Nutrien eKonomics Tools Boost Smart Crop Planning

New farm calculators help growers plan fertilizer budgets and crop input costs

Nutrien has expanded its eKonomics digital platform by introducing two new calculators designed to support farmers and agronomists in making better crop and fertilizer planning decisions for the upcoming growing season. 

The first new tool is the Input Planning Calculator. This calculator helps farmers understand their total production costs by analyzing fixed and variable farm expenses. It includes equipment costs, labor spending, fertilizer investments, and other major inputs. Growers can enter yield goals, input prices, and crop market values to estimate break-even points on a per-acre basis. 

This tool also allows farmers to compare different crops before planting. By viewing possible returns for each crop, growers can better plan their crop mix and choose options that best fit their budgets and farm goals. This helps farmers reduce financial risk and improve overall farm profitability. 

The second new tool is the Dry Fertilizer Calculator. This calculator focuses on helping farmers choose the right fertilizer source and application rate for their crops. It follows the 4R Nutrient Stewardship principles, which promote applying the right source of nutrients, at the right rate, at the right time, and in the right place. 

“These new calculators were developed to give farmers and their trusted advisors simple tools to assess fertilizer cost and value when developing a fertilizer plan within the budget of the entire farm,” said Lyle Cowell, Senior Agronomist at Nutrien. “Adding the input planning and dry fertilizer calculator expands eKonomics’ collection of free calculators and ROI tools, giving growers practical resources they can rely on to make smart crop decisions.” 

Farmers can use this calculator to create fertilizer blends based on soil test reports and crop needs. The tool converts nutrient targets into exact product application rates. It also estimates fertilizer costs, helping growers build accurate and cost-effective fertilizer plans. 

Together, these new calculators join other popular eKonomics tools such as rainfall, nutrient removal, and return-on-investment calculators. These resources provide farmers with easy-to-use digital tools that support smart fertilizer management and better crop planning. 

By offering simple and practical planning tools, the eKonomics platform continues to support growers in making informed decisions that improve productivity, sustainability, and farm profitability. 

“Growers are looking for simple and accessible planning tools to help guide their decisions for next season, and the field-tested eKonomics calculators can help address this need,” said Dr. Karl Wyant, Director of Agronomy at Nutrien.   

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