Anhydrous Ammonia

How long after putting anhydrous ammonia on do you wait to plant corn? We put 140# on bean ground, then was told you can't plant for so many days. Anybody know how many days if any?

my MFA location recommends 7 days after application

Depends some on your soil type, and moisture levels.

In my typical wet clay ground, waiting until afternoon is often good enough, tho not the recommended action.....

I drier or courser soils, the 7 days is the rule I hear.

Paul

I am in the same situation. Knew what was going on before I did it. Was put on Monday. Farm Center I buy from says 6 days and they hope that keeps people out at least 3 days. I goggled alot of information about it. Seems like two things really help. 1) Putting it on deep helps. This year that might not be as valuable as most years as it was wet and they think the ammonia might channel upward in the slot some. Therefore the ammonia might be higher than it was put on and cause injury. 2) Lower amounts convert into the soil faster. I think some of the research I read said 100 lbs. did very little if no damage compared to 200 lbs. Your 140 lbs. therefore wouldn"t be too bad. The first 24 hours was terrible with rates at 200 lbs whereas 100 lbs caused little if any damage when the ammonia was put on at 7 inchs. I think the article(s) said the ammonia migrates into a circle about 6 - 7 inches in diameter. So, if you put it on 10 inches deep and plant at 2.5 inches deep you might be OK - especially if you only put on 140 and could wait at least 2 days. I know a guy that applied ammonia one day and planted the next without any problems. Another guy I know said he was told to wait 8 hours. Another situation is how quickly the corn roots are going to grow. Hot, moist soils may cause quick root growth and the roots may try to grow into the ammonia zone which is still toxic to the plant roots. Cooperatives and farm centers are NOT GOING TO TELL FARMERS TO GO IN TOO QUICKLY!!! They are going to error on the long side. They do not want any damage credited to them. Seed supplies are tight, seed costs more money, and it is getting late enough to plant the first crop let alone trying to replant the corn due to damage. I left a field where I am going to side dress 28% which allowed me to plant a couple of days while I waited on the ammonia applied fields. If you could hit the center between the ammonia slots I think you would be OK to. Personally I am going to wait 4 - 5 days and go.

I work all of my ground and have routinely put anhydrous on one day and planted the next (or sometimes the same day). Ground is always worked after the anhydrous pass. Most of my ground is river bottom ground. Never had any problems. If I waited seven days to plant I would never get any corn planted. When my ground warms up and dries out it's "time". Mike

i should add that 7 days is for No-till

We waited 48 hours, then went diagonal across the field, with a field cultivator about 4-5 inches deep, and then planted 80 acres. We'll wait another day or two and then finish with the rest. I'll let you know how it comes up. Hope we don't have to replant!!! Thanks for the responses.