Dry crop supplement injection systems, micronized crop supplements for use in injection systems, and methods for injection of crop supplements

摘要

A dry supplement injection system produces a supplement slurry which is continuously introduced into a flow of irrigation water. The injection system includes a hopper having a cylindrical upper portion and a tapered lower portion terminating at a slurry outlet opening. An inverted perforated funnel assembly is disposed within the hopper. A spray nozzle connected to a water inlet pipe sprays water onto the inner surface of the funnel such that particles of micronized supplement in the hopper are washed through the perforated funnel forming a slurry. A mixing pan disposed below the hopper acts as a reservoir to hold slurry until pumped out through a slurry pump which pumps the slurry into a pressurized irrigation water pipe. Gravity feed of the slurry may replace the slurry pump for applications where the irrigation water is non-pressurized such as flood irrigation.