For farms of any size, adding a round of fertilizer can bump food production by 50 percent each year. Using fertilizer applicators improves the efficiency and your return on investment.
Blu-Jet fertilizer applicators are quality and durable products that help you get those kinds of yields with flexibility in customizing options to meet your needs. The different models work for different size operations and different types of fertilizer.
Have you been checking out how fertilizer applicators work and considering adding one to your equipment lineup?
Let’s look at the factors you should consider in an applicator and the specific liquid and anhydrous ammonia models Blu-Jet offers.
Choosing the Right Applicator
Blu-Jet offers several different models, so what are the right questions to be asking as you narrow down your choices?
Start with the size of your farm. Variations in working row width, toolbar size, and horsepower impact how quickly you can move through your fields to apply the fertilizer. The size of the tank and spray rate are two other numbers to check as well.
How well will the new applicator work with your new equipment? The addition of displays and other technology means you need to consider more than just what type of hitch it has. Blu-Jet’s models use ISOBUS rate controllers, which allow you to connect with any other ISOBUS compatible equipment.
Another deciding factor is what fertilizer type you want to use – liquid or anhydrous ammonia. Anhydrous ammonia can produce significantly higher yields than liquid fertilizer, but it’s also trickier to work with. Your applicator has to be able to get it to the required depth to avoid surface vapor losses.
Lastly, look at the various options available for the applicator. It could be that a smaller applicator could meet your needs if you upgrade the plumbing to get a faster flow rate. Different tires and sealer types are also available to work with your particular crop and soil conditions.
Liquid Fertilizer Applicators
With all fertilizer for farms, the story in the last decade has been about the push to get fertilizer under the surface to avoid runoff issues like the algae blooms in the Great Lakes.
While most liquid fertilizer applicators are going to be sprayers, the 15-Series from Blu-Jet works with a JetStream liquid injection system to get the fluid under the ground where it can be most effective. The series includes three options scaled to fit different operation sizes.
All three models have a 7-degree wing flex to deal with uneven ground as well as a 30-inch axle clearance to allow you to apply in taller crops and extend your application window. CAT 4 single-tang and a clevis tractor hitch come standard as well.
A single-piston pump with 34.2 gallons per minute of maximum flow is standard for 27.5′ to 52.5′ width toolbars. The largest toolbars come with a double-piston pump that can give you 68.4 gallons per minute of maximum flow.
Where the three models differ most is in sizing, including the tank capacity, toolbar widths, and row spacings.
Model 4615
- Tank capacity – 1,775 gallons
- Cone-bottom tank
- Toolbar widths – 37.5′ to 62.5′
- Row spacings – 15″, 18″, 20″ & 30″
Model 4015
- Tank capacity – 1,400 gallons
- Cone-bottom tank
- Toolbar widths – 27.5′ to 57.5′
- Row spacings – 15″, 18″, 20″, 22″ & 30″
Model 3015
- Tank capacity – 1,025 gallons
- Elliptical tank
- Toolbar widths – 27.5′ to 42.5′
- Row spacings – 20″, 22″, & 30″
Optional equipment includes injection knives and a more powerful pump to speed up application. You also have a choice of a narrow transport package that folds the unit up in a smaller width to make transport between fields easier.
Anhydrous Ammonia Fertilizer Applicators
Blu-Jet offers four models that deliver NH3 fertilizer. Two are designed for high-acreage applications, while the others are economical models for smaller farms.
All feature Super 1200 coulters in the lead position with 20” fluted blades. The coulters give 1,200 lbs of downforce and 30 degrees of swivel. The knives are 3/4” wide with a 3/8” tube for the fertilizer.
The trailing DiscCover sealers use two 17” notched blades with adjustable angles. All four use a 50-gallon-per-minute cooler, which can be bumped up in the larger models to 80-gallon-per-minute output. The standard Raven ISOBUS rate controller allows use to control and monitor the rig from your tractor cab.
AT6020
- Heavy-duty and adjustable
- Pull-type
- NH3, liquid, dry, and dual-placement nutrient delivery options
- Toolbar widths – 45’-62.5’
- Row spacing – 20” or 30”
- Wing flex – 15 degrees up, 9 degrees down on primary wing; 6 degrees up, 9 degrees down on secondary wing
- 2-section plumbing
Legacy
- Quickly adjustable in the field
- Pull-type
- Toolbar widths – 30’-52.5’
- Row spacing – 20” or 30”
- Wing flex – 15 degrees up, 9 degrees down on primary wing
- 1-section plumbing on 30’ to 37.5′ models and 2-section plumbing on 40’ to 52.5′ models
Landrunner II
- Adjustable tread-width system
- Pull-type
- Toolbar widths – 27.5’-42.5’
- Row spacing – 20”, 22”, 30”
- Wing flex – 16 degrees up, 11 degrees down on primary wing
- 1-section plumbing
Landrunner 3
- 3-point mount design
- Toolbar widths – 27.5’-42.5’
- Row spacing – 30”
- Wing flex – 16 degrees up on primary wing
- 1-section plumbing
All four models allow for optional equipment like 17” wavy blades instead of the standard notched ones and knives in wider widths or freezeless styles. Most of the undercarriages can be customized by tire size, type, and configuration.
For the larger two models, you can add MaxPac shank mounts for more trip pressure and accurate depth in heavier and rockier soil.
Get Blu-Jet Fertilizer Applicators
Buying fertilizer applicators takes the practical information you know about your farm and pairing it with the right equipment for the work you’re doing. Blu-Jet has you covered with its range of models that can handle big commercial operations and smaller family farms.
If you’ve been considering one of the line of Blu-Jet fertilizer applicators, Ag Solutions Group can get you set up. Request a quote or schedule a visit to see our current new and pre-owned inventory of Blu-Jet models.