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Fertilizer Rates when Costs are High (Part 1 - N Calculators) (04/28/22)

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Although commodity grain/oilseed prices are high, fertilizer N, P, K and S prices have outpaced them in 2022. Three major crops, corn, spring wheat/durum, and sunflower, have N recommendations that are directly linked to gain from N rate and the cost of N through their N calculators.

Using the N calculators in spring 2022:

The N calculators have an upper N cost limit of $1/pound N. Some N booked in the fall, and even some ammonia and urea may be less than $1/pound N this spring, but UAN is certainly greater than this and if the spring is compressed, as it seems it will be, then the other choices may be greater than $1/pound N also. To still be able to use the N calculators, divide the commodity price AND the N cost by 2. Example:

Confection sunflower contract is 40 cents per pound and N cost is $1.20/pound N.

  • Dividing each by two, the result is 20 cents per pound sunflower and $0.60/pound N.
  • Inserting 20 cents per pound sunflower and $0.60/pound N into the calculator will give the same recommendation value for pounds N suggested (plus or minus 20 pounds N, because you have common sense) as if the calculator went up to the calculator went up to 40 cents and $1.20/pound N. The ratio is important, not the actual values. An updated calculator coming out later this year.

On a laptop/desk-computer, the calculator addresses are:

https://www.ndsu.edu/pubweb/soils/wheat/ 

https://www.ndsu.edu/pubweb/soils/corn/

https://www.ndsu.edu/pubweb/soils/sunflower/

For the app free to download on iPhones and Androids, search app store for North Dakota N calculator. When the app is downloaded, all 3 crop N calculators are imbedded in it.

 

Dave Franzen

Extension Soil Specialist, 701-799-2565