REUTERS —Mosaic Co. posted a lower fourth-quarter profit late last month as declining fertilizer prices dented margins and said it will curtail potash production at its mine near Colonsay, Sask. The company said potash prices plunged to $243 per tonne in the October-December quarter from $581 per tonne a year earlier, when prices soared due […] Read more
Tag Archives fertilizer — page 8
Research finds canola growers use fertilizer responsibly
A recent study at the University of Saskatchewan found that most of the province’s growers use optimal rates or less
BALGONIE, Sask. — A study at the University of Saskatchewan found a tax or cap on fertilizer use in canola would harm producer profitability when most are already using optimal amounts. Michelle Ross studied the topic for her master’s thesis after the federal government floated its target to reduce emissions from fertilizer by 30 percent […] Read more
Grain market outlook looks grim
SASKATOON — Grain growers should prepare for a year of falling prices and tight margins, says the chief economist of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Seth Meyer told delegates attending the USDA’s 100th Agricultural Outlook Forum to expect a continuation of the downward trend in commodity prices in 2024-25. Corn prices are forecast to fall […] Read more
Best not to put off urea, phosphate purchases
Producers who haven’t yet purchased their urea fertilizer will want to do so before the second half of February. That was one of the recommendations from a Jan. 17 session at Manitoba Ag Days in Brandon. The fertilizer market outlook was provided by Noah Bishop, a trader with ADM Fertilizer. ADM is a worldwide player […] Read more
A little less acid can boost crop nutrition
Altering soil pH may reduce fertilizer needs by reclaiming residual nutrients and increasing use efficiency
SASKATOON — With farmers in Western Canada facing another year of expensive crop inputs, a soil amendment that helps cut these costs by using what’s already there could be attractive. “We’ve been over-fertilizing for 50 years,” said Morgan Duggan, sales agronomist with NorStar Agriculture, which specializes in amendments to deal with pH, salinity, toxicity and […] Read more
Enhanced efficiency fertilizers must pay off
ST JEAN BAPTISTE, Man. — Enhanced efficiency fertilizers work. They might even be able to pay for themselves. But right now the bottom line impact is too unclear for a lot of farmers to embrace them, acknowledged University of Manitoba soil scientist Mario Tenuta during a discussion at St Jean Farm Days earlier this month. […] Read more
Producers urged to buy urea sooner than later
Trader says recent price spike is likely short-term, but farmers should make their purchases no later than mid-March
BRANDON — The global market for urea is in a period of mixed signals. Buyers in Australia and Southeast Asia made purchases in early January, putting upward pressure on price. Plus, stocks in North America are relatively low, which is also supportive of prices. On the other side of the coin, China may delay exports […] Read more
Fertilizer may decrease soil seed bank diversity
Researchers say they have found soil seed banks cannot rescue plant diversity that has been affected by fertilizer use
New research from the University of Oulu in Finland suggests nutrient enrichment of soil seed banks can weaken underground diversity and lower the potential for plants to rely on natural ecosystems. “From previous research, we know that nutrient enrichment leads to plant diversity loss in above-ground plant communities,” said Anu Eskelinen, of the university’s ecology […] Read more
Falling prices ‘mow down’ crop revenue
CLANDEBOYE, Man. — Last year was the most expensive crop to ever be put in the ground on the Prairies. In 2024, farmers will spend less on fertilizer, diesel and other inputs, but costs haven’t fallen off a cliff, said Darren Bond, a farm management specialist with Manitoba Agriculture, “The crop this year … the […] Read more
FCC announces new 4R incentive
Farm Credit Canada is prepared to pay farmers up to $2,000 to adopt 4R nutrient management practices using AgExpert, it announced Jan. 10. “We see an opportunity to reward FCC customers who follow Fertilizer Canada’s 4R Nutrient Stewardship Program,” said FCC president Justine Hendricks in a news release. “Streamlining the data management and verification process […] Read more
