The Fertilizer Falacy - Pushing Yields up and Profit Down

Understanding Agriculture

 Nitrogen fertilizer is applied to winter wheat. 
Photo by Michael Trolove.

There’s a deeply held belief in modern agriculture that more fertilizer equals more yield, and more yield equals more profit. It sounds reasonable on the surface. But when you sharpen your pencil and run the numbers, the math often tells a very different story. For many farmers, a significant chunk of their fertilizer bill is doing nothing more than padding someone else’s bottom line. Story here.