Sustainable Agriculture Literature Review - Boulder County

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Summary
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6. Inputs
In 2008, inputs (non-labor) totaled almost $800 million for all agricultural operations in
Colorado, representing a significant expenditure for farmers in the state compared to
historical costs. The price of these inputs has been steadily increasing since the 1970s,
especially for electricity, seeds, pesticides, and fertilizers. After fuel (diesel and
gasoline), the highest expenditure of manufactured inputs in Colorado is for fertilizers,
with synthetic nitrogen fertilizers representing the largest portion.
Overall, the cost of synthetic commercial fertilizer has been increasing due to the
upward-trending price of natural gas, which is the main input in the production of the
ammonia that is used to make all synthetic nitrogen fertilizers. Additionally, due to the
increase in price of natural gas, a large number of ammonia plants have shut down in
the U.S., increasing reliance on imported ammonia for synthetic fertilizers and raising
concerns about increased costs to farmers. Future fertilizer prices are largely unknown,
but are expected to continue to trend upward with rising energy costs.
As the price of synthetic fertilizers continues to increase, manure is becoming a more
valuable and less expensive source of nitrogen fertilizer. Crop producers are
increasingly buying manure from livestock producers or adding livestock to their crop
operations so that they can incorporate manure into their practices. In 2007, 293 farms
used synthetic fertilizers and soil conditioners on over 25,000 total acres in Boulder
County, while 147 farms used manure as a fertilizer on just under 5,000 acres.
Non-manufactured nitrogen fertilizers are increasingly being used as a means to reduce
vulnerability to the price changes in fossil fuels. The most common alternatives to nonmanufactured
nitrogen fertilizers identified include green manures and integrating
livestock into crop production. These practices, combined with other techniques such as
conservation tillage, have shown to greatly decrease the need for synthetic fertilizers by
increasing nutrient efficiency and improving soil health.
One factor identified in the literature that has been responsible for driving up seed
prices, which have increased 146 percent since 1999, has been the adoption of
genetically engineered (GE) seeds. However, due to the high adoption rates of GE
seeds, technological costs are expected to decrease allowing seed prices to remain
more consistent for the future.
A noted concern regarding GE seeds is the issue of cross-pollination, which can
significantly impact the potential inputs in other non-GE crop systems if not managed
correctly. In the literature reviewed there is no debate that cross-pollination can and
does happen in all types of agriculture, including GE to non-GE crops. Concern of
pollen drift in Boulder County prompted a study to determine the necessary buffers
needed to limit cross-pollination in corn.
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