In 1932, J. O. Smith, Agricultural Engineer at Delta Branch Experiment Station in Stoneville, MS, attached a small anhydrous ammonia cylinder to a plow in such a manner that the NH3 was released in the soil. The plow, a Georgia Stock, was pulled by a gray mule named Ike. This was the first known use of anhydrous ammonia as a soil-applied crop fertilizer. The crude apparatus and the anhydrous ammonia it applied provided a much needed source of nitrogen for the otherwise rich alluvial soils of the Mississippi Delta.
Edwards, Felix
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Image Credit:
Courtesy Flickr/thirteenofclubs (CC BY-SA 2.0)
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Anhydrous Ammonia is one of the cheapest forms of nitrogen fertilizer available on the market. However because it is such a hazardous material and is difficult to apply, many farmers choose to hire third party businesses to store and apply the fertilizer.
Era_date_from:
2011
Innovations
In 1932, J. O. Smith, Agricultural Engineer at Delta Branch Experiment Station in Stoneville, MS, attached a small anhydrous ammonia cylinder to a plow in such a manner that the NH3 was released in the soil. The plow, a Georgia Stock, was pulled by a gray mule named Ike. This was the…
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