Anhydrous Questions

[Bryan83]

So to the IRL farmers that use anhydrous, when do you apply it? I installed the fertilizer mod that I'll roleplay as anhydrous application, but I don't know when to do it so do you...

Apply in the fall after harvest, spring before planting or both?

Apply, then till the soil, or do tillage first?

Thanks in advance.

[Farmercaseih]

This year we put anhydrous on in the fall after it was chisel plowed. Some people do it in the spring and wait a specific amount of time before working the field. In bean stubble some people do "no till" anhydrous.

[Illinois Farmer]

A lot of guys around here put it on in the fall this year with the nice weather. We always put it on in the spring. The reason some put it on in the fall: they have so many acres need to get an early start, can put the payment on this side of the taxes, and some boredom. I question how much nitrogen will be left when the cross need it. It was too warm to put some on this fall, but other time it was decent. Also, you have to wait 10 to 14 days before you can plant with the rules of putting anhydrous on.

[Bryan83]

So what I gather here is that you do tillage before putting in the anhydrous, and you could do either fall or spring, but the post from Illinois Farmer leads me to believe it's better to do it in the spring for best nitrogen levels.

As to the 10-14 day wait time, I suppose on 12 day seasons that would be around 2 in game days.

[Illinois Farmer]

For best, I just haven't done enough testing to know for sure. That's just how we have ever done it and what different farmers have said. Maybe they will be ok by putting it in the fall. Some guys that do put it on in the fall come back and side dress again later.

[Farmercaseih]

We are putting it on in the fall, then it will get some stuff before planting and will be side dressed with a tool bar, not one of those Y drops that puts half of the nitrogen in the air

[Bryan83]

Forgive me, but what exactly is side dressing?

[Farmercaseih]

It is when you come back after the crop has grown and give it additional fertilizer

[Bryan83]

Glad I asked. I was thinking side dress was running around the edges of the field again.

So the in game equivalent is like when I go back after the 1st and 2nd growth stages to do additional fertilizer passes?

[Farmercaseih]

Side dressing is usually done with a toolbar that goes into the ground inbetween the rows of corn, or there is an attachment for a sprayer that drags on the ground, and side dressing is done when the plant is fairly small, so you don't kill as much turning around. For ingame you should side dress in the first growth stage of corn.

[Bryan83]

Alright, so I think I've got it.

Fall tillage (plow)
Anhydrous (1st fertilization)
Spring seedbed prep (cultivator or crumbler)
Plant
Field roller (2nd fertilization)
Preemptive weed spray
Side dress after sprout (3rd fertilization)

Then wait, harvest and repeat.

And I want to thank you both for taking the time and sharing your knowledge. It will definitely enhance my gameplay.