Thoughts on Fertilizer

[helmsdale]

With the poor crops your area has had the last few years, the demand is probably less than for most dealers. Locally I am hearing about 60% of normal for urea and phos. No potash being sold.

That's the kind of info I'm interested in. I figured south eastern alberta taking two kicks to the nuts back to back was likely an outlier, just wasn't sure by quite how much.

Thank you sir. I appreciate this sites ability to alleviate the syndrome known as "backyarditis".

[riders2010]

Are there any maps with amount of precip
Since say September? Because the drought
Area is not getting smaller

[WiltonRanch]

Retailers know exactly how much fertilizer is needed. Everybody knows exactly what you use as enough of you have graciously paid to give your all your data, along with accurate yields. So thank you for that. The best thing you can do is absolutely nothing.

1. It hasn't cost nutrien triple the price to make urea.
2. If there are suckers willing to pay for fert at these prices - why not take their money.
3. Everybody knows you can still grow an ok crop with 30 to 40 lbs of N - except farmers it seems.
4. It's gonna be a wild ride, it is the 1 year in 10 when buying fert in the fall makes no sense.
5. Don't be so stressed it causes you mental illness. It will be ok, and please talk to a counsellor and get help if it is too much. If you let this situation build in your head, you may lose more then some money.

Every area is different but yes I can grow a crop on 30-40# of nitrogen. If it doesn’t rain that’s all I’ll need anyway. If it rains the organic matter mineralizes and supplies more anyway. I have a rented field which is only 3.5% om but have some at 7%. Makes a big difference if you have a decent om level. Can’t mine it regularly but in these times you do what you have to.

[AlbertaFarmer5]

Going from experience, no till with all straw returned takes a lot more N, at least initially, since mineralization is reduced, and tie up due to breaking down all the straw. Eventually reach a new plateau.

On the other end of the spectrum, before I started no till, the first thing I would do with new land( which has inevitably been devoid of fertilizer for decades around here), is plow it as deep as possible, turning up all the old broken down sods if it has ever been plowed before, or the ashes and wood pieces, and decayed leaf litter if it hadn't been worked that deep ever since, and burying the existing sod where it won't tie up nitrogen. The yield difference between disced ground (sods still close to the surface breaking down, not much old OM turned up) vs deep plowed is staggering, in favour of the plowed land.

That is a one time trick, as it burns up all that previously stable OM, and not for everyone in the middle of a drought, but could probably do it once when fertilizer prices are uneconomical, if it promises to rain afterwards.

I've been sod seeding new land for the past few years, and applying painful amounts of N to make it work, but if/when I do anymore this spring, I think I might pull the plow back out, it would be cheaper than the additional fertilizer. Of course it might not rain again, like it did in 2015, the last time I plowed in the spring and the canola didn't germinate till mid July...

[flea beetle]

Gonna be reasonably wet this spring according to hoarfrosts…if you believe that sort of thing.

[TOM4CWB]

Gonna be reasonably wet this spring according to hoarfrosts…if you believe that sort of thing.

There is a massive amount of rock phosphate in most soil profiles... getting the P to plant absorption available ... often Alfalfa brings up P and K from deep down in the root zone e.g.: 4-6' ... and field crops after are much better. I am told regular 11-51-0 is only 50% available on year of application rest goes to rock phosphate... which can be broken down by soil microbes etc..

[Guest]

You won't build or sequester carbon by applying high rates of N to chase yield, protein or oil content
http://www.theconsciousfarmer.com/cn-ratio-work/

[SASKFARMER]

Yep its a game and farmers wont win.

[foragefarmer]

Booked in mid October. Taking delivery next week. Wished I would have booked in August. Was supposed to show up this week, but a foot of snow put a hamper on that. Still have a little digging out to do. Asked for todays price on fert. to compare to what I booked, and was told that they will have one tomorrow. No price today! I don't think that means it is coming down.

Had booked half my canola seed in October as well. Asked today to book the rest, and was told that all of Richardson as a whole had 97 bags of canola seed left to sell. After that, there was no guarantee. Only needed 70 bags more, so snuck in under the wire. Wanted two different varieties of Brett Young, but they only had the one left. Such is life.

Normally Roundup Transorb is around what...$3500/450L tote? Had booked in October for $5500. I thought that price was whacked already. Asked today, as I may need one more...$7380! Guess I am running with what I have in the shed.

This farming thing is getting pretty crazy.

With such high input costs and dry conditions are you still taking out your hay fields?

[BTO780]

Fert isn’t coming down!! It may crash in Apr and then good luck getting it. I’m not taking the chance on waiting for that to happen.
Don’t forget you guys it’s costing the manufacture 3x to make this stuff, so someone has to pay for this. 😂😂🤣🤣. They should be locked up ... all of them.

Did some math at today’s prices to fertilize canola at the top end for me $155 ac, then seed $70 ac. Before the tractor sets its footprint in the field she’s $225.
For $155 you would think I’m growing corn.

It’s all absolutely getting to the point where no one gives a sheet about the family farm anymore. Survival for the fittest.

Got some in crop chemical prices yesterday .... wowzers!!

Ya all have a good day!!