Fertilizer Prices

[clarkmorefarm]

I tested my pastures and hay ground this year, since it is my property and my neighbors that border each other, I thought they might be very similar. My hay yield seems to be a little better. (I converted hay fields to pasture this year)

I would have thought it would have required liming, but both PH's were around 6.15 and UT did not recommend liming for cool season pasture/hay with legume. I do have a lot of clover in the fields.

My recommendation given was 30 N 90 P 60 K lbs. per acre for both fields. I haven't priced it yet or got to spreading but I'll end up spreading it maybe by this weekend. Been waiting on some rain, which we are still pretty dry for this time of year.

 

[sstterry]

I tested my pastures and hay ground this year, since it is my property and my neighbors that border each other, I thought they might be very similar. My hay yield seems to be a little better. (I converted hay fields to pasture this year)

I would have thought it would have required liming, but both PH's were around 6.15 and UT did not recommend liming for cool season pasture/hay with legume. I do have a lot of clover in the fields.

My recommendation given was 30 N 90 P 60 K lbs. per acre for both fields. I haven't priced it yet or got to spreading but I'll end up spreading it maybe by this weekend. Been waiting on some rain, which we are still pretty dry for this time of year.

I am not far from you and it is supposed to rain Sunday and Monday.

 

[clarkmorefarm]

I am not far from you and it is supposed to rain Sunday and Monday.

Yep, hoping I can get off work early enough on Friday to get to the Co-op and spread Friday.

 

[RNW]

paid $2,100.00 for 4 tons(26-11-11) in a buggy to spread myself mid March. i am in North Mississippi, near Oxford.

 

[Porkies Bovines]

paid $2,100.00 for 4 tons(26-11-11) in a buggy to spread myself mid March. i am in North Mississippi, near Oxford.

How many lbs of filler in a ton of 26-11-11??
From memory a ton of 19-19-19 has 70-80 lbs?
and I think a ton of 15-15-15 has something like 450?
That's what the only bulk dealer in town says.. They only use DAP.
Does anyone have a have a list of lbs of filler per ton of the most popular mixtures?

 

[Silver]

How many lbs of filler in a ton of 26-11-11??
From memory a ton of 19-19-19 has 70-80 lbs?
and I think a ton of 15-15-15 has something like 450?
That's what the only bulk dealer in town says.. They only use DAP.
Does anyone have a have a list of lbs of filler per ton of the most popular mixtures?

Maybe I've been doing it wrong but always figured for example that 48-0-0 was 48 pounds of actual nitrogen per 100 lbs. So 26-11-11 would be 48 lbs of fertilizer per 100 lbs.

 

[chevytaHOE5674]

Maybe I've been doing it wrong but always figured for example that 48-0-0 was 48 pounds of actual nitrogen per 100 lbs. So 26-11-11 would be 48 lbs of fertilizer per 100 lbs.

Correct.

 

[Porkies Bovines]

Maybe I've been doing it wrong but always figured for example that 48-0-0 was 48 pounds of actual nitrogen per 100 lbs. So 26-11-11 would be 48 lbs of fertilizer per 100 lbs.

So if a ton of 26-11-11 would have 48 lbs X 20 = 960 lbs of fertilizer and 52 X 20 = 1040 lbs of filler ?????
if that's right that's very expensive gravel.
or is my math brain messed up......................again

 

[Otha]

So if a ton of 26-11-11 would have 48 lbs X 20 = 960 lbs of fertilizer and 52 X 20 = 1040 lbs of filler ?????
if that's right that's very expensive gravel.
or is my math brain messed up......................again

That's not exactly how I would think about it. Fertilizer blends are made up of different ingredients such as Urea=46-0-0, Ammonium Sulfate=21-0-0/24 sulfer, DAP=18-46-0, and Potash=0-0-60. Those ingredients are blended to form specific blends. Some blends aren't feasible without some filler. No one around my part of the world uses fillers. Fillers leave the customer feeling cheated. So with those 4 ingredients I listed most blends can be made using ammonium sulfate as a sort of filler. So locally when you order a 15-15-15 that's what you get except it also has 9.95% sulfur in it.
Hope that makes sense, I don't even know what a common filler material would be.

 

[Porkies Bovines]

Hope that makes sense, I don't even know what a common filler material would be.

I think the local bulk dealer calls his filler "limestone chips/flakes" AKA gravel.
all the blends I've used have only 4 ingredients , urea 46-0-0, DAP 18-46-0, potash 0-0-60 and filler, but I tell then to hold the filler add urea.

 

[clarkmorefarm]

Just thought I would follow up. Here is what my total was from my local co op. Application rate was 296 lbs to the acres. Haying properties for years and not putting anything back really takes a toll on them.

 

[mwj]

The fertilizer that goes into the blend is not 100% of the nutrient. 0 0 60 is potash in its usable form as produced for example. There is not a 100% potash product. The products are blended as needed to make up the analysis needed. For example 36-92-120 would be 2000 lbs of dap and 2000 lbs of potash blended and then the blend applied at 400 lbs to the acre. There is no filler added to make the blend,only the raw ingredients.

 

[kenny thomas]

The fertilizer that goes into the blend is not 100% of the nutrient. 0 0 60 is potash in its usable form as produced for example. There is not a 100% potash product. The products are blended as needed to make up the analysis needed. For example 36-92-120 would be 2000 lbs of dap and 2000 lbs of potash blended and then the blend applied at 400 lbs to the acre. There is no filler added to make the blend,only the raw ingredients.

Except DAP has 36 lb of filler and 0-0-60 potash has 40 lb of filler.

 

[mwj]

Except DAP has 36 lb of filler and 0-0-60 potash has 40 lb of filler.

No filler as that is what they are. Potash is potash not potash with filler added. That would be like saying all beef is full of ''filler' because of moisture fiber ect.

 

[wbvs58]

Bear with my rusty chemical formula but the likes of MAP which is (Nh4)3Po4, the actual amount of N and P in it can be worked out by using their actual weight or position on the periodic table along with all the other elements in the formula and a %age of each calculated, yes the weight of oxygen is taken too and is part of your so called "filler".

Ken

 

[Mark Reynolds]

Serious question... does it pencil out on yield? Assuming sufficient rain? Hay was so cheap this past winter n all, ya know.

I hay lease ground only and would throw down some N before prices went so high. Haven't bought any since 2019.

It is definitely depleting the ground though.

I'd love to put some down but I just dont know if it'd pay off in my situation.

Should I?

That is going to depend on the value you put on the yield, or hay you can sell yield for if that is your intent. I see it all the time here. Hay gets sold all the time for less than what the fertilizer value of the hay is. I would get hay tested prior to selling it, and price it accordingly based on the results. There are plenty of producers that operate under the belief that any hay is better than snowballs and would consider fertilizing and testing a waste of time. I also know of instances here cattle have starved to death with a full rumen when the producer didn't understand there is a nutritional value that goes with hay. That nutritional value is determined to a very large extent based on the soil fertility.

 

[ClinchValley86]

@Mark Reynolds I think how the hay is handled between mowing and baling is more important than the soil fertility. lol. almost.

I 100% follow what you're saying tho.

That's why I don't sell much. I'm not giv8ng it away. Sold some recently for 50. Feel like I might have broke even on them. I enjoy selling them for $70 though.

It amazes me how people can't see their cows losing condition. Even more, it amazes me at how many want their cows lean, bcs 4 at best, for beef purposes. Insanity, my dude!

 

[chevytaHOE5674]

There are plenty of producers that operate under the belief that any hay is better than snowballs..

I'm a firm believer in that moto, because technically speaking even the poorest hay IS better than a snowball. I may not be an expert in hay but I know plenty about snowballs you'll die real quick eating nothing but snowballs.

 

[Mark Reynolds]

I'm a firm believer in that moto, because technically speaking even the poorest hay IS better than a snowball. I may not be an expert in hay but I know plenty about snowballs you'll die real quick eating nothing but snowballs.

Due to lack of nutrition, and resulting hypothermia from the snowballs, you are probably right technically. Do note that some hay is so poor that there is virtually nothing for the bacteria to break down in the rumen which means there are no nutrients for the animal to absorb. Starvation is a slow way to die weather on snowballs or poor hay. Animals that die from starving on poor hay typically do so near the end of winter or early spring before or at green up.

Necropsy of animals in this condition shows a full rumen with no digestion taking place. The equivalent of feeding nothing, or rocks, or yes...snowballs.

 

[ClinchValley86]

Due to lack of nutrition, and resulting hypothermia from the snowballs, you are probably right technically. Do note that some hay is so poor that there is virtually nothing for the bacteria to break down in the rumen which means there are no nutrients for the animal to absorb. Starvation is a slow way to die weather on snowballs or poor hay. Animals that die from starving on poor hay typically do so near the end of winter or early spring before or at green up.

Necropsy of animals in this condition shows a full rumen with no digestion taking place. The equivalent of feeding nothing, or rocks, or yes...snowballs.

I am pretty sure I'd rather freeze to death than starve my way there.