How row-crop farmers adapted nitrogen management in response to market volatility: Evidence from interviews in the United States midwest
Nitrogen fertilizer loss drives major environmental impacts, yet how farmers respond to economic shifts remains unclear. Interviews with 18 row‑crop farmers in Michigan, Indiana and Illinois reveal that 2021–2022 nitrogen price spikes triggered diverse, adaptive strategies rather than straightforward reductions in fertilizer use. Farmers adjusted multiple practices simultaneously—bundling application timing, rate changes, crop choices and soil‑health tactics—to achieve desired outcomes. These findings show that nitrogen management is embedded within broader, multifaceted systems, suggesting future research and policy should account for behavioral complexity rather than assume linear price‑response relationships.
Subject Tags
- Agriculture
- Policy
Abstract
The loss of agricultural nitrogen (N) fertilizer is a key contributor to water quality degradation and climate change across the globe and in the United States (US). Taxing N to increase prices and reduce total use toward environmental improvements is a commonly proposed policy, but research into the relationship between N use and N prices remains inconclusive. Using interviews with 18 row-crop farmers across Michigan, Indiana, and Illinois in the US Midwest, we explore how farmers were changing or planning to change their N management strategy in response N price spikes during the 2021–2020 growing season. We find that farmers responded in divergent ways, using an adaptive “management systems” approach of bundling together several different practices to achieve a particular outcome. Our results suggest that future research may benefit from considering farmers’ management responses to economic or policy shifts through multifaceted, management systems approach that captures behavioral nuances.
Citation
Houser, M., Irvine, R., & Marquart-Pyatt, S. (2025). How Row-Crop Farmers Adapted Nitrogen Management in Response to Market Volatility: Evidence from Interviews in the United States Midwest. Society & Natural Resources, 38(9), 985-1002. https://doi.org/10.1080/08941920.2025.2494016
TNC Authors
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Matthew Houser
Senior Social Scientist, Maryland & District of Columbia
The Nature Conservancy
Email: matthew.houser@tnc.org