,but ive found that cold urea on a hot humid day was the trigger. What type of metering does your drill have. Is it possible to broadcast and have drill incorporate the urea.
 

Gong Farmer

Member
BASIS
Location
S E Glos
As said if laying fertiliser next to seed I'd be careful, maybe 25% of the intended total for the crop as an emergence boost, and the rest when it has reached 2-3 leaf stage.

If the urea is laid in a different row can put say 50% on.
 

jh.

Member
Location
fife
Dad used to put 4 hundy weights an acre of 20.10.10 down the spout back in the day . That would be 100kgN/h by my maths so don't see why urea would be any different as it's slower releasing anyway
 

Flatlander

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Lorette Manitoba
Dad used to put 4 hundy weights an acre of 20.10.10 down the spout back in the day . That would be 100kgN/h by my maths so don't see why urea would be any different as it's slower releasing anyway
Would depend a lot on the spread soil type and moisture situation after planting. Be it a inch wide rows or a 6 inch band. I’ve gone from a band to a 3/4 inch disc cut slot and I’d never consider any more that 10 units an acre. And that’s only because it’s with the phosphate. polymer Coated urea would be another story but I doubt many will find it now.
 

JCfarmer

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
warks
Drill spacing 12.5cm so there wouldn't be too much fert in one row. Can be altered easy enough though.
 
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DRC

Member
Started drilling spring barley today . Had a good dollop of pig muck ploughed in, so will give it a small amount of N when I can see the tramlines
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merino

Member
Location
The North East
Be very careful.
Urea is hard on seeds.
If memory serves it forms a toxic alkaline area around the fertiliser, something to do with all the ammonia.
Maximum rate of 25kg/ha in wheat.
 

Spencer

Member
Location
North West
Be very careful.
Urea is hard on seeds.
If memory serves it forms a toxic alkaline area around the fertiliser, something to do with all the ammonia.
Maximum rate of 25kg/ha in wheat.
25kg/ha of N or product?
You are correct regards urea being hard on seeds but if you have seperation than I’m sure rates can be considerably higher with no ill effects.
 

ajd132

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Suffolk
I was planning on putting 50kgs of 40 0 0 14 of a uas compound down the spout (yara amidas) could this cause issues? We have converted the drill to granular last year.
 

Spencer

Member
Location
North West
Canadian/American boys will have the best data on Urea with seed, various threads on NewAgtalk and combine forum, but struggle to firm up on actual rates.

Separation to the seed is key. Urea when exposed to soil moisture creates ammonia gas which is toxic to seedlings and roots, after a few days this turns into ammonium which is then available.
 

Flatlander

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Lorette Manitoba
I’ll be putting 200kg/ha of 33N, 30S as a urea/AS blend down the spout but 3-4” below the seed.
Perfect placement in my opinion. Roots go down and the seed is safe. Would be intresting to dig down at the theee to four leaf stage and see if there is any hot zone that the roots have not grown into. Have seen canola on 10 inch rows that had a full dose of NPS mid row banded so 5 inches away. Even after a month not even weeds grew over the fert row. Phosphate was of little use in a no go zone for roots.
 

MrNoo

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Cirencester
I spin it on then drill through it but we always used to add fert with the seed with the old Massey box drill many years ago, worked fine and never worked out why drill manufactures went away from it, guess another metering system and hopper. They drill a lot up north with seed/fert
 

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