By Ben Wicker, Executive Director, Indiana Agriculture Nutrient Alliance
May/June 2026
Fertilizers cost a lot more money today than they did at the start of the year, but there are specific actions farmers can take to reduce reliance on expensive inputs or stretch their dollar farther. Specifically, soil testing, using cover crops where appropriate, sourcing (and testing) manure, and avoiding overdependence on foliar fertilizers can save dollars and build efficiency. Although every farm has different farm management techniques, pinching the fertilizer penny this year can pay off later.
Recent events have fertilizer prices receiving a lot of focus, and not only from farmers. The prices of phosphorus in particular have the USDA and our President going on record about finding solutions to prices that, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF), have 70% of farmers unable to buy all the fertilizer they need. AFBF national numbers made headlines, but it’s important to note that the Midwest number is 47%, mostly due to two-thirds of Midwest farms prepaying for fertilizer, a much higher number than other regions of the US. As most farmers know, fertilizer prices are quick to increase and much slower to decrease. As we look past this planting season into the fall and the next crop year, how can we ensure viable farms?
The easiest answer is to get the soil testing plan up to date. If you haven’t tested the farm in a few years, test. If you have, plan to test fields according to your established plan, at least every field every four years, plus a field or two that you suspect will return high values, should it suit you. Avoid application of phosphorus and potash on fields that return very high soil test values. This year, start looking for high soil test values and avoid application there. If you grid sample, try to find a way to variable-rate apply. If you routinely apply micronutrients like boron, sulfur, zinc, or manganese, be sure you’re also soil testing for values of those micros. Soil testing may have the highest return on investment for any farm expense this year.
Fine tuning your nitrogen plan may allow you to make more efficient use of your fertilizer dollars. Consider the 4Rs – using the right source at the right rate in the right place at the right time can allow you to potentially cut back on nitrogen rates – or increase bushels to offset the cost. Shifting more applications to in-season, using nitrogen stabilizers or incorporation to reduce loss risks, and adjusting rates based on the growing season and conditions can allow you to use nitrogen more judiciously.
Cover crops done right are excellent ways to scavenge a few pounds of nutrients or build nitrogen for the coming season in the case of legumes. Wherein they can get close to canopy closure in the fall, they also protect the soil from organic matter depletion or erosion over the winter. Programs like the Regenerative Pilot Program, Farmers for Soil Health, Soil and Water Outcomes Fund, and others can provide incentives that, in many cases, completely offset the cost of planting and termination. This time of year is perfect for plotting a cover crop course and locking in seed. The increase in drone capabilities in the state is allowing for more pre-harvest seeding possibilities, making seeding windows for many cover crops more viable. Consult the Midwest Cover Crop Council’s Selector Tool for more research on appropriate species for your goals.
Manure is an invaluable tool for building nutrients in the soil, especially since they slow-release nutrients over the course of three years or more. In many areas where livestock are plentiful, they can eliminate supplemental phosphorus needs. If manures are used, this year is a good year to get manure tested for the nutrients they contain and work those numbers into nutrient application budgets. Manure does contain much more than phosphorus, and the other nutrients therein may allow for reductions, sometimes steep, in nitrogen, potassium, and select micronutrients based on the analysis.
Foliar fertilizers are great for rescue treatments when plant tissue tests (or visual indicators) show a nutrient deficiency. This year would be a good year to research what each specific nutrient’s deficiency symptoms look like and work that knowledge into crop scouting visits. However, it is important to understand that very little foliar fertilizer is taken up by the leaves and most must work it way to the soil to be taken up by the roots. In the meantime, a lot can happen to degrade or make unavailable much of that fertility.
For more information on these topics or others related to nutrients, contact the Indiana Agriculture Nutrient Alliance. We have a recently remodeled web site at inagnutrients.org, and our team and our partners want to ensure you have a safe and successful growing season, not just this year, but well into the future.