Reducing Nitrogen Fertilizer and Indirect Energy Usage

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About a third of all energy used in U.S. agriculture goes to commercial fertilizer and pesticide production, the most energy-intensive of all farm inputs. Many producers are saving money by reducing these "indirect" forms of energy consumption.

Successful strategies include the use of cover crops and manures (both green & animal), nitrogen-fixing crop rotations, composting and compost teas, and integrated pest management.

NOTE: Some of the following documents are available as Adobe Acrobat PDFs. Download Acrobat Reader.

ATTRA Publications

Links

USDA-NRCS Energy Estimator: Nitrogen
This Natural Resources Conservation Service energy consumption tool enables you to calculate the cost of nitrogen product use on your farm or ranch by evaluating options based on user input.

Fertilizer Calculator, Oregon Tilth and Oregon State University
Synthethic fertilizer is the largest indirect energy cost on most farms. This updated, organic fertilizer calculator will help you choose soil amendments based on cost effectiveness and soil and crop requirements. The zip file download [556 K zip] includes the Microsoft Excel calculator and instructions. Note that there are several worksheets within the calculator.

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Last Updated December 28, 2007

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