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www.potatogrower.com 35 Gentle Clamping Action! Greatly Increases Planting Speed! Zero Seed Penetration! Better Planting on Hills Pick Planter Gentle Clamping Action! Harriston Industries 500 Ordway Ave Minto, ND 58261 Ph: 1-800-437-8205 Or Contact Your Local Dealer http://www.harriston-mayo.com Check us out on Facebook! Check us out on Facebook! Check us out on Facebook! Cup Planter 149589HarInd12h.indd 1 10/6/14 2:23 PM with calcium buildup in like the sprinkler heads," Lowry says. "However, research has since shown us that there are other benefits. "Your average water pH in some of the West Coast states runs from the mid- to high-7s to an average that falls between 8.2 and 8.8 in some areas. So they try to buffer it with a variety of different acid sources." Lowry notes that there are now a number of different manufacturers offering everything from urea-based acid to phosphoric-based acid. Lowry notes that even though most Agri- Inject units can be used for acid injection, particularly the fertilizer injection units, he says it's always best to have the pump converted to "acid-ready" by having the factory change out some of the components with acid-resistant alloy 20 material. "The 316 stainless steel that we use on the conventional pumps will hold up for a while with acid," he says. "But for long- term usage, [it's best to install] alloy 20 heads." Lowry says that as water restrictions becomes more prominent and various areas experience drought, affected producers are realizing that they can get more bang for their buck by adding an acid blend to their irrigation water, particularly if the water or soil has a high pH. "In California, for example, the only way you can offset a reduction of water is to make your water perform better for you," he relates. "If you acidify the water, you get better water filtration and a reduction in the sodium adsorption ratio. With these extra benefits working their way into your soil, you will also start to see a better uptake of the fertilizer you are currently using." Of course, the only way to know if acid injection will be beneficial to your operation is to have a professional determine the soil pH and perform a water analysis to determine the level of bicarbonates and sodium. In a growing number of cases, adding an acid formulation to the irrigation water—as crazy as it may sound—could provide unforeseen benefits. PG GREEN IS GOOD In certain environments, adding sulfuric acid to a potato crop will increase the health of the crop.