Season 6 Episode 7 — Higher Fertilizer Costs
In this episode of the Alabama Crops Report, hosts Simer Virk and Scott Graham welcome Rishi Prasad and Wendiam Sawadgo into a discussion about higher fertilizer costs for farmers.
We’ve got a lot of unpredictability in the world right now. It’s been we’re going on a month since the U.S.-Iran War starts has started. So, really the big deal there is in the agricultural realm of things is the Strait of Hormuz. That’s where about a third of the fertilizer used in the world is transported through, and it has been blocked…. In the U.S., we don’t necessarily use most of our fertilizer from that region. We produce a lot of it in-house, but that war has affected natural gas markets, which is an input to producing nitrogen fertilizer. -Wendiam Sawadgo
As the season starts with dry weather and some uncertainty, this group emphasizes the importance of the 4 Rs for fertilizer — right source, right time, right rate and right method of application.
When it comes to right source, think about an integrated approach. For right rate, just calibrate your rates based on the realistic yield goals. If you are making 200 bushels, make sure that you are only applying fertilizer that will make you 200 bushels. The next is the timing of application. You know, we always think about, should we put everything up front or should we split? The best strategy is to split the applications, because that’s where you get the maximum bulk for the bank. And finally, the right method. We typically broadcast a lot of fertilizer, but maybe this is the year we think about banding or even incorporation. Do whatever works best for each farm because every farm is different. -Rishi Prasad