Evaluation of Spring Cereal Grain Yield to Over-Seeding on Soil Injected with Tractor Exhaust (2010)

Abstract

This report evaluates whether if injecting diesel tractor exhaust in to the soil, along with wheat seed would enhance grain yield. This trial was set up on both winter wheat and spring wheat. A farm scale exhaust injection system was used to establish wheat adjacent passes in fields of winter wheat and spring wheat. The first seeding pass was done without injecting the exhaust. The idea was to not have any fresh exhaust residues in the system when seeding the untreated check pass. The second pass was made with the exhaust injector system in operation. No start up fertilizer was placed with the seed. The moisture from the exhaust causes the granular fertilizer pearls to gum and build up on the opener. Therefore no starter fertilizer (NPK or S) was placed with the seed. Liquid N was applied sequential applications of 4 gallons per acre of 28-0-0 (11.2 lbs N)and 5 gallons of 24-0-0-0 ( 12.0 lbs N). This initial evaluation of injecting diesel exhaust into the soil along side the seed did not result in any positive results.