Fertilizer Prices Fall as UAN32 Leads Significant Drops Heading Into August

LINCOLN, Neb. (DTN) — The average retail price of most fertilizers continued to fall in the final week of July, as five of eight nutrients tracked by DTN were lower than the previous month.

The average price of three fertilizers dropped significantly compared to a month ago, led by UAN32. DTN designates a significant move as anything 5% or more.

The price of UAN32 dropped by 14% month over month to an average price of $459 per ton. UAN32’s price has dropped by 8% compared to one year ago, according to DTN data.

UAN28’s average price fell by 8% month over month to $464/ton. UAN28’s average price was 11% higher than one year ago.

Anhydrous prices dropped by 7% to $960/ton, after falling to under $1,000/ton for the first time since the third week of March in recent weeks.

Urea also fell by 4% to $686/ton, two weeks after falling below the $700/ton mark for the first time in 17 weeks.

The average price of the nutrient 10-34-0 dropped by 1% compared to one month ago to $718/ton.

The remaining three nutrients showed slight increases from the previous month. The price of DAP increased by 1% to $914/ton, MAP’s average price was $958/ton, while the average price of potash was $494/ton.

On a price per pound of nitrogen basis, the average urea price was $0.75/lb.N, anhydrous $0.59/lb.N, UAN28 $0.83/lb.N and UAN32 $0.72/lb.N.

New York University researchers have found the mechanism responsible for plants to know when they’ve taken up enough nitrogen, according to a news release from NYU, which could help scientists develop plants that absorb more nitrogen from the soil to help farmers reduce fertilizer applications.

In the study, researchers found plant genes that respond to nitrogen. The news release said it allowed them to focus on a protein called HHO5 that they determined to be a key regulator signaling to the plant when it meets its nitrogen demands.

The study’s lead author Will Hinckley, a doctoral student at NYU’s Department of Biology, said in the news release: “Inorganic nitrogen is taken up by plants from soil and assimilated into organic nitrogen. This nitrogen uptake and assimilation process is heavily energy intensive. Therefore, when organic nitrogen sufficiency triggers the HHO5 gene, HHO5 in turn signals for the plant to stop absorbing additional inorganic nitrogen from soil, likely as a means of conserving energy. This became the model of how plants establish nitrogen satiety via HHO5.”

Seven of eight fertilizers are now higher in price compared to one year earlier. Potash is 2% higher; urea 6%; 10-34-0 7%; DAP 12%; MAP 8%; UAN28 11% and anhydrous 26%. UAN32 is 8% less expensive.

DTN gathers fertilizer price bids from agriculture retailers each week to compile the DTN Fertilizer Index.

DTN first began reporting data in November 2008. In addition to national averages, MyDTN subscribers can access the full DTN Fertilizer Index, which includes state averages, here: https://www.mydtn.com/agriculture/web/ag/markets/fuels-fertilizers#!/fertilizers

Todd Neeley can be reached at todd.neeley@dtn.com Follow him on social platform X @DTNeeley