Why Your Fertilizer Bill Keeps Climbing and How Fungi Can Help Fix That

If you’re a farmer watching your input costs rise every season, you’re not alone. Fertilizer prices have surged in recent years, driven by global supply chain issues, rising natural gas prices, and tightening regulations. In 2022 alone, nitrogen fertilizer prices in the U.S. spiked by over 80% in some regions, with phosphate and potash not far behind (Hellerstein et al., USDA ERS, 2022). For many, this means making tough decisions, cutting back on applications, switching blends, or hoping weather conditions allow you to stretch that input dollar.

But what if there was a biological ally in your soil that could reduce your need for synthetic fertilizers and help your crops access more of the nutrients already present in your field? Enter mycorrhizal fungi.

These microscopic soil dwellers form a symbiotic partnership with most crop plants. They attach to plant roots and send out vast networks of thread-like hyphae that increase the surface area for nutrient absorption; by as much as 400 times compared to roots alone. This means more phosphorus, zinc, boron, manganese, potassium, sulfur, nitrogen, etc and even water can be drawn into the plant without increasing fertilizer application.

How Mycorrhizal Fungi Reduce Fertilizer Dependency

Modern agriculture has largely ignored the role of biological fertility, focusing instead on chemical inputs. Over time, this has depleted natural soil microbial populations – including arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi(AMF), especially in fields subjected to heavy tillage, anhydrous ammonia use, and broad-spectrum fungicides.

When these fungi are reintroduced through seed coatings or in-furrow applications, they begin forming beneficial associations with crop roots. Research shows that this colonization results in:

• Improved phosphorus uptake: Because phosphorus binds tightly in soil, most of it is unavailable to crops. AMF secrete enzymes that solubilize phosphorus, making it available in plant-usable form.  P1 and P2 are all available!!
  
• Enhanced root architecture: Plants treated with mycorrhizal fungi develop deeper and more fibrous root systems, accessing nutrients from farther and deeper soil profiles.
  
• More efficient nitrogen use: While fungi don’t fix nitrogen, they do improve plant vigor, allowing crops to more efficiently use available nitrogen sources. In combination with complementary treatments like BioNyck(www.BioNyck.com), fungal inoculation has led to improved nitrogen uptake timing and retention through cooperation with other microbes in the soil..
  

The ROI of Fungi: Field Data You Can Trust

A field trial near Wood River, Nebraska, studied the effects of AMF on corn at both early and late stages of growth. At tasseling, plants treated with fungi averaged 44.4 nodal roots, compared to 37.6 in untreated controls. These enhanced root systems resulted in higher stalk diameters, more leaf collars, and higher ear placement, traits directly tied to yield potential.

Even more compelling, the treated plots showed an 18.6% improvement in root development over the control. In past trials with similar hybrids and conditions, these enhancements correlated with yield bumps of up to 24 bushels per acre, without a proportional increase in synthetic fertilizer use.

That’s not just agronomic improvement; that’s economic survival.

Unpacking the Soil Bank Analogy

Think of your soil as a bank. Fertilizer is your cash deposit. But if your soil lacks biology, especially mycorrhizal fungi, it’s like trying to access your funds without a debit card. The nutrients are there, but your crop can’t reach them.

Fungal networks unlock these nutrients. Their hyphae extend several inches to feet beyond the root zone and explore micropores and mineral surfaces whose roots can’t touch. According to the Soil Food Web School and Dr. Elaine Ingham, these fungi can mobilize locked-up nutrients and cycle organic matter back into usable forms for your crops (SoilFoodWeb.com).

The result? A biologically active soil system where nutrient efficiency goes up, and fertilizer dependency goes down.

Reducing Fertilizer Costs—Without Sacrificing Yields

One of the biggest myths in agriculture is that cutting fertilizer use means compromising yield. However, when AMF are part of the fertility strategy, many growers report the opposite.

For example, long-time users of New Age Farming’s MycoMaxx product line have seen consistent performance benefits over multiple years. Some even phase out or cut the rate of MycoMaxx after 6–9 seasons once soil biology recovers and begins to function naturally. Reducing tillage will help maintain AMF populations through no-till, shallow-till, or strip-till practices.

In a time when fertilizer prices are volatile and margins are tight, that kind of resilience is invaluable.

Not Just a Yield Tool—A Resilience Strategy

The benefits go beyond just nutrient uptake:

• Drought resilience: Mycorrhizal fungi improve water absorption, helping crops maintain vigor under dry conditions.
  
• Weed suppression: With better nutrient access, your crops outcompete non-mycorrhizal weeds, reducing weed pressure over time.
  
• Salinity remediation: In salt-damaged fields, fungi can help break down harmful salts and re-establish microbial life.  Using is combination with Salt B Gone(www.saltbgone.com) can bring “dead zones” back to life.
  

These aren’t theoretical benefits; they’re documented in lab and field conditions across the Midwest.

A Smarter Fertility Program Starts Underground

If you’re looking to stabilize or reduce fertilizer costs without compromising your yield goals, it’s time to rethink your fertility strategy. Rather than adding more synthetic inputs, consider investing in the soil biology that makes those inputs more effective.

Farm Fungi’s product line – powered by eight carefully selected strains of mycorrhizal fungi – is designed specifically for row crop environments. With compatibility across corn, soybeans, wheat, and more, these inoculants offer a plug-and-play solution that fits seamlessly into your existing seed treatment or in-furrow programs.

As the saying goes: Don’t feed your crop. Feed your soil, and your crop will take care of the rest.

Sources 

• Hellerstein, Daniel, et al. “Impacts of Rising Input Costs on U.S. Farm Income.” U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, 2022. www.ers.usda.gov.
  
• Petersen, Mike. “Trip Report of the VT Crop Stage Plots.” Soils Consultant Report, Wood River Interchange, 2022.
  
• Petersen, Mike. “Trip Report of the V4-V5 Crop Stage Plots.” Soils Consultant Report, Wood River Interchange, 2022.
  
• Kise, Sam. “New Age Farming and the Power of Mycorrhizal Fungi.” Future Farmer Magazine, March-April 2023.
  

Soil Food Web School. “The Magnificent Mycorrhizal Fungi.” soilfoodweb.com.