# What type of fertilizer do you use and cost per unit?



## fastline (Mar 2, 2013)

It just keeps going up with a big bump 3-4yrs ago. I am using pelletized urea at around $550/ton at 46% actual N. Liquid urea and Anhydrous are available but right now I just rent the pull behind cart and have no equipment cost.

I know the dangers of Anhydrous and not too interested in it because of that and equipment cost but fert ain't cheap!

It iss my understanding that pelletized should be incorporated when possible to reduce evap loss. I guess in irrigated areas, we have just watered it in.

I am mostly trying to compare actual cost per unit and maximum benefit of each product.


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## dubltrubl (Jul 19, 2010)

We do bermuda on our fields so it won't compare to alfalfa, but we usually apply about 100#N, 50#P, and 100#K 3 times a season. This is actual, not product numbers. In product amounts that would be around 450-500#/ac (or thereabouts) of pelletized product. We usually use urea @ 46% and started using Agrotain last year to minimize nitrogen losses. I'd love to try some anhydrous or some knifed in nitrogen of some type someday, but there isn't anyone closer than 50 miles from me that has the equipment to do it, so we're stuck with pelletized for now. From a time standpoint, I find no benefit from spreading it myself if I'm buying co-op product. They do it so much better and faster, that I don't mind paying the extra $3-$5/ac. for them to spread it. Since I'm a one man band it would take me the better part of 2 days in trips back and forth for loading and spreading. They make one trip and they're done in less than an hr. My time is better spent doing other things. I have made a few deals on sweepings from fertilizer warehouses and the co-op, and due to the nature of the product, and the price, it was worth my time to spread it.
Regarding prices, I keep hearing conflicting reports. Some say prices are going down, some say look for an increase this year. I have no idea, but I'm preparing for an increase, and hoping for a drop!,,,








Regards,
Steve


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## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

fastline said:


> It just keeps going up with a big bump 3-4yrs ago. I am using pelletized urea at around $550/ton at 46% actual N.
> 
> ......but fert ain't cheap!


The best way to compare is first to price it on a per unit of nitrogen, e.g., urea at 46% nitrogen, $550/ton = about $.60/unit of nitrogen.

My pre-buy in January was $.61 for urea, anhydrous for $.55 and 28 for $.68.

Second, consider application cost and evaporation cost. Application cost will vary if you have the equipment, rent the equipment or contract it out

Evaporation: For untreated urea (I always have mine treated with Agrotain), I figure I will loose 100% in 7 days (15%/day) IF there is no rain on it.	Likewise for surface applied 28. Anhydrous and 28 incorporated will have little to no loss depending on soil type.

Hope this helps.

Ralph


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## fastline (Mar 2, 2013)

Do you calculate an N loss on pellet urea if incorporated? We would typically dry to get it on just before a light shower, or just before planting to get it in thee ground somewhat.

On our planting a few days ago I applied N just before running a light cultivator and planter. I am not anticipating much loss there. A big rain is what usually happens around here that rinses some off.


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## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

fastline said:


> Do you calculate an N loss on pellet urea if incorporated? We would typically dry to get it on just before a light shower, or just before planting to get it in thee ground somewhat.
> 
> On our planting a few days ago I applied N just before running a light cultivator and planter. I am not anticipating much loss there. A big rain is what usually happens around here that rinses some off.


Depending on how deep you ran the cultivator, and a lot of other factors like soil moisture and temperature, you might experience some loss, maybe 5-10%, But this is just a SWAG. Deeper is better.

There will always be some loss with nitrogen in any form.

Ralph


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## dbergh (Jun 3, 2010)

Grass/ Alfalfa blend fields get 2 treatments totaling 150 units of N and 120 units of P.
Cost this spring have backed off slightly.
Current quotes locally are:
46-0-0: $0.61 per unit
21-0-0:$.095 per unit
11-52-0: $0.63 per unit
Always been curious about the loss of N products to volitolization and get differing opinions depending on who you ask. Guys offering N stabilizers claim huge losses without their product while those selling straight product claim little or no loss depending on weather and application methods. Never know who to believe. Pretty hard to mechanically incorporate N on established field so have to rely on rain and irrigation.


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## vhaby (Dec 30, 2009)

Glad to know that some of you make your purchase decisions on nitrogen and other fertilizer products by the pound of actual N rather than based on the per ton price. In mid-February local prices were; UAN, 32% N = $.69/lb of N; Urea, 46% N = $.63/lb of N; Ammonium Nitrate, 34% N = $.69/lb of N; and ammonium sulfate, 21% N = $1.08/lb of N, but it also contains 23% sulfur which must be counted for some value.

If the spreading cost is $5.00 per acre spread and you apply 80 lb of N per acre, divide $5.00 by 80 pounds to get the cost of spreading per pound of N, or $.063 per pound of N for spreading. Actual cost of N applied. If using urea; $0.63 + $0.063 = $0.693 per pound of urea-N applied.

If I knew that 100% of the nitrogen applied would be gone in seven days without rain to incorporate it, I'd switch to another N source. Ammonium nitrate is still available locally and it is my preferred N source. I consider it the standard against which the other N sources are compared. It may lose some N as ammonia volatilization, but not nearly as much as is lost from UAN or urea. Past research comparing urea with ammonium nitrate on hybrid bermudagrass on limed acid soils showed about 15% lower yield from urea at the same N rate as ammonium nitrate. The difference is greater at lower N rates and as the rate of N is increased toward 100 lb of N per acre, the differences in yield between these two N sources deminishes because adequate N is being applied to compensate for some loss due to volatilization.

Coating urea with Agrotain adds about $0.05 per pound of N and is supposed to delay hydrolysis of the urea (taking on water to initiate volatilization loss) for 10 to 14 days.


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## fastline (Mar 2, 2013)

I guess I did not go into the math of N % because I figured most had that sense about them anyway. My other job is in engineering so I tend to calculate much more than most. Excel is my best friend most of the time!

I am primarly looking at the per unit costs but obviously if the concentration is super low, you can have quite the auxillary hauling costs in there. 2.17 is the magic multiplier for my on N for the 46% urea. I just know if I want whatever figure on the app, just mutiply by 2.17 for actual lbs of product applied. 50lb N/ac = 108.5lb prod/ac


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

fastline said:


> It just keeps going up with a big bump 3-4yrs ago. I am using pelletized urea at around $550/ton at 46% actual N. Liquid urea and Anhydrous are available but right now I just rent the pull behind cart and have no equipment cost.
> 
> I know the dangers of Anhydrous and not too interested in it because of that and equipment cost but fert ain't cheap!
> 
> ...


You never said, are you fertilizing grass or alfalfa/grass?


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## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

vhaby said:


> If I knew that 100% of the nitrogen applied would be gone in seven days without rain to incorporate it, I'd switch to another N source. Ammonium nitrate is still available locally and it is my preferred N source. I consider it the standard against which the other N sources are compared. It may lose some N as ammonia volatilization, but not nearly as much as is lost from UAN or urea. Past research comparing urea with ammonium nitrate on hybrid bermudagrass on limed acid soils showed about 15% lower yield from urea at the same N rate as ammonium nitrate. The difference is greater at lower N rates and as the rate of N is increased toward 100 lb of N per acre, the differences in yield between these two N sources deminishes because adequate N is being applied to compensate for some loss due to volatilization.
> 
> Coating urea with Agrotain adds about $0.05 per pound of N and is supposed to delay hydrolysis of the urea (taking on water to initiate volatilization loss) for 10 to 14 days.


Ammonium nitrate just ain't available in this area. I was told the Fed requires special storage facilities and, because anhydrous is the biggest nitrogen source in corn country, the dealers don't want to invest for small quantities. Urea isn't available after June 1st because it clumps up so bad in storage (high humidity here).

I always treat urea with Agrotain. Last week I had my potash/DAP applied by a contractor and I got a buggy with urea which I spread myself. I had it treated even though the forecast had a 80% chance of rain the next day (we actually got .28").

My thinking is that it the AGROTAIN cost is justified by nitrogen retention even over 24 hours.

Ralph


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## fastline (Mar 2, 2013)

somedevildawg said:


> You never said, are you fertilizing grass or alfalfa/grass?


As of late it is my venture into haying and just planted Oats. In that instance the N was broadcast, then incorporated 24hrs later. Post apps could be in question for most hay crops I am considering, I would have the one N app at planting and try to target post emergence apps just before rain.

Hay crops would be oats, sudan, prairie, brome, timothy, etc


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## Hayking (Jan 17, 2010)

If I'm reading this right a lot if you guys are fertilizing alfalfa with nitrogen? We fertilize alfalfa but just with 11-52-0. Also We grow quite abit of Bermuda grass it doesn't matter how much cheaper urea is if apply in summer or hell when it's hotter than 85 degrees I can pee on it and get more forage than fertilizing with urea! We typically use 28-0-0 and have good results win it rains (which isnt very often anymore) we would like to use 34-0-0 but the coop won't store it! We have had them bring a load and dump it on the ground and then we spread it but they won't hardly do that anymore! Our best option here is liquid urea is not even a thought in the summer! I even believe that the wheat does better with liquid vs urea!


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

dbergh said:


> Grass/ Alfalfa blend fields get 2 treatments totaling 150 units of N and 120 units of P.
> Cost this spring have backed off slightly.
> Current quotes locally are:
> 46-0-0: $0.61 per unit
> ...


No K? Are your fields naturaly high in K there?

The Co-op talked me into some N-Serve on fall applyed anhydrous for corn.It cost an extra $10 acre.


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## Bob M (Feb 11, 2012)

Sometimes we get lucky, we applied 30% UAN ($.58/unit) yesterday on about 200 ac small grain and we are getting 2 to 4 inches snow today.


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## dbergh (Jun 3, 2010)

Samples typically don't call for much if any K on our fields. We also supposedly get some of our K needs out of our irrigation supply water (river) according to the experts.


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

dbergh said:


> Samples typically don't call for much if any K on our fields. We also supposedly get some of our K needs out of our irrigation supply water (river) according to the experts.


Wow, that's really strange.....we have to dump the potash to our fields or we won't have a field after a few years.....wish our water supply had a bunch of k, and hell a bit of n would be good too! My tests always calls for 200-300 # per acre......and that's what it gets, damned fertilizer companies....


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