Fertilizer Cost Comparison Calculator

Per-unit nutrient cost across fertilizer sources.

Product A: cost per lb nutrient ($)

$0.57

Product B: cost per lb nutrient ($)

$0.59

Inputs

Product A price ($/ton)

Product A nutrient (%)

Product A unit weight (lbs)

Product B price ($/ton)

Product B nutrient (%)

Product B unit weight (lbs)

Target nutrient (lbs/acre)

Field size (acres)

Comparison

Cheaper product (1=A, 2=B)

Which product has the lower per-unit nutrient cost.

Savings (%)

4.8%

Percentage savings from choosing the cheaper product.

Product A: cost per acre ($)

$67.83

Cost to apply target nutrient rate with Product A.

Product B: cost per acre ($)

$71.25

Cost to apply target nutrient rate with Product B.

Product A: lbs/acre

260.9

Pounds of Product A needed per acre.

Product B: lbs/acre

375

Pounds of Product B needed per acre.

Product A: total field cost ($)

$6,782.61

Total cost for the whole field with Product A.

Product B: total field cost ($)

$7,125.00

Total cost for the whole field with Product B.

Savings per acre ($)

$3.42

Dollar savings per acre by choosing the cheaper product.

Total field savings ($)

$342.39

Total dollar savings for the whole field.

Product A: tons needed

Total tons of Product A for the field.

Product B: tons needed

18.8

Total tons of Product B for the field.

How to Use This Calculator

Enter the price per ton and nutrient analysis (%) for Product A and Product B.
Set the unit weight (lbs) for each product — typically 2,000 lbs (1 ton) for dry fertilizers.
Enter Target Nutrient (lbs/acre) and Field Size (acres) for the season.
Compare Cost per lb Nutrient for A and B — the lower cost-per-unit-of-nutrient is the better buy.
Review Cost per Acre and Total Field Cost for both products to quantify your savings from the cheaper option.

How the result changes with Product A nutrient (%)

Product A nutrient (%)	Product A: cost per lb nutrient ($)	Product B: cost per lb nutrient ($)
10	$2.60	$0.59
35	$0.74	$0.59
65	$0.40	$0.59
90	$0.29	$0.59

What each input means

Product A price ($/ton): Price per ton for Product A (e.g., urea at $520/ton).
Product A nutrient (%): Nutrient analysis of Product A (e.g., urea = 46% N).
Product A unit weight (lbs): Weight of one purchasing unit (bag, ton, etc.).
Product B price ($/ton): Price per ton for Product B (e.g., UAN 32% at $380/ton).
Product B nutrient (%): Nutrient analysis of Product B (e.g., UAN = 32% N).
Product B unit weight (lbs): Weight of one purchasing unit.
Target nutrient (lbs/acre): Desired pounds of nutrient per acre.
Field size (acres): Total acres to fertilize.

What each result means

Product A: cost per lb nutrient ($): Dollar cost per pound of actual nutrient from Product A.
Product B: cost per lb nutrient ($): Dollar cost per pound of actual nutrient from Product B.
Cheaper product (1=A, 2=B): Which product has the lower per-unit nutrient cost.
Savings (%): Percentage savings from choosing the cheaper product.
Product A: cost per acre ($): Cost to apply target nutrient rate with Product A.
Product B: cost per acre ($): Cost to apply target nutrient rate with Product B.
Product A: lbs/acre: Pounds of Product A needed per acre.
Product B: lbs/acre: Pounds of Product B needed per acre.
Product A: total field cost ($): Total cost for the whole field with Product A.
Product B: total field cost ($): Total cost for the whole field with Product B.
Savings per acre ($): Dollar savings per acre by choosing the cheaper product.
Total field savings ($): Total dollar savings for the whole field.
Product A: tons needed: Total tons of Product A for the field.
Product B: tons needed: Total tons of Product B for the field.

How this is calculated

Worked example, using the default values

Identify Input Parameters
4 parameters
Product A price ($/ton) = 520, Product A nutrient (%) = 46, Product A unit weight (lbs) = 2000, Product B price ($/ton) = 380 = 8 input(s) provided
Calculate Product A: cost per lb nutrient
Product A: cost per lb nutrient = priceA / (bagWeightA * analysisA / 100)
0.565 = $0.565
Calculate Product B: cost per lb nutrient
Product B: cost per lb nutrient = priceB / (bagWeightB * analysisB / 100)
0.594 = $0.594
Calculate Cheaper product
Cheaper product
1 = 1
Calculate Savings
Savings = max(costPerAcreA, costPerAcreB) > 0
4.8 = 4.8%