Systems, methods, and apparatus for agricultural material application
An agricultural row unit includes a knife disposed ahead of the gauge wheel for delivering material to soil adjacent to a trench. In one example, an agricultural row unit includes a frame, a wheel mounted to the frame, and a knife disposed ahead of the wheel and comprising a material delivery conduit disposed on, through, or adjacent the knife.
1. An agricultural row unit comprising:
a frame;
a wheel mounted to the frame; and
a knife assembly disposed ahead of the wheel and comprising a material delivery conduit disposed on, through, or adjacent the knife assembly, wherein the knife assembly comprises an upper knife portion and a lower knife portion configured to mate based on a plurality of ridges and a plurality of recesses, wherein the knife assembly further comprises a recess having a plurality of steps, wherein an adjustment disc having a plurality of steps of different thickness is disposed over the recess having the plurality of steps.
2. The agricultural row unit of claim 1 , further comprising:
an opening assembly to open a trench in a soil surface, wherein the knife assembly to deliver material to soil with a lateral placement from the trench.
3. The agricultural row unit of claim 1 , wherein the upper knife portion has the plurality of recesses to mate with the plurality of ridges on the lower knife portion.
4. The agricultural row unit of claim 1 , wherein the upper knife portion has the plurality of ridges to mate with the plurality of recesses on the lower knife portion.
5. The agricultural row unit of claim 1 , further comprising:
an additional wheel mounted to the frame; and
an additional knife assembly disposed ahead of the additional wheel and comprising a material delivery conduit disposed on, through, or adjacent the additional knife assembly.
6. The agricultural row unit of claim 1 , wherein the knife assembly further comprises a tail to firm soil.
7. The agricultural row unit of claim 1 , wherein the knife assembly comprises a knife that is disposed on a knife bracket, and the knife bracket is connected to the frame.
8. The agricultural row unit of claim 7 , wherein the knife bracket further comprises a wing, and a first adjustable fastener is connected to the knife and in contact with the wing to adjust a position of the knife with the first adjustable fastener determining a lowest vertical setting of the knife with respect to the ground.
9. The agricultural row unit of claim 7 , wherein the knife assembly comprises an adjustment disc that rotates to adjust compression of a biasing element.
10. The agricultural row unit of claim 9 , wherein the biasing element to bias the knife downwardly, and when the knife contacts an obstruction including a rock or soil clod the biasing element allows the knife to rise and then return to a lowest setting of the knife.
11. The agricultural row unit of claim 8 , wherein the knife assembly further comprises a second adjustable fastener to adjust the knife laterally primarily in a horizontal direction that is transverse to a direction of travel of the row unit.
12. An agricultural row unit comprising:
a frame;
an opening assembly coupled to the frame to open a trench in a soil surface;
a wheel mounted to the frame; and
a knife disposed ahead of the wheel and comprising a material delivery conduit disposed on, through, or adjacent the knife to deliver material to soil with a lateral placement from the trench, wherein the knife is adjustable transverse to a direction of travel of the agricultural row unit to adjust a lateral spacing between the knife and the trench for the lateral placement,
wherein the knife further comprises a recess having a plurality of steps, wherein an adjustment disc having a plurality of steps of different thickness is disposed over the recess having the plurality of steps.
13. The agricultural row unit of claim 12 , wherein the knife comprises an upper knife portion and a lower knife portion, the upper knife portion has a plurality of recesses to mate with a plurality of ridges on the lower knife portion.
14. The agricultural row unit of claim 12 , wherein the knife comprises an upper knife portion and a lower knife portion, the upper knife portion has a plurality of ridges to mate with a plurality of recesses on the lower knife portion.
15. The agricultural row unit of claim 12 , wherein the knife further comprises a tail to firm soil.
16. The agricultural row unit of claim 12 , wherein the knife further comprises a wear surface on a leading edge of the knife.