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Planter fertilizer pump and section control.
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tedbear
Posted 12/3/2022 15:11 (#9963353 - in reply to #9963178)
Subject: RE: Planter fertilizer pump and section control.


Near Intersection of I-35 & I-90 Southern Mn.
We have a 24-30 1770NT with a ground driven pump for starter fertilizer. It does not have any type of section control for starter. We do use an Ag Leader system with a Clutch Control Module for section control of the seed.

For us to switch to some type of section control for starter could get rather complicated/expensive. It would take many acres for the savings to pay for the additional equipment. Our fields are mostly square but there there is some overlap with the starter at times. Unlike doubling up seed which likely results in a poorer yield and the corn going down in those areas, I don't feel that the doubling of fertilizer is a tremendous waste. We only apply about 5 GPA anyway. Since the pump starts/stops based on whether the planter is UP or DOWN, it would be the inner rows of the Headlands that would get extra fertilizer. We do have a Raven flow meter in the starter fertilizer line connected to an Ag Leader Application Rate Module. This module gives us fertilizer maps and shows the applied rate. It cannot control the rate or sections.

We do use an Ag Leader Liquid Product Control module for spray with this planter. It uses a centrifugal pump, Raven flow meter, Raven Control Valve and 4 Banjo Section valves. We could do something similar with the starter but we are running close on SCVs and hydraulic capacity so I guess I'll just leave things the way they are.

You ask about section control with a positive displacement pump and the need for 3-way valves. I believe 3-way valves would be necessary. This can get expensive quite quickly since electric 3-way valves are qujte costly.

Three-way valves are needed so when they are "off" the flow that would normally go to that section would return back to the tank. The path back to the tank needs an orifice so that the back pressure whether going to the ground or back to the tank is the same. The entire flow would have passed through the flow meter with some or all going to the ground but some may be returning to the tank. The Ag Leader system does have a configuration for this type of plumbing. It is called Calibrated Reflow and is often used with Hardi Sprayers that have a positive displacement pump. With Calibrated Reflow, the flow meter still registers the entire flow but the value is mathematically reduced based on the percent of sections that are "ON". So if the flow meter is showing 10 gpm but only half the sections are ON, 50% or 5 gpm is used in the calculations.


Edited by tedbear 12/3/2022 15:37
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