Over the past several months I have had the opportunity to visit with several of our members across the country . In almost every case, the discussion has centered on the historic state of affairs we find ourselves in relative to fertilizer and crop prices. Efficiency was a centerpiece of solutions (pun intended!) that our Industry has to offer in these times of volatile crop and fertilizer prices. A few key points for positioning our products were common in all of these visits.

Flexibility. Remind your customers of the flexibility of UAN solution that offers opportunities of improving N use effciency through proper placement and timing of N fertilizer.

Effiency. Point out to your customers that with extremely tight supplies of SPA and P solutions, even reduced rates of properly placed P solutions offer to help improve the overall efficiency of fertility programs that may necessarily utilize dry P products in the coming year. (e.g. fluid P starter to complement dry broadcast P application). While an all fluid P program might be desireable, it may not be possible.

Uniform, Accurate Application. Encourage the use of fluid products to evenly distribute and/or place micronutrients needed to allow the overall fertility program to provide for optimum crop development and absolutely critical high crop yields. In general, people I have visited with think that things are not going to be markedly different next year in regard to product availability and pricing. And with the current financial turmoil, it may in fact be more challenging. Time will tell.

Note: With fall harvest wrapping up in many areas, make sure to note current observations in a journal and/or use your digital camera to document how fluids may help minimize some of the challenges noted this fall. Document how you can help the grower manage for improved efficiency by taking advantage of fluid fertilizers’ flexibility, efficiency and adaptability to improved, uniform and accurate crop nutrient applications. This fall is the time to start laying the ground work for next year.

Dale F. Leikam
Fluid Fertilizer Foundation

Past Headline News: Headline 1 - Fertilizer & Crop Prices
Past Headline News: Headline 2 - Fluid Technology Workshop
Past Headline News: Headline 3 - Shifting Paradigms in Evaluating Plant Nutrition
Past Headline News: Headline 4 - Fluid Fertilizer Compatibility Chart
Past Headline News: Headline 5 - Pushing The Yield Barrier