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With fertilizer costs skyrocketing, precision applications become more important.

The prices of fertilizer and crop protection inputs have surged over the past year. According to the University of Nebraska, nitrogen prices in March 2008 increased to about 50 cents per pound in the Midwest. Phosphate fertilizer prices, which have never varied more than a few dollars per ton annually, are on a bull-run, tripling in price due to worldwide demand.

That demand has also limited the supplies of nutrients due to increased needs for production of animal feed in rapidly developing countries like India and China. Global phosphate use has increased approximately 4 percent per year for the past three years. But, with crop prices in the United States rising at break-neck rates, producers are eager to capture as much of that profit margin as possible.

To help capture those rising profits, producers need to realize the importance fertilizers and nutrients play in maximizing crop yields. Adequate amounts of nitrogen and phosphorous are both essential for growth. The question is how to keep fertilizer bills in check while capturing optimum yield?

Precision fertilizer placement is a vital tool for maximizing dollars spent on fertilizer as well as capturing as much profit as possible through high yields. The primary purpose of precision application technology is to apply the right amount of fertilizer in the right area on the field.

Ag-Chem offers the best line of precision tools for accurate fertilizer and nutrient application. TerraGator®, the highest capacity and highest performing applicator on the market, and its systems are specially designed to accurately apply inputs as needed to each part of the field using precision technology.

The machine's boom design and product delivery mechanisms offer the most flexibility to apply nutrients uniformly, even across uneven ground and on side hills. In addition, the systems handle the product more carefully than other systems on the market, resulting in less particle damage to the fertilizer and more uniform application. TerraGator also offers the option of dry/liquid combination units to increase versatility.

A few of the specific TerraGator systems include:

• The AirMax 1000 or 2000 systems, single bin or double bin, feature a boom that is 15 percent wider than the competition, providing more productivity and applied acres per hour. The AirMax delivery system handles the fertilizer more carefully than competitive units, reducing particle damage and ultimately improving quality of application across the entire boom.
• The Air Spreader is a true high-volume applicator capable of simultaneously applying numerous products at independent variable rates. The system precisely monitors conveyor speeds to match them with the desired application rate. A vertical auger mixes the product while taking the material to the distributor head, which then evenly divides the fertilizer and drops it into 20 individual boom tubes. From there, the fans push the products to the end of the boom, resulting in consistent application from center to tip, even in windy conditions.
• The TerraGator Nutrient Management System (NMS) is specifically designed to apply organic nutrients precisely and efficiently. This system can be used with both liquid and dry matter, and utilizes patented technology to apply these products evenly and safely. The machine allows for injection of the nutrients into the soil and minimizes potential air and water pollution, which may help qualify for carbon credits and other environmental incentives. TerraGators are proven efficient, productive and profitable day-in and day-out. Match the system to your needs - whether it's a precision fertilizer application using the AirMax or Air Spreader system, or applying organic nutrients using the NMS.

For more information on the precise TerraGator application systems available from Ag-Chem, contact NMCtoday.