John Christian Fertilizer Values Serving a diverse clientele in - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

John Christian Fertilizer Values

• Serving a diverse clientele in production

agriculture

– Commercial Fertilizer – Seed – Crop protection products – Custom Application – Soil Testing / Information Management – Manure Management

Caledonia, MI

East Saugatuck, MI

Bangor, MI

West Olive, MI

Commercial fertilizer prices determines value of

• ther nutrient sources.
• Nitrogen

– Urea $440.00 / Ton $.478 / # of N – 28% $260.00 / Ton $.464 / # of N – Ammonium Sulfate $280 / Ton $.667 / # of N $.311 / # of total nutrients

Phosphorus is center of attention

• Phosphorus

– MAP $575 / Ton $.553 / # of P2O5 $.456 / # of total nutrients – 10‐34‐0 $435 / Ton $.64 / # of P2O5 $.494 / # of total nutrients – 5‐13‐8 $825 / Ton$3.17 / # of P2O5 $1.59 / # of total nutrients

Recent pricing has reduced usage

• Potassium

– Potash $485 / Ton $.391 / # of K2O – Potassium Sulfate $770 / Ton $.77 / # of K2O $.575 / # of total nutrients

• Sulfur

– 90% Sulfur $375 / Ton $.21 / # of S

Calcium / Magnesium

• Hi Calcium Ag Lime

$30.00 / Ton

– $.07 / lb of Calcium – $.13 / lb of Magnesium (.10 / # of Total Nutrients)

• Pelletized Lime

$130.00 / Ton

– $.36 / lb of Calcium – $.41 / lb of Magnesium (.385 / # of Total Nutrients)

• K Mag

$375.00 / Ton

– $1.705 / lb of Magnesium (.426 / # of Total Nutrients)

Fertilizer Nutrients Are Valuable!

• PPI estimates that 57% of corn yields are

attributable to proper fertility and liming as calculated by University of Illinois and PPI.

• Nitrogen could represent up to 41% of corn

yields.

• N & P have represented 40 % of wheat yields
• ver a 70 year average
• Across all crops and conditions, approx. 40% of

yield is contributable to proper fertility.

– Data supported by American Society of Agronomy

Where do Bio‐Solids fit?

• Against Commercial Fertilizer

– Supplying 100 # of N is a value of about $40.00 / A

• Any other nutrients add to value
• Against Value of Crop

– 175 bu Corn @ $3.25 / bu = $568.75

• If Bio‐Solids comprised 40% of fertilizer inputs and

fertilizer delivered 40% of yield. ($568.75 *.4 *.4 = $91.00 / Acre)

Bio‐Solids / Solid Value

• Against Nutrients needed to produce a crop

– 175 bu corn requires 657 # of overall Macro‐

• Nutrients. If the average Macro‐Nutrient is valued

at $.30 / lb and Bio‐Solids comprise 30% of total nutrients needed = $59.13 / Acre – $59.00 / Acre does not include any value of lime that may be contributed. Lime requirement could be 500 # / Acre / year @ $30.00 / Ton is $7.50 / Acre that Bio‐Solids could replace all or part of.

Additional benefits

• Carbon / Humates

– $.65 ‐ ?? / lbs.

• Tillage
• Micro‐nutrients
• Beneficial microbes
• Water holding capacity

Just when you thought I was sold

• Issues that distract from overall value

– Compaction – Phosphorus

• Is it really available?
• Right to farm guidelines
• Competing with Animal Waste for land
• Protection of available land for manure application

– Uniformity – Unwanted metals / risk of pollutants – Public perception

Change!

• Our experience on bringing non‐traditional

value

– Farmpeat delivers $3.00 of value for every $1.00

• f cost.
• 1:1 value for N,P,K
• Virtually no demand for traditional row crops
• Started building Sustainable Horticultural Soils in 2004