DTN Retail Fertilizer Trends

OMAHA (DTN) -- Retail fertilizer prices continue to be lower, according to prices tracked by DTN for the second week of December 2019, continuing a trend that's been in place for several months.

All eight of the major fertilizers were lower in price from the month earlier, but none were statistically notable. DTN designates a significant price change as a move of 5% or more.

DAP had an average price of $445/ton, down $12; MAP $463/ton, down $2; potash $378/ton, down $4; urea $380/ton, down $8; 10-34-0 $470/ton, down $3; anhydrous $489/ton, down $7; UAN28 $241/ton, down $5; and UAN32 $276/ton, down $8.

On a price per pound of nitrogen basis, the average urea price was at $0.41/lb.N, anhydrous $0.30/lb.N, UAN28 $0.43/lb.N and UAN32 $0.43/lb.N.

With winter weather in place over most of the Corn Belt, the University of Illinois revisited how fertilizer can move on frozen and snow-covered soil. Titled "Nutrient movement off frozen and snow-covered soils" and written by Emerson Nafziger, the report examined what happened in Illinois during the first week of March last spring when farmers applied a considerable amount of phosphorous (P) and potash (K) to the frozen soil surface.

In many locations south of Interstate 80 an inch or more of rain fell following fertilizer application in early March 2019. Most of the rain fell on March 9 and a great deal of the rainfall ran off the frozen soil surface, he wrote.

Several samples of water moving out of fields after this rainfall event were collected as part of the ongoing water monitoring that the Illinois Fertilizer and Chemical Association (IFCA) conducts with the Keep It 4R Crop program.

In fields where P and K was not applied, average levels of chloride, nitrate-N, ammonium-N and phosphate-P were 2.3, 0.7, 0.7 and 0.3 parts per million (ppm).

Levels jumped significantly in fields where P and K were applied on frozen soils in early March, with an average of 39.0 ppm chloride, 1.2 ppm nitrate-N, 8.3 ppm ammonium-N and 19.1 ppm phosphate-P.

"Both MAP and KCI are highly soluble in water, though, and the elevated chloride (K wasn't measured), ammonium and phosphate levels are a clear indication that the rain dissolved fertilizer nutrients and moved them off the field," Nafziger wrote.

To read the entire University of Illinois report go to http://bulletin.ipm.illinois.edu.

Retail fertilizers are mixed in price from a year ago. MAP is now 13% less expensive, DAP is 12% lower, anhydrous is 11% less expensive, UAN32 is 9% lower, UAN28 is 8% lower and urea is 7% less expensive from last year at this time. In addition, potash is 1% higher and 10-34-0 is 3% more expensive compared to last year.

DTN collects roughly 1,700 retail fertilizer bids from 310 retailer locations weekly. Not all fertilizer prices change each week. Prices are subject to change at any time.

DTN Pro Grains subscribers can find current retail fertilizer price in the DTN Fertilizer Index on the Fertilizer page under Farm Business.

Retail fertilizer charts dating back to 2010 are available in the DTN fertilizer segment. The charts included cost of N/lb., DAP, MAP, potash, urea, 10-34-0, anhydrous, UAN28 and UAN32.

DRY
Date Range	DAP	MAP	POTASH	UREA
Dec 10-14 2018	505	533	375	407
Jan 7-11 2019	508	533	381	407
Feb 4-8 2019	511	536	385	408
Mar 4-8 2019	510	534	386	403
Apr 1-5 2019	509	533	386	405
Apr 29-May 3 2019	498	528	390	413
May 27-31 2019	497	527	392	430
Jun 24-28, 2019	495	531	392	429
Jul 22-26 2019	495	531	394	430
Aug 19-23 2019	491	495	387	413
Sep 16-20 2019	480	478	384	404
Oct 14-18, 2019	465	472	382	402
Nov 11-15 2019	457	465	382	388
Dec 9-13 2019	445	463	378	380
Liquid
Date Range	10-34-0	ANHYD	UAN28	UAN32
Dec 10-14 2018	455	552	261	302
Jan 7-11 2019	461	573	267	304
Feb 4-8 2019	470	596	271	318
Mar 4-8 2019	470	596	270	317
Apr 1-5 2019	474	599	272	319
Apr 29-May 3 2019	487	595	268	315
May 27-31 2019	487	590	270	314
Jun 24-28, 2019	487	584	269	318
Jul 22-26 2019	485	582	272	320
Aug 19-23 2019	475	530	257	291
Sep 16-20 2019	471	509	254	289
Oct 14-18, 2019	471	507	253	289
Nov 11-15 2019	473	496	246	284
Dec 9-13 2019	470	489	241	276

Russ Quinn can be reached at russ.quinn@dtn.com

Follow him on Twitter @RussQuinnDTN

(CZ/SK)

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