Strategies to help optimize your fertilizer investment

By Jennifer Barber

When margins are squeezed, fertilizer is often the first place farmers look to cut costs. But is that throwing the baby out with the bathwater? Dan Owen, director of agronomy at ATP Nutrition, a Manitoba-based plant nutrient supplier, thinks so and says there are ways to maintain your crop nutrition program in tight times.

Crop nutrients are one of the most significant expenses on the farm, but they are also key to big rewards. In the past, when crop prices were low a simple return on investment calculation often led to reducing or cutting fertilizer altogether. But that strategy can lead to short and long term soil health issues. A more considered approach can help farmers get the most out of their fertilizer investment.

“We are seeing a little more optimism among the farming community about fertilizer usage in the coming year after several years of cutting back,” says Owen. “But as the price of inputs slowly rise, growers are back to considering what must be applied — such as nitrogen — with demand for phosphate a little more challenging.”

Last year’s crop started off with high expectations, given the early spring across many Canadian growing regions, says Owen. But the high heat in July took some of the shine off the crop, and what looked good at the start ended up yielding poorly.

“What looked like a high yielding, 60-bushel crop in the spring ended up as a 35-bushel crop come harvest,” says Owen. “Those who applied fertilizer are wondering how much of it wasn’t used in the crop’s biomass and might be available for next year.”

The issue is that after several years of lower than normal fertilizer application rates, it will be challenging to determine what is left for this coming season, he explains. Even those with detailed fertilizer programs many think they have better soil health than they do. While costs are always a consideration, at the end of the day a high yielding crop is king.

“You can’t save your way to prosperity,” says Owen. “You can push your genetics and manage your crop protection inputs well, but it’s a risky situation to under fertilize and to leave crop potential behind.”

Take another look at your soil

This is a very good year to consider soil testing, says Owen. If your end goals are clear you need to know what you are starting with before you know what you need to add.

“It’s not as simple as saying that I want a particular outcome so adding ‘X’ input will get me there,” he says. “That kind of thinking makes fertilizer more of a want than a need. You don’t want to lose the potential of high genetics by not managing them well, starting with a robust soil test.”

Soil sampling is the basis for most nutrient recommendations. According to Fertilizer Canada’s annual Fertilizer Use Survey, 70 per cent of farmers soil test for nitrogen at least once every five years, with 25 per cent testing annually. When it comes to phosphorus, 80 per cent test at least once every five years, and 24 per cent test annually.

“We recommend working with your nutrient service provider to determine the best approach for soil testing,” says Kayla FitzPatrick, senior director of communications with Fertilizer Canada. “The more data you have the better informed your recommendations will be. This includes the pH of your farm’s soil, which can impact your practices, such as avoiding surface applications of urea on high pH soils.”

Robust soil testing includes looking at a complete fertilizer program, not just the traditional NPKS. “For example, Saskatchewan has traditionally high potassium, but it also has high magnesium which reduces the plant’s ability to access that potential,” says Owen. “There’s no point in piling 200 pounds of nitrogen and ignoring potassium, or how it is accessed by your crop.”

Owen says that precision application of fertilizer is a great tool that provides another layer of data, along with a robust soil test, to see which zones are higher producing, and worth spending more on.

Another look at the 4Rs

The message of nutrient stewardship has long been touted by experts. Following the 4Rs, farmers are urged to apply at the right source, at the right rate, at the right time, in the right place. By optimizing nutrient uptake, the 4Rs can provide economic benefits to farmers.

“The 4Rs are constantly evolving and are informed by the latest research and technology,” says FitzPatrick. “Enhanced efficiency fertilizers (EEFs) are a great example of innovation in the sector.”

EEFs are fertilizer products that control nutrient release or alter reactions in the soil. By slowing down reactions, the nutrients stay in the soil longer, giving the crop more time for uptake, while reducing nutrient loss to the environment. EEFs provide farmers with a right source solution that, when used in combination with the other 3Rs, can provide major benefits both economically and environmentally.

“Research, products, strategies and equipment are always advancing,” says FitzPatrick. “The best way to get the most out of your fertilizer investment is to work with a trusted advisor.”

Consider in-season application

When it comes to timing, Owen says that sometimes farmers manage risk with an in-season fertilizer program. “Tissue tests guide us when it comes to a foliar application,” he says. “By moving nitrogen application into a different part of the season you are often into a later reproductive window and will have a better idea of where the crop might land. You are hitting the right nutrients but at a different time.”

Applying nitrogen later in the season can also help with the quality of crops such as wheat. Taking the opportunity to do things differently can help make nutrients more efficient in terms of both plant uptake and cost.

“We are moving away from a single nutrient application with seeding and looking at the use of things like biostimulants, micronutrients, micronized sulfur technology and more,” says Owen. “Layering on products makes them more available to the plant when it can have the biggest impact.”

Owen admits next year may be challenging given current commodity prices across the board. But he also sees it as an opportunity to lower the cost of per bushel achieved. “There is an understandable knee-jerk reaction to save money at the start of the year, but you need to spend effectively to get more success.”

BHP Jansen mine helps solidify Saskatchewan as world-scale potash producer

Capitalizing on Saskatchewan’s rich potassium reserves, BHP is past the halfway point in the construction of one of the world’s largest potash mines. The facility plans to begin production late in 2026.

The project has been a long time coming. Originally announced in 2010, the initial investment was approved by BHP in 2021. Stage 1 of the project was valued at $7.5 billion and, in October 2023, the company announced an expansion to the project valued at $6.4 billion, bringing BHP’s total investment to about $14 billion. This is the largest private investment in the province, as well as the most significant investment in BHP’s history.

Once operational, the facility will initially produce about 8.5 million tonnes of potash a year, with the potential to produce 17 million tonnes annually. This will make it one of the largest potash mines in the world. Potassium occurs naturally but farming depletes it faster than it can be returned to the soil. The application of potash helps to maintain yields and replenish the soil.

The mine is in Jansen, Saskatchewan, about 140 km east of Saskatoon. More than 50 municipalities and First Nations formed an alliance on the project, with over $850 million in contracts awarded to Indigenous-owned businesses throughout the province.