Farming Fertilizer

Get the most out of your farmland with farm fertilizer
By Denise Brown Since man began farming, agricultural fertilizer has been an important tool. Without farm fertilizers the land becomes non-productive. While agriculture fertilizer is important, modern farmers have to make sure they use environmentally-friendly crop fertilizer. More and more fertilizer companies realize that need, and many are expanding into organic fertilizer production.
 

While you may look for local fertilizer companies to supply your needs, you may also want to broaden your scope of fertilizer manufacturers to at least a state or regional level. New farming fertilizers are coming onto to the market, so you want to be knowledgeable about any changes that may affect your bottom line. Additionally, farming fertilizer prices may be lower elsewhere and even with higher shipping costs, you may see enough savings for the extra expense to be worth the effort.

Generally speaking, fertilizer companies offer crop fertilizer in three forms:

1. Dry agriculture fertilizer

2. Liquid farm fertilizer

3. Organic or natural farming fertilizer

Find fertilizer companies that provide dry fertilizer

Use dry fertilizer as both grass and aerated soil fertilizer. Apply the fertilizer in its dry form with a broadcast spreader. You can spread dry fertilizer during the winter months if you wish while the land lies fallow.
Try: The J.R. Simplot Company provides dry fertilizer in their Simplot Plant Nutrients line of products. Crop Production Services, a nationally known company, provides dry fertilizers to their customers as well.

Locate agriculture fertilizer in liquid form

Liquid fertilizer is a bit trickier to deal with than dry fertilizer, but with the proper tools it can be an effective way to fertilize your farm. Liquid fertilizer requires special equipment to "knife," or bury it into the ground. It's a good way to make use of animal waste material such as liquid manure.
Try: The Nutra-Flo Company offers a line of PureGrade products that include liquid fertilizers that are low in heavy metals and are environmentally friendly. Agro-Culture Liquid Fertilizers has been selling liquid fertilizers to their customers for over 40 years.

Seek out fertilizer companies that emphasize "green" technologies

Organic farming is big business, and fertilizer companies realize their customers want organic fertilizers for their farmland. Even if a farmer isn't planting organic crops, he's still a good steward of the environment and wants to plant and fertilize "green" as much as possible.
Try: For small amounts of organic fertilizer, Diatect International, Inc. offers a fertilizer that produces results for up to three months. AgriEnergy Resources offers a wide range of farm fertilizers in various chemical compounds. They are sure to have just the right combination of fertilizer to meet your organic farming needs.

• For many years farmers thought they had to apply their farm fertilizer in the spring, either just prior to planting or as they planted the crops. Scientists are now finding that's not necessarily the best practice. Farmers can apply fertilizer any time after harvest. By fertilizing in the off-season, a farmer can save money on his crop fertilizer by taking advantages of seasonal discounts.