Fertilizer Prices on the RISE, Fertilizer Early & Save

Fertilizer Prices on the RISE, Fertilize Early and Save

Submitted by: Cooperative Extension Agent, Rene’ McCracken, Cherokee County

It’s not even breaking news anymore that the prices of goods associated with fuel and oil have skyrocketed since last year. In fact, in a recent publication by Dr. Vincent Haby from the Texas AgriLife Research Center at Overton, it states that “Because of these increasing costs of fuel or transportation, natural gas for manufacturing and greater international demand, the cost of commercial fertilizers has more than doubled since the year 2000.” Now, retail cost for Ammonium Sulfate just increased an additional $60 per ton on Monday, April 28^th, according to American Plant Food located in Troup. With only a handful of hay and livestock producers reported to have fertilized early (prior to May 1^st), the remaining farms have some big decisions to make.

Waiting until traditional dates to fertilize may result in risking additional cost increases of another $100 per ton or more. However, if pasture conditions are as I have seen, i.e., full of ryegrass and clover or worse- thistles, then fertilizer will be utilized more by those “crops” and not the Costal Bermuda that will be in its prime growth phase later in May. Depending on weather conditions some bulk fertilizer blends will be a better purchase than others like Urea which is best utilized on cooler drier soils just prior to a rain and a better buy per pound of Nitrogen than Ammonium Sulfate blends. Any sulfate blends while seemingly lower in cost per ton will have a higher cost per pound of nitrogen supplied as well as increase costs to apply lime to neutralize such blends. Most disturbing of all is that we have not had the requests for soil test forms and bags that we have in the past and according to one local bulk spreader service orders for lime applications are down 400 tons and more for this same time last year. Without a soil test, no one can accurately predict the most economic lime and fertilizer rates for any soil type. At $10 per soil test, it is the most economical management technique that must be used this year. Contact your local extension office or go to http://cherokee-tx.tamu.edu/ and look under publications and print out your soil test form and mail your samples to SFA Soils Lab in zip-lock bags. This trend suggests that most producers were not able to compensate for the increases in cost of goods and are now hoping to make it through this year with only marginal quality hay from last years crop. To best utilize 2007 hay, only forage tests will reveal the amount of supplementation needed to maintain your livestock herd. You can also find those forms and instructions at our website listed above. If you do a price comparison of the new lofty feed prices to the current price to produce forages, it is still cheaper to graze livestock than to raise them in a “feedlot” type situation. This may also involve lowering our stocking rates to a more manageable number and increase our profitability (if any) per head. Additionally, due to the repercussions from the shortage of gains due to the mandate of ethanol production, feed costs should be expected to continue to rise. Consequently, operations that utilize lower amounts of feed rations and increased forage systems are on the rise. Especially, smaller acreage operations like meat goats can benefit from establishing a year round grazing system.

Hybrid grasses like costal that built the cattle and hay business in East Texas could soon starve it out. Unlike bahiagrass, costal requires annual applications of both lime and fertilizer not only to produce adequate yield but to continue to exist in our acidic soils. At the Fertilizer Seminar in Overton, several producers wanted to know the minimum amount of inputs required to keep their stand of costal. Dr. Monte Rouquette, suggests a minimum of 50 pounds of nitrogen per acre will be required to maintain Costal Bermuda stands, which at today’s costs for blends such as 21-8-17 ($600/ton) would equate to $75 per acre or if your soil test suggests a cheaper 25-0-15 ($500/ton) or $50 per acre spread. Bahiagrass is something producers have been trying to get rid of for years but it might just be a blessing in disguise under current conditions. It requires little to no fertilizer to maintain its stand and will tolerate more acidic soils than most other grasses. Additionally, clovers and ryegrass better complement Bahia and will incorporate more easily with just broadcast applications than with Costal. While it still is not the better choice for hay production and does not have the heat tolerance as Tifton 85, new varieties such as Tifton 9 Bahia are becoming a much more manageable forage for some East Texans and can help livestock operations weather this recession. For more information on this and other extension programs contact Rene’ McCracken at lrmccracken@ag.tamu.edu or 903-683-5416. Educational programs and information of The Cooperative Extension Program and Prairie View A&M University are available to everyone without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, or national origin.