Fertilizer Prices
Current US benchmark prices for urea, MAP, potash, ammonium sulfate (AMS), K-Mag, and pelletized lime — the inputs that drive corn and soybean fertility costs for farmers nationwide. Updated from Midwest dealer and NOLA barge benchmarks.
Cost Per Pound of Nutrient
| Product | $/lb N | $/lb P₂O₅ | $/lb K₂O | $/lb S |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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Build Your Fertility Bill
Enter your crop and yield goal — this prices out the cheapest program to replace what the crop removes, using this week’s benchmarks. Nitrogen is costed at a yield-goal rate; phosphate and potash at crop removal.
Enter a yield goal to see your per-acre fertility bill.
How this is calculated
Cost per pound of nutrient = price ÷ (2000 lb/ton × grade %). Each nutrient is sourced from the cheapest product carrying it; nitrogen already supplied by your phosphate source (e.g. MAP) is credited before pricing urea.
Crop removal (lb/bu) — Corn P₂O₅ 0.37, K₂O 0.24 · Soybeans 0.80 / 1.30 · Wheat 0.50 / 0.30 — reflect grain nutrient removal commonly published by university extension and IPNI. Nitrogen uses a yield-goal rate (default 0.9 lb N/bu corn, adjustable; soybeans fix their own N). These are benchmarks, not a soil-test recommendation — your soil tests, credits, and agronomist override them.
Why Prices Move
Why Fertilizer Prices Move
Natural gas drives nitrogen costs (urea, ammonium sulfate). Phosphate (MAP) prices follow global mining supply, with Morocco and China as dominant producers. Potash and K-Mag are dominated by Canada and Russia — any export disruption moves prices fast. Pelletized lime is more local, set by quarry output and freight. Seasonal demand spikes before spring and fall applications regardless of global fundamentals.
What NOLA Barge Price Means
NOLA barge prices are traded at New Orleans river terminals — the wholesale benchmark for US fertilizer markets. To estimate your delivered cost, add freight: typically $30–$60/ton from NOLA inland by rail, plus dealer handling margin. Midwest prices shown here already include estimated freight.
Timing Fertilizer Purchases
Historically, fall and early winter offer softer urea and phosphate prices before spring demand builds. But natural gas direction, global supply, and tariffs can override seasonal patterns. A common approach: lock in 50–60% of needs in fall at a price you can live with, leave the rest flexible for spring.
How These Prices Affect Break-Evens
For corn at 180 bu/acre applying 160 lbs actual N as urea: a $100/ton price increase adds roughly $17/acre to input costs, or about $0.09/bu to your break-even. At 180 bu and $4.50 corn that’s meaningful — fertilizer price direction matters as much as corn price direction for your margin.