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As we write this in mid-2008, fertilizer prices have reached all-time highs. How did we get to these price levels and how does an agricultural producer make sound economic decisions in this environment?

At the time of writing, urea costs about $750 per ton. This means that a pound of nitrogen from urea costs about 82 cents. This is a very high price and leads to the logical question, "Is it worth the cost to fertilize winter pasture for stockers?" I'll try to answer this question, but let's define the ground rules.

Numerous nontraditional fertilizers are being marketed with little replicated research demonstrating their effectiveness compared to traditional commercial sources of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.

I want to use this article to address commonly asked questions regarding the role of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in plants and outline the characteristics of their primary fertilizer sources.