Co Authors: Ben Anderson, Product Manager, EASY Liquids & Reily Menhenett, IPF Technical Agronomist

Global fertiliser markets have always been influenced by external forces – from energy costs and freight to geopolitical tensions. The COVID-19 period and recent conflicts in Eastern Europe and the Middle East have again shown how quickly nitrogen (N) prices and availability can shift.

For Australian farmers, who are largely price takers, these fluctuations highlight the importance of managing input risk.

Securing a portion of your N program early can help protect against in-season price spikes and supply delays.

EASY N provides growers with that flexibility.

By locking in part of your N program ahead of time, it creates a reliable buffer for in-season use, ensuring N is on hand when conditions are right and yield potential is highest.

With farm sizes and yields increasing year-on-year, N fertilisation has consolidated itself as the most important factor in profitable farm businesses (Armstrong et al, 2019), however, higher demand also means greater exposure to global supply constraints and price volatility.

Having fertiliser available when it’s needed most is key to maintaining yield targets. While it’s impossible to time the market perfectly, spreading N purchases across the season can help average costs and smooth out risk.

For many, on-farm storage can be a limiting factor. EASY N offers a practical solution – it can be stored safely on-farm with minimal degradation in permanent or hire tanks (including IPF’s remote-sensing enabled options).

This gives growers the flexibility to manage logistics, maintain supply confidence, and capture yield opportunities as they arise.

N market size

As the demand for N increases on-farm, imported urea volumes (as the traditional source of straight N) have also dramatically increased on the Eastern Seaboard. As shown in Fertiliser Australia’s import data (Figure 1), east coast urea imports have grown at an average compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.0% since 2017.

This growth places pressure on existing urea supply chains with port congestion and logistics availability now becoming more frequent challenges during broadacre N application windows.

With N demand growth expected to continue, EASY N is a realistic option for farmers to ensure supply security by taking a portion of their N requirements into storage early and ensuring product is available for application as required.

Figure 1: Fertiliser Australia import data for urea on the east coast (2017 to 2024) with Average CAGR* of 8.0%. Source: Fertiliser Australia

* CGAR = compound annual growth rate

N volatility

Faced with volatility, N markets have become increasingly susceptible to pricing fluctuations. Using the Middle East as a reference – a common source of Australian urea imports – urea pricing between 2023-2025 has ranged from US$260 to US$505 which is around $377/tonne based on a $0.65FX rate.

These significant global price movements have led many buyers to delay domestic purchases in an attempt to “pick the bottom of the market”, which in turn increases supply risk due to a lack of forward demand to underpin future imports. Alternatively, in rallying markets or following large rainfall events, there have been instances where large purchase volumes have absorbed all available domestic supply, creating gaps in supply during peak seasons.

EASY N has not been immune to price fluctuations; however, as a product that can be stored and applied on-farm, it represents a sound mitigating strategy. Taking a portion of N requirements in the form of EASY N allows growers to average costs across the season while ensuring N availability to fully capture yield potential.

Cost of delaying N

As the season progresses, N use efficiency falls.

When the crop makes the switch from vegetative to reproductive in its lifecycle, the recovery of applied N drops markedly as N starts to be redirected to grain protein rather than yield. Figure 2 conceptualises the lower Nitrogen Use Efficiency (NUE) of applied fertiliser as a wheat crop matures.

Figure 2: Approximate apparent NUE of a cereal as it matures. Adapted from Smith and Whitfield 1990. Source: Incitec Pivot Fertilisers, 2025.

Because NUE is lower, the value of a N application also falls as the season progresses. Missing the boat on N applications early in the season – particularly in a year with good yield potential – can be a costly proposition.

Assuming the NUE figures in Figure 2, the ‘efficacy’ of a 100kg/ha N top dress (217kg/ha urea) can be calculated. Given 1kg/ha of N can grow approximately 20kg/ha of wheat, Table 1 demonstrates the cost of missing the optimal application window for an in crop top dress.

Although only round figures, timeliness of application is one of the most effective ways to get the best out of a N application.

Table 1: Incurred cost when the optimal application window is missed. Adapted from assumptions in Figure 1.

 NUE %Potential Yield Gain kg/ha (100kg/ha top dress)Cost of delaying application $/ha (wheat price $300/t)
Tillering501000–
Stem Elongation4080060
Heading30600120

Source: Incitec Pivot Fertilisers, 2025.


Economic benefits of EASY N

Along with being in control of when N is applied, EASY N can add another layer of operational benefit through its tank mix capabilities.

The opportunity to apply both an agricultural chemical, along with some N, provides additional flexibility, saving both time and the direct cost of driving over the paddock twice. Reducing traffic over paddocks, and the improved operational efficiency should also be factored in when weighing up how N demand will be met across the season.

Figure 3: Provides an approximate comparison of the cost of spreading urea and then spraying a paddock vs a one pass solution*.
Source: Pitchfold 2020 & www.Broadacrecontracting.au. Actual cost will vary depending on circumstance.

*Note: Any tank mix with EASY N should be tested before use, and growers are encouraged to contact their local IPF EASY Liquids manager or agronomist for specific advice.

Summary

When planning for next season’s N budget, considering EASY N is a sensible first step.

Taking advantage of early fill opportunities ensures that product is on-farm and allows dollar cost averaging of a N program, buffering potential volatility, which has become the new normal.

EASY N also offer the additional benefit of one pass application for any large scale broadacre operations, where time and efficiency are paramount.

For more information on how EASY N can provide operational efficiencies and supply security for your 2026 N program, please contact Technical Agronomist Reily Menhenett on 0474 09 3167 or at reily.menhenett@incitecpivot.com.au.

References

Armstrong, R., Hochman, Z., Waldner, F., Bell, K. L., Perris, R., Dunsford, K., Hekmeijer, P., & Munn, M. (2019). Nitrogen supply, rotation and variety are critical predictors of the water use efficiency of wheat in grower’s paddocks in Victoria. Proceedings of the 19th Australian Agronomy Conference. https://agronomyaustraliaproceedings.org/images/sampledata/2019/2019ASA_Armstrong_Roger_62.pdf

Pitchford, R. (2020, January 30). Machinery cost of ownership survey. Pinion Advisory. https://www.pinionadvisory.com/machinery-cost-of-ownership-survey/

Broadacre Contracting. (2024). Australia’s best agricultural community for equipment hire, jobs and discussion. https://broadacrecontracting.au/

Smith, C. J., Whitfield, D. M., & Gyles, O. A. (1990). The accumulation and distribution of ⁠^15N-labelled fertilizer by wheat grown on a red-brown earth in the Goulburn-Murray Irrigation region. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 22(4), 587-594. https://doi.org/10.1016/0038-0717(90)90039-E