Safety First: Navigating the Complexities of Liquid Fertilizer Blending

In this episode, the hosts discuss the benefits and challenges of using liquid fertilizers. Dr. Karl Wyant, Director of Agronomy at Nutrien, and Dr. Rob Mikkelsen, Director of Agronomy at Yara, explain how liquid fertilizers offer more flexibility in creating customized nutrient formulations tailored to specific crop needs. They emphasize the importance of understanding compatibility and safety when blending and handling liquid fertilizers. We discuss the concept of suspension and solution fertilizers and discuss the differences between them. Highlighed is the significance of pre-planning, jar testing, and using resources like compatibility tables and Yara's Tankmix to avoid mixing issues. They provide insights on storing and maintaining liquid fertilizers and discuss future innovations in the field.

Takeaways

Liquid fertilizers offer flexibility in creating customized nutrient formulations for specific crops. Understanding compatibility and safety is crucial when blending and handling liquid fertilizers. Jar testing is an important tool to predict compatibility and avoid mixing issues. Proper storage and maintenance of liquid fertilizers are essential to ensure their effectiveness.

Links:

Karl's recent article in Fertilizer International Magazine, "Liquid Fertilizers - Compatibility and Safety" Karl mentioned the Fluid Fertilizer Foundation as a resource Yara's Tankmix to avoid mixing issues

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to liquid fertilizers
04:30 Challenges of liquid fertilizer mixing
06:44 Difference between suspension and solution fertilizers
10:23 Importance of knowing suspension and solution fertilizers
12:13 The importance of jar testing
18:36 Storage and maintenance of liquid fertilizers
21:37 Storing liquid fertilizers over the winter
23:40 Maintenance and cleaning of fertilizer tanks
26:38 Future innovations in liquid fertilizers
31:41 Conclusion and holiday wishes