Pop up fertilizers: What you need to know
Using a spraying attachment to apply fertilizer on top of the seed furrow once the seed trench has been packed is probably not very efficient since the nutrients need to move down to reach the seed. Remember that nutrients such as phosphorus do not move much during a season, perhaps just a few inches, so placing the fertilizer 2 inches above the seed may not allow for efficient nutrient use.
Some fertilizers contain polyphosphates such as 10-34-0, while others contain orthophosphates or a combination of both. So, what is the difference? Well, polyphosphates are basically chains formed with several orthophosphate molecules. Once a polyphosphate material is applied to the soil it will absorb water and convert to orthophosphate, which is the primary form taken up by plants. The speed of this conversion will depend on soil moisture and temperature. In my opinion, under most field conditions plants “may not notice” the difference.
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