Fertilizer costs are always top of mind. It’s one of the largest direct variable costs in your operation, even when fertilizer prices are relatively low.
A cost-of-production study for corn by Michigan State University Extension shows that fertilizer costs account for one-third of variable costs. But overcompensating and dropping fertilizer expenses too much can cause a negative impact on your bottom line by reducing yields.
That’s where we come in. Your P&H agronomist has access to the tools and local knowledge that will help you make wise and informed decisions on your farm – management decisions that balance agronomics with economics.
Book a nutrient management planning meeting with your local P&H agronomist now. It’s never too early to start planning.
A soil test is the first step to making sound nutrient management decisions. You can’t manage what you don’t measure. Without a soil test you’re poking around in the dark making guesses. Knowing where your nutrient levels are is key in determining the amount of nutrient to apply for any given crop.
If levels are in the “sufficiency” range or higher, you can lower the rate of that specific nutrient and theoretically draw from the bank account. If levels are in the low or “deficient” range, concentrate your dollars by feeding the crop that specific nutrient and possibly drawing down the higher testing levels.
This will often become a “wash” in the end. However, knowing what’s in your soil nutrient bank account is paramount when fertilizer prices become the hot topic. A basic $30 test can save money per acre in the long run.
The most economical rate of nitrogen (MERN) can range widely across the Ontario corn belt. Research from OMAFRA suggests a range between 151-180 lbs N/ac.
When nitrogen costs climb it becomes even more important to adjust rates based on historic yields. The goal is to find the most profitable rate, which doesn’t necessarily produce the highest yields. Your P&H sales agronomist can help you sift through your historic yield data and match this with soil test data to find the MERN on your farm.
The best and cheapest insurance you can buy protects your nitrogen investment so the dollars stay right where you put them. Nitrogen stabilizers help ensure that the nitrogen is available to the crop.
No one can predict the weather. A large rain event can wash away your nitrogen investment, whether all the N is placed in front of planting or side dressed shortly after planting.
There are many variables in determining the amount of loss, but having a nitrogen stabilizer that protects against volatilization and denitrification will keep a large percentage of the nitrogen stable in the soil.
Depending on the application rate, saving even 80% of that nitrogen can save up to $45 per acre just in N loss alone even after the cost of the product.
A split application of nitrogen can be an easy tool to manage nitrogen.
By providing the crop a percentage of the N early in the growing season, you can adjust the total nitrogen rate based on recent weather, growing conditions, and long-range forecast. Determining the method of the second application (coupled with a nitrogen stabilizer) and the rate can easily be tailored to fit your operation. Every P&H location is equipped to service your application needs however you decide to apply.
Having these considerations and conversations throughout the winter months can help navigate passed higher fertilizer prices and maintain net profit at the end of the season.
