Salford Ferti-GO 4S: High Capacity Meets High Accuracy
By: Derek Bontrager | Equipment Sales
We tend to think of Salford’s dry fertilizer applicators as spinner machines or air delivery machines for mounting behind strip-till units or vertical tillage. But did you know that Salford makes a dry fertilizer applicator specifically designed for planters? The Ferti-GO 4S is a high-capacity, accurate applicator designed to be mounted on specific models of John Deere, Case-IH and White (Massey Ferguson) planters.
The Ferti-GO’s 409 painted stainless steel, four-ton capacity hopper comes with the same metering system used on Salford’s ST series and other Valmar products. Salford’s metering and air manifold system is known for being highly accurate and easy to use and clean out. The metering is performed by plastic pegged rolls located underneath the hopper driven hydraulically by PWM valves. The metering rolls drop dry fertilizer into Venturi air manifolds where they meet air coming from Salford’s high-volume, hydraulic-driven fan. A single fan can output up to 200 lbs of fertilizer per acre at speeds up to 6 miles per hour on 24 planter rows. The optional dual fan setup allows up to 400 lbs per acre at the same rates.
The fertilizer output on the Ferti-GO can be calibrated per section and per row. The Ferti-GO can be paired with planters in 8-, 12-, 16-, 18-, 20- and 24-row configurations. Optional splitters allow for use in up to 36-row planters. All Ferti-GO units can meter variable rates with four-section control. The Ferti-GO comes standard as rate control ready with sensors for metering, fan speed and bin level. For controllers, the Ferti-GO can be optioned with Salford ISOBUS, or our recommendation, a Raven Rate Control Module. Both ISOBUS controllers plug into the ISOBUS connector on the tractor or can be piggybacked onto the ISOBUS of the planter.
The Ferti-GO comes standard with a manual roll tarp, ladder and platform to allow for easy fertilizer loading. Options include extensions to add two tons of capacity (total six tons), scales that can be tied into the ISOBUS, various sizes of manifolds and hose combinations, air diffusers to keep air from blowing fertilizer out of the trench, low-rate meters, and the high-output, dual fan option.
The Ferti-GO is a fairly unique piece of equipment because you don’t see too many options for on-planter dry fertilizer applicators. One of the main benefits of the Ferti-GO is the ability to do more in one pass. When you’re operating by yourself or with limited additional help, this can make a big difference. Compared to applying dry fertilizer at other times, an on-planter option allows you to put the fertilizer in the ground rather than on top, making it more readily available. You can also apply the full fertilizer rate with the Ferti-GO.
If the Ferti-GO sounds like a good fit for you, visit with one of our precision equipment sales team members. The Ferti-GO is a very specialized piece of application equipment, and there will be some questions to answer regarding the planter it is intended to be mounted on. However, for those with the right type of planter, the Ferti-GO has the potential to be a great addition.