Washington — According to fertilizer application rate data released on May 14 by USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), U.S. farmers were able to more than double crop production from 1980 to 2014 while using only 4.5 percent more fertilizer nutrients. NASS reported that farmers in 1980 grew 6.64 billion bushels of corn using 3.2 pounds of nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium) for each bushel, while in 2014 they grew 14.2 billion bushels using 1.6 pounds of nutrients per bushel produced. The Fertilizer Institute reported that this represents an 114 percent increase in production with just 4.5 percent more nutrients, and noted as well that corn production accounts for fully half of U.S. fertilizer use. “Numbers don’t lie, and this trend of continuous environmental and economic performance improvement is something that agriculture should be very proud of,” said TFI President Chris Jahn. “But we are not resting on our laurels, and believe that farmers and the businesses that serve them will continue this 24-year trend of improving efficiency. Truly sustainable agriculture protects the environment and grows farm profitability. We expect that through the more widespread adoption of 4R nutrient stewardship, (use of the right fertilizer source at the right rate, right time, and right place), farmers and the fertilizer industry will continue to help feed a growing world population.”
Transparency Across the Fertilizer Value-Chain