INPUTS

A small group of farmers had the chance to meet with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s team last week. They described the conversation as enlightening and eye-opening, but their biggest takeaway was how open Kennedy’s team was to hearing their point of view.

In 2023, the U.S. imported nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium fertilizer products valued at more than $10 billion, and of that more than half came from Canada.

With a career focusing in nutrient management, earlier this winter Tom Snipes became CEO of fertilizer breakout company Ostara as it continues to expand the footprint with its Crystal Green fertilizer.

“When applied with synthetic nitrogen, it is optimized by 50%, so in other words rates can be reduced–dramatically,” Darin Moon says. “It’s a monstrous claim. We aren’t throwing that number out lightly.”

Farmers will need to be able to show farm records, receipts, delivery tickets, and any as-applied maps. Geo-stamp photos will also be required to prove the use of no-till and cover crops.

“This idea of ever going back to a period of non-compliance like we had, I don’t think would be appropriate or ever acceptable,” says Kyle Kunkler, director of government affairs at the American Soybean Association.

How to turn gravel into gold: Meet Jordan Caldwell, a composting king hellbent on ROI.

Keenali Complete and Keenali GR are the names FMC has selected for its two Dodhylex-based herbicides (tetflupyrolimet). The company anticipates introducing the herbicides as early as 2027 and 2028 for farmers’ use, pending EPA approval.

The introduction of N-Finity is an extension of Nutrien’s “purpose-built approach” to biologicals, and it brings three ways to improve nitrogen management in a single product and application.

A recent AgWeb poll asked farmers where they plan to cut costs. Equipment purchases topped the list, but farmers also plan to scale back on fertilizer rates, use more generic products and reduce tillage or field passes.