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Farmer looks to trim fertilizer costs without sacrificing yield

A southeast Nebraska farmer says he’s considering changes to his crop management plan because of tight margins in 2027.   

Jay Hansen says he usually locks in prices in the fall, but, “We’re going to watch things. It looks like now is the time to be looking at nitrogen. For phosphate, we’re going to hold off and see if it will come down any.

And, he tells Brownfield, he will likely cut back on application rates. “We’ve been working with the University on the nitrogen projects and we’re realizing that we haven’t needed to put on as nitrogen on as we’ve had to in the past. We’ve been saving a little bit of money there by cutting rates by 20 to 30 pounds an acre.”

He says he’s also looking at reducing other inputs in an effort to lower expenses on his operation, but he doesn’t want the cuts to impact yields.