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River levels should have farmers thinking ahead about fertilizer

The President of the Illinois Fertilizer and Chemical Association says farmers should avoid procrastinating on their fertility plans considering low water levels on the Mississippi River.

KJ Johnson tells Brownfield most of their retailers are stocked up on fall fertilizer, but if growers decide to add products at the last minute, “And it still has to be moved up the river, those are where those concerns are going to be or where the shortages, if there are shortages, are going to be.”

He says farmers should talk to their retailers sooner rather than later.

“Don’t go in there the first week of November thinking ‘I think I’m going to put all my dry fertilizer on this fall.’ If you’re having any kind of thought that you’re going to do it this fall, have those discussions now so your retailer can kind of have a idea of what they need to have in the dry fertilizer shed.”

Water levels at Memphis, TN hit a record low last week following prolonged drought along the Mississippi River system.