Fertilizers carry a hidden cost for soil’s crucial microbes – using less as prices rise might pay off for farms in unexpected ways

High Fertiliser Prices Push Jigawa Farmers Towards Animal Manure - AgroNigeria

Rising prices of synthetic fertilisers have prompted some farmers in Dutse, Jigawa State, to turn to animal manure as a cheaper means of replenishing soil nutrients and sustaining crop production. The farmers, who spoke in separate interviews on Tuesday in Dutse, said the cost of commercial fertilisers had become increasingly difficult for smallholder farmers to bear, forcing them to explore more affordable alternatives. They said manure obtaine…

Fertilizers carry a hidden cost for soil’s crucial microbes – using less as prices rise might pay off for farms in unexpected ways

by Esther Ndumi Ngumbi, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Across North America, in places such as Illinois, Iowa and Texas, farmers are busy growing the crops the world depends on for food, fuel and fiber. But as their tractors roll across fields, a pressing concern weighs heavily on many farmers: the rising cost of synthetic fertilizers, … Continue reading Fertilizers carry a hidden cost for soil’s crucial microbes – using less as prices …