Spreading 101: The Variable Edition

When planning your fertility program, have you ever caught yourself daydreaming of a world where crop nutrients are available to plants exactly where and when needed?

Canadian farmers, GFL Ag hears you. Whether you grow wheat across rolling hills in Alberta or grow canola over far-spread prairies in Saskatchewan, there’s a lot of variables to consider when it comes to the application of crop nutrition.

The dreams of precision and accuracy in crop nutrition are no longer confined to our imagination. Welcome to a reality where opportunities abound through nutrient solutions with variable particle sizes.

Variety value

Yes, size does matter. In fact, it makes a difference both in how you spread the product and how your plants utilize nutrients.

Small, microscopic particles provide immediate plant-ready nutrition while larger particles take longer to convert for a sustained long-term release of nutrients to the soil. It’s the science behind how Bio-Sul Premium Plus offers a constant release of sulphur over periods of up to five years on any soil type.

Accurate application

You’ve (literally) sized up the right nutrient solution for the job, but what about the right tool for applying it? The marriage of precision tools and agricultural innovation has revolutionized our ability to achieve uniform coverage of variable particle sizes. This is where it’s handy to have a
spin spreader at the ready and your local agronomist on speed dial.

The hallmark of a spin spreader is its ability to evenly distribute a range of particle sizes. Spin spreaders also offer the ability for variable-rate application based on real-time data and mapping. During applications, drop pans are strategically placed under the spin spreader to collect samples and provide data-driven adjustments.

It’s well known a tool is only as effective as the skillfulness of the hands that wield it. Luckily, there’s a field of experts to support you through the spreading process. We reached out to the GFL Ag network for their expert insight on achieving accurate application with variable particle
size.

Darrel Carlisle from Carlisle Liquid Starters highlighted the importance of calibrating settings to reflect nutrient composition, specifying that adjustments to the RPM of the spinner or foil angle will change distribution. Check this spread pattern, including how far varying particles travel through the air and flow off the machine, with a pan test.