Input prices – fertilizer, seed, chemicals, fuel and labor – make up the bulk of a farm's costs, and they rarely go down. The good news is that most farms can reduce farm input costs noticeably without hurting yields, simply by applying the right amount, at the right time, and knowing exactly where the money goes.
Fertilizer
1. Test your soil before you fertilize
Applying fertilizer without a soil test is guesswork. Many fields have built up enough phosphorus or potassium that application can be reduced. See our soil testing guide.
2. Split nitrogen applications
Applying all nitrogen at sowing means much of it can be lost before the crop needs it. Splitting doses to match crop demand usually improves efficiency.
3. Use legumes and organic sources
Legumes in your crop rotation, green manures, compost and farmyard manure can replace part of your purchased nutrients.
Seed
4. Use the recommended seed rate
Over-seeding "to be safe" wastes money and can increase competition between plants. Calibrate your seed drill and use germination-tested seed.
5. Treat seed
Seed treatment is a small cost that protects early establishment and can avoid expensive re-sowing.
Crop protection
6. Scout before you spray
Spraying on a calendar schedule often means spraying when it is not needed. Integrated pest management uses scouting and thresholds so you only spray when pest levels justify it.
7. Calibrate your sprayer
Worn nozzles and uncalibrated sprayers can apply far more or less than intended. Calibration takes an hour and pays off every spray.
Fuel and machinery
8. Maintain your machinery
Clean air filters, correct tyre pressure and timely servicing all reduce fuel consumption and breakdowns. Use our farm equipment maintenance checklist.
9. Combine operations and plan routes
Reduce trips across fields by combining operations where possible, and plan work to avoid machines moving back and forth between distant fields.
Water and energy
10. Irrigate by need, not habit
Every unnecessary irrigation costs electricity or diesel and leaches nutrients you paid for. Follow good irrigation scheduling practices.
Purchasing and inventory
11. Buy smarter
Plan purchases from your crop calendar so you can buy before peak season, compare suppliers, and consider buying collectively through a farmer group or FPO for better prices.
12. Stop stock losses
Expired chemicals, damp fertilizer bags and "missing" fuel are pure loss. Proper farm inventory management – recording every item in and out – reduces waste and theft.
The foundation: know your costs
You cannot cut what you cannot see. The farms that control costs best record every expense against the crop and field it belongs to, so they can spot which field uses twice the fertilizer of its neighbour, or which crop's labor bill keeps rising. AgriFarm financial management and inventory management do this automatically as your team logs their work.
Frequently asked questions
What is the biggest input cost on most farms?
It varies by crop and region, but fertilizer, labor and fuel or energy are usually among the largest. Your own records will tell you which matters most for your farm.
Will reducing fertilizer lower my yield?
Not if reductions are based on soil tests and crop needs. Cutting fertilizer blindly can reduce yield; applying the right amount at the right time usually maintains or improves it.
