Double Shoot Openers

Placement of seed and fertilizer is very important. This is especially true when employing double shoot knives. Each knife has a distinct dispersal pattern for the seed and fertilizer. The total amount of applied fertilizer depends upon the following conditions:

• Degree of separation between seed and fertilizer
• Amount of soil moisture
• Soil type
• Amount of organic matter in the soil
• Type of crop being seeded

• Precautions and Risk Factors

  • High applications of fertilizer placed too close to the seed can cause germination damage
  • Understand Seedbed Utilization (SBU); low SBU increases the risk and vise versa.
  • Smaller seeds like canola and flax are less tolerant to near-placed fertilizer, than larger cereal crops.
  The following factors are some that increase the risk of fertilizer damage to the seed:
  • dry soil conditions at the time of seeding,
  • soils that are light or sandy or have lower organic matter content, saline patches
  • soil with high a pH level; large amounts of free lime (carbonates)

  If any of the above conditions exist, we recommend reducing your fertilizer application from what you would consider safe in more ideal conditions.

  • Heavier clay soils that have dried out, can break up hard and lumpy and result in erratic seed placement, poor separation, poor soil coverage over the seed and inadequate packing. If this occurs, you should stop seeding and make adjustments; considerations might include switching to a narrower opener, pre-work to improve the seedbed, harrow after seeding, or wait for conditions to improve.
  • Excessively wet conditions at the time of seeding can acuse erratic seed placement, poor soil coverage over the seed, and overpacking. Be aware of such situations and adjust where necessary.
  • Excessive travel speed can result in poor opener performance ranging from erratic seed placement, to insufficient or uneven soil coverage over the seed.

  It is our company's policy not to recommend or endorse specific "safe" rates of fertilizer for double shoot openers. Most of our double shoot knives are tested at independent research facilities to verify the placement of seed and fertilizer. "Safe" fertilizer rates can not be specified due to the wide variance in soil and operating conditions. We suggest that producers consult their local agronomist to establish acceptable fertilizer rates for their unique seeding conditions.

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