Fertilizer
A detailed “farming playbook” can help guide essential input investments and maximize ROI.
Planning for next season? Review the expert insights and recommendations from farmers and field agronomists on how to reduce costs and strategically reallocate resources.
With trade developments and threatened tariffs causing uncertainty, it has many asking what is the current status for domestic sourcing of fertilizer and what additional tons could be produced stateside.
The U.S. may ease more restrictions as its relations with Belarus normalize.
Several years of low commodity prices, high input costs and thin margins have taken a toll on soil stewardship in some parts of the country. As a result, farmers need to use caution and do their homework before renting ground that’s coming available in their area for 2026.
The companion piece to the Senate’s Fertilizer Research Act of 2025 has the same, ultimate goal: to provide U.S. farmers with more clarity on the pricing of crop nutrients, lawmakers say.
Ag products not grown or produced enough in the U.S.—including coffee, fruit and some fertilizers—are being removed from Trump’s reciprocal tariff list. The move also lifts tariffs on one major ag import: beef.
At a fiery Senate hearing, farmers and lawmakers call out corporate consolidation for driving up input costs, while industry leaders insist global geopolitics, not greed, are to blame.
The company also announced a transition in leadership for its retail division.
The administration is expanding the list, which includes potash and phosphate, amid efforts to boost domestic mining and cut reliance on imports.
As fertilizer prices and demand hold firm this fall, Josh Linville with Stone X Group warns prices could climb higher if reported government aid payments arrive this year.
Farmers are likely to apply more NH3 this fall, given its availability and price point relative to other nitrogen sources. Chase Dewitz shares a recent experience that occurred on his farm as a reminder that the product deserves to be handled with careful attention and respect.
Agronomists answer farmer questions about the role of nitrogen and other nutrients in lessening the potential impact of yield robbers such as southern rust and tar spot in corn.
As a handful of corporations influences more of the agricultural supply chain, row crop growers say they are left with fewer input choices, higher prices and diminishing control over their own operations.
Corn yield champs say annual soil testing is the best way to make sure fields are up to the goal of delivering profitable high yields every season.
AgZen’s first product, RealCoverage, can be bolted onto any sprayer and is the world’s only sensor and AI-based system that measures and optimizes the number of drops of crop protection products applied to crops.
When complete, the facility will produce 66,000 gallons of product every month.
Planting more cover crops this fall is one way corn and soybean growers are addressing their 2026 nutrient needs and looking to trim expenses in the process.
Serial entrepreneurs Jack Oslan and Nate Storey have a thesis that artificial intelligence can provide real-time soil nutrient analysis for row crop agriculture.
Agriculture Secretary Rollins previously said USDA is examining high fertilizer costs and exploring options for farmer relief.
There are no easy answers to address the cost of fertilizer and other inputs, but having conversations with suppliers and financial providers now can help you leverage your buying power and minimize potential impacts from marketplace uncertainties.
While application season is still weeks away, retailers and other suppliers are encouraging farmers to reserve product now.
With most input prices still record or near-record high, farmers in parts of the country have seen eroding balance sheets for four straight years. Now the concern is more farmers will be forced out of farming this year, unless they see some type of market or government intervention.
As farmers think about 2026 cropping plans, step one is to book fall fertilizer. However, those plans are leading to challenging discussions about profitability and what can be applied as a bare minimum.
High yields lead to high nutrient removal rates, but next year, nutrient replacement and feeding a new crop comes at a higher cost
Yes, phosphorus is expensive. But before you decide to not use it or arbitrarily pull back, try to weigh the decision based on facts and not emotion.
However, the stagnation comes as the disparity between fertilizer prices and potential profits widens.
The new facility will produce 950,000 short tons of ammonia annually, and it’s been a project discussed for over a decade.
The recent “Currents of Change” analysis reported high nutrient levels in central Iowa’s watersheds. Iowa ag has worked on the issue for decades, but nutrient movement often comes down to weather.
On the heels of Crop Tour, Pro Farmer projects corn yields at 6.1 bu. below USDA’s August estimate, while soybean yield numbers are nearly aligned.