Made Easy Liquid Fertiliser Storage

The farming season across Eastern Australia is shaping up to be a very good year with a full soil moisture profile and the excellent commodity price. The panned use of fertilisers will be one of the inputs that will help maximise yields and returns this year.

 
Liquid fertilisers are the faster growing form of crop nutrients as they are easy to use and apply, can be applied in conjunction with crop protection products, distribute the fertilisers to the crop more easily than solids and allow the simple flexibility of split applications. Additionally liquid fertilisers have the flexibility of being able to add trace elements easily when required. Many organic based fertilisers also come in liquid form and need to be stored on farm in bulk.

On Farm Storage Provides Ease and Flexibility

To maximise the benefits of liquid fertilisers, OK farm storage is the key and it is important that the right product or tank is used for storage. The Fertiliser tank used must be compatible with the different types of products, must be well designed and robust, and have an easy design for filling and emptying.
The most important element is the tank must be robust enough to hold the weight of the fertiliser and have fitting that are strong enough to withstand the rigours of continual use.

A well designed fertiliser tank needs to have the following features,

• To be designed and tested so it is able to hold 1.5 times the weight of water. This is key issue as tanks designed for water will not be able to hold fertiliser safely and will most likely fail.

•  The inlet system has to allow the tanker driver to top fill the tank from the ground quickly and simply. This will provide a safe working environment as will as speed up the process of filling.

• The outlet at the bottom should be large enough to allow the fast flow of product out of the tank minimising the time taken to fill the spay unit.

•  The outlet should also have a system in place to make sure the tank can be completely emptied. This is important so there is not wasted product left in the bottom of the tank.

• A level gauge will help prevent the overflow of the fertiliser form the tank plus it will show you when it is time ti order another load.

•  An overflow is required in cases where the tank inadvertently is over filled.

• All fitting must be robust and strong.

The strength and toughness of the rank will minimise the risk of leaks which will result in loss of products and potentially can cause a contamination issue.

To ensure the best results from your liquid fertiliser you not only need to choose the right products to apply but also have the right tank to store the fertiliser.