Fertilizer Equipment Key Terms

Grow your knowledge with these fertilizer equipment key terms

By Denise Brown

There are many options available to farmers who spread fertilizer in their field. If you spread fertilizer, you should be familiar with fertilizer equipment key terms to get the right piece of equipment for your task.

Because many farmers rent fertilizer equipment from the fertilizer distribution plant, it’s important that you understand key terms related to fertilizer equipment when you order your fertilizer. That way you understand exactly what you can do with a piece of equipment. It also helps you save money on fertilizer distribution costs.

RoGator

A RoGator is a chemical herbicide and fertilizer application machine. This self-propelled machine has a high profile that allows the operator to spray the liquid fertilizer and herbicide over the crop post-emergent. RoGators are relatively lightweight and do not compact the ground.
Try: AGCO produces RoGator fertilizer equipment.

Liquid floaters

Liquid floaters are large, self-propelled vehicles with three wheels, used to spread liquid fertilizer and herbicide. Liquid floaters have large tires that allow them to get into a field for application purposes under conditions that may be too wet for tilling.
Try: Deerfield Truck & Equipment has liquid floaters.

Boom extensions

Agricultural fertilizer equipment comes equipped with booms, or arms, that allow the main fertilizer device, such as the RoGator or liquid floater, to spray many feet with one pass. It is possible to buy additional boom extensions to allow you to spray even more with a single pass.
Try: See boom extensions available from Fertilizer Equipment Specialists.

Fertilizer tenders

Fertilizer tenders are trucks or wagons used to pull dry fertilizer to the field. Using the auger on the fertilizer tenders, a farmer can pour dry fertilizer directly into planters or drills, and load other fertilizer equipment for use in the field.
Try: See the examples of fertilizer tenders at Dempster Industries.

Nurse trailer

A nurse trailer makes it possible to get water to the field to mix with the concentrated chemicals in fertilizer. Without a nurse trailer, the farmer has to return to home base to mix each load of liquid chemicals.
Try: ProTank offers a number of nurse trailer options.

Ground drive spreader

A ground drive spreader is a pull-behind wagon used to spread dry fertilizer. The wheels of the ground drive spreader cause gears to operate which in turn distributes the fertilizer as the spreader moves forward.
Try: Adams Fertilizer Equipment offers ground drive spreaders.