Fertilizer Use Shows Decline

Dec 16, 2022

Overall fertilizer use in Canada appears to be on the decline.

Statistics Canada reported Thursday that 80% of national field crop producers applied commercial fertilizer in 2021, down 9 points from 2017. Meanwhile, that portion of forage crop producers applying fertilizer dipped 2 points to 39% during the same period, while almost two-thirds (63%) of fruit, vegetable, berry and nut crop producers applied fertilizer, down 12 points from 2017.

The report did not discuss the possible reasons for the decline, although a sharp rise in the cost of fertilizer is one potential culprit.

According to a StatsCan farm income report released last month, fertilizer expenses for Canadian farmers increased by a whopping 29.3% to $7.3 billion in 2021. A combination of factors led to the price run-up, including strong crop prices, supply chain issues related to the pandemic, high natural gas prices, and sanctions or duties against Russia and Belarus, two major global fertilizer exporters. With fertilizer on the rise, total national farm operating expenses (after rebates) increased by 10.5% to $60.3 billion in 2021, the largest increase since a 19% leap in 1981.

Click here to see more...

Video: Our Own On-Farm Research Is the Best Source - Managing White Mold in Northeast Nebraska

If you assumed Nebraska was too hot and dry for white mold to be a problem in soybeans, think again.

This week we're featuring Galen Samuelson, a farmer and dealer from Wakefield, Nebraska, who knows all too well how devastating white mold can be.

"We don't have it consistently every year, but with our temperature and humidity, it can hurt us quite bad," Samuelson says. Looking for alternatives, he explains, "What I like about Heads Up is that it's non-harmful to the beneficial fungal colonies in the soil." Galen has been using Heads Up for several years now, after first hearing about it through a small ad in a regional newspaper. Watch below to hear about his journey.

When asked to write about Samuelson Seed, Galen said the following:

"Samuelson Seed is a 4th-generation, family-based company. It started with my grandfather, and I'm now starting to pass the torch to my son, Caleb."

"In the early 1990s, I started working with a company whose focus was on plant and soil health before those benefits were widely known. I've continued to keep plant and soil health the main focus in our farming operation decisions."