Fertilizer Use and Price Statistics, 1960-85

The rapid growth in fertilizer consumption throughout the sixties and seventies peaked at 23.7 million nutrient tons in 19R1. U.S. plant nutrient use has since dropped by varying amounts because of fewer crop acres and stabilizing application rates. By 19R,), plant nutrient use totaled 21.7 million tons. Farm fertilizer prices, while stable or declining during the sixties, have shown greater variability since 1974. Statistics in this bulletin include quarterly (or semiannual) time series for farm fertilizer prices, annual farm and wholesale fertilizer price indexes, fertilizer consumption by plant nutrient and major product, and consumption of mixed fertilizers, secondary nutrients, and micronutrients. Also included are annual statistics on fertilizer use per acre by nutrient in the major producing States for corn, cotton, soybeans, and wheat (1964-85).