DTN Retail Fertilizer Trends

OMAHA (DTN) -- As in recent weeks, retail fertilizer prices continued steady during the last week of May 2017, according to retailers surveyed by DTN.

Of the eight major fertilizers, half were just slightly higher compared to a month earlier. These were DAP, MAP, potash, and UAN28. DAP had an average price of $436/ton, MAP $471/ton, potash $340/ton and UAN28 $248/ton.

The remaining four fertilizers were slightly lower in price from last month. Urea had an average price of $339/ton, 10-34-0 $436/ton, anhydrous $503/ton and UAN32 $280/ton.

On a price per pound of nitrogen basis, the average urea price was at $0.37/lb.N, anhydrous $0.31/lb.N, UAN28 $0.44/lb.N and UAN32 $0.44/lb.N.

In last week's column, we took a closer look at sidedressing nitrogen on corn, a practice happening right now across the Corn Belt. Farmers have different thoughts on the increasingly popular practice of applying nitrogen when young corn plants need the nutrients the most.

Jay Culver, a farmer/agronomist from Iroquois, South Dakota, said he will sidedress all his corn acres. He will start around V4 and keep an eye on the weather forecast, considering weather could affect his timing.

"If the corn outgrows the sidedress bar, we will switch to topdressing with a spinner box using urea on sprayer chassis, Y-drops with 28% or even use an airplane with urea," Culver told DTN.

Culver said one thing he learned with sidedressing on his east-central South Dakota farming operation was what rates of nitrogen to leave back from the first application for the in-season trip. He settled on having about two-thirds of his anticipated nitrogen needs on before emergence then an in-season application for the balance, he said.

Farther to south, Daren Niemeyer, who farms near Bladen, Nebraska, manages sidedressing on his farm similarly. He starts applying at about fifth or sixth leaf stage, but he has not been able to cover all of his acres before the corn is too tall. He will employ an injection machine to get all of his acres covered with nitrogen.

He has been using liquid nitrogen the last 10 years or so in a no-till corn operation. Along with increasing yields, Niemeyer said he has also seen a large increase in the organic matter in his south-central Nebraska soils.

"I have some fields that are 3.6% to 3.7% organic matter now," Niemeyer said. "That is an increase of about 1 to 1.5 percentage points."

Retail fertilizers are lower compared to a year earlier. Half of the eight major fertilizers are still double digits lower.

10-34-0 is 22% lower from a year ago, anhydrous is 13% less expensive, UAN32 is 11% lower and urea is down 10%. DAP is 8% less expensive, UAN28 is 7% lower and both MAP and potash are 6% less expensive.

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.

DTN's average of retail fertilizer prices from a month earlier ($ per ton):

DRY
Date Range	DAP	MAP	POTASH	UREA
May 30-June 3 2016	473	499	363	375
June 27-July 1 2016	468	495	358	365
July 25-29 2016	459	492	356	356
Aug 22-26 2016	451	468	330	330
Sept 19-23 2016	443	453	319	323
Oct 17-21 2016	436	452	313	317
Nov 14-18 2016	436	445	315	327
Dec 12-16 2016	433	443	320	333
Jan 9-13 2017	432	441	320	338
Feb 6-10 2017	431	448	330	354
Mar 03-10 2017	436	460	336	361
Apr 3-7 2017	438	466	338	354
May 1-5 2017	436	466	339	351
May 29-Jun 2 2017	436	471	340	339
LIQUID
Date Range	10-34-0	ANHYD	UAN28	UAN32
May 30-June 3 2016	559	579	268	313
June 27-July 1 2016	554	566	266	304
July 25-29 2016	543	545	257	304
Aug 22-26 2016	502	515	234	280
Sept 19-23 2016	470	494	225	271
Oct 17-21 2016	453	475	224	265
Nov 14-18 2016	445	466	219	256
Dec 12-16 2016	444	463	219	257
Jan 9-13 2017	437	467	222	258
Feb 6-10 2017	440	485	238	273
Mar 03-10 2017	441	503	246	279
Apr 3-7 2017	441	505	248	280
May 1-5 2017	436	508	247	280
May 29-Jun 2 2017	436	503	248	280

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

Follow Russ Quinn on Twitter @RussQuinnDTN

(AG/CZ)

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