Posted May 30, 2023 | By: Hudson Badskey, Nutrien Financial Territory Sales Manager

How to combat frost damage, loss of nitrogen, drought conditions and other unexpected occurrences to save your crop season

Farmers know you can’t always prepare for every circumstance you’re going to face. There will undoubtedly need to be changes to your crop plan throughout the year. Those changes can also bring about unexpected expenses, which in some cases can make a difference to your bottom line.

I recently had the chance to talk to Travis Christian, our Michigan Division Loveland Sales Manager, about a few scenarios where your agronomic and economic plans might benefit from a shift. Here are four things Travis has seen impact growers’ plans, with tips to adjust financial plans and protect profitability, regardless of the circumstances.

Frost Damage

Unpredictable weather can wreak havoc on your crop. Growers know they can’t control the weather, but they can control how they respond to it. In Michigan, where Travis lives and works, the spring started very wet and cold, which led to some problems for growers.

“I recently met with a grower who was showing me pictures of his frosty windshield,” Travis says. “He’d write out the temperature on it and it was in the low 20s. In the orchard crop business, that’s a scenario where they are doing everything they can with orchard fans but they’ve also started adopting plant health foliar applications to give trees every fighting chance to protect the leaves from frost damage.”

Travis also mentioned replant as a reason to reassess your financial plan. “I had someone tell me if we’re not replanting, we’re not trying,” Travis says. “But there is almost always a cost associated with that and growers need the financial flexibility to avoid burning through cash to pay for these changing plans upfront.”

That’s exactly what Nutrien Financial can help with - providing financing options for growers who need to adjust midyear (or at any time of the year) so that their crop plans and specific needs are aligned with financial goals and cash flow expectations.

Nitrogen Loss

Another common situation includes challenges that come from really heavy rain. Travis mentioned nitrogen loss and solutions to combat the issue with midyear applications.

“If I’m on sandy soil, I can leach a lot of nitrogen and might need to supplement later in the season,” Travis says. An additional foliar or a fertilizer can help if your crop has been impacted by heavy rains. “Some growers may have to offset a serious amount of loss and need to nurse the crop and supplement what was lost. Having the opportunity to do that without using an operating line or regular terms is a huge advantage to growers.”

Drought Conditions

Another weather-related circumstance that growers deal with frequently is drought, which can lead to a number of problems, including disease and insects.

“Our friends in the soybean market know this better than almost anybody because when it gets hot and dry, they start scouting for spider mites,” Travis says. “That can be unexpected where someone thought they had a very healthy crop, they’re nearing the finish line and they now have spider mites, which can cause a high loss of yield if they aren’t taken care of.”

Soybean growers aren’t the only ones who deal with drought and the problems it can cause, but having a trusted partner who can help ease the cost burden can ensure that unexpected expenses don’t hamper your operation.

Unexpectedly Good or Bad Crop

Every growing season comes with a unique set of challenges. It’s difficult to predict outcomes because there can be a lot of fluidity between years. Growers may find that this year’s crop is way better or worse than usual, and both scenarios can lead to mid-season adjustments.

“Maybe this year’s crop is the best you’ve ever had so you want to make an investment to get more out of it,” Travis says. “You may spend a bit more money to put more fertilizer on it so you can get more out of a healthy crop. You may also decide to do an extra foliar pass to encourage that crop.”

If the opposite is true, you may find you need to add inputs to help rescue the crop and nurse it back to health. Nutrien Financial can help with both scenarios if you find yourself in need of a tune-up that will impact your annual financial plan.

Our team at Nutrien Financial provides you with a unique blend of financial expertise with agronomic sensibilities. We’ll help you re-examine your financial position in relation to your crop plan and make sure you’re on the right track for success this year and beyond.

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