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Wisconsin

Has anyone used APSA-80 on their pumpkin or watermelon patches. It is suppose to reduce soil compaction and improve water flow into the soil. I am thinking of trying some this year.

3/29/2014 9:32:35 PM

Perry Iowa USA

I've used it in the past-but I do so many things I never know what is working the best.I am pretty cheap so I added it to gallon sprayer and did multiple gallons to the soil early spring.It was a very small amount per gallon and if you want I can find it in my records---foams up a little.Very important not to get it on the vegetation which is why I sprayed it early spring.

3/30/2014 4:21:20 AM

Anamosa, IA BPIowegian@aol.com

The main use of surfactants is to help herbicides better penetrate the leaves of weeds or systemic insecticides better penetrate the crop leaves. It might also help soil applied pesticides get into the soil faster. It basically makes the water wetter by reducing surface tension (what makes water bead up)so it soaks in faster. The main effect is going to be on the other product that you are spraying along with the surfactant. I don't think that it would have muck if a residual effect on soil compaction, as rainfall would dilute it and help to move it down through the soil

3/30/2014 5:58:23 AM

N.c.

Do you have hydrophobic soil? To find out put a drop of water on your soil. If the water soaks right in you are good. If the water beads up then a wetting agent may help you. Working the soil when it is wet is bad. Unless you believe you have a subsoil compaction problem (for instance in an area where heavy machinery travelled) or hydrophobic soil I doubt this product will help much.

http://www.soil.ncsu.edu/publications/Soilfacts/AG-439-25/

3/30/2014 8:51:09 AM