Do placement of fertilizers and seed together in same slit adversely affect seed germination?
Normally, South Asian farmers apply 120kgN, 20kgsP and K and 5kgsZn /ha, Nearly half of the total fertilizer requirement (N, P, K and NZ) is applied as a basal dose. These chemical fertilizer nutrients are delivered from the fertilizer box through a tube into slits made with zero-till openers for placement of seed. Thus seed and fertilizer are in the same grove but machine design places fertilizer a small distance below seed to avoid seed damage. Whenever, a full dose of N is applied as basal, it is advised to apply fertilizer between two seed rows, else it may reduce germination by 5-6% percent. Thus all the fertilizer nutrients can be placed in just one pass of the drill during seeding operation. One time deep placement of fertilizers in sandy loam and other finer textured soils optimizes the nutrient -water interactions for higher yields under supply driven irrigation systems.