Commercial Fertilizer Purchased

Amounts of fertilizer nitrogen (N) purchased by states in individual years 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009,  2011, 2016 and 2017; and the percentage change in average amounts purchased per year from 2002–2006 to 2007–2011, and from 2011 vs. 2017. Fertilizer information is reported by state fertilizer control offices and excludes livestock manure, liming materials, peat, potting soils, soil amendments, soil additives, and soil conditioners.

State	Fertilizer purchased in 2003 (1000 kg of N)	Fertilizer purchased in 2005 (1000 kg of N)	Fertilizer purchased in 2007 (1000 kg of N)	Fertilizer purchased in 2009 (1000 kg of N)	Fertilizer purchased in 2011 (1000 kg of N)	Fertilizer purchased in 2016 (1000 kg of N)	Fertilizer purchased in 2017 (1000 kg of N)	Percentage change from 2002–2006 to 2007–2011*	Percentage change from 2011 to 2017
Alabama	90,956	114,387	106,729	60,319	68,225	78,301	81,434	-19%	19%
Alaska	2,741	2,741	2,741	2,501	2,817	2,893	2,923	-2%	4%
Arizona	96,855	89,720	71,420	89,747	60,041	50,980	35,976	-23%	-40%
Arkansas	265,684	227,586	297,798	213,021	223,361	273,419	194,066	-3%	-13%
California	792,148	694,217	670,619	609,774	672,302	390,003	306,817	-8%	-54%
Colorado	110,324	115,719	130,718	121,902	152,647	129,610	142,452	16%	-7%
Connecticut	10,791	8,284	10,634	8,889	8,480	7,071	5,883	-15%	-31%
Delaware	15,364	15,759	17,730	18,451	20,181	15,487	19,051	24%	-6%
Florida	204,011	210,484	195,075	137,725	146,542	95,680	73,296	-22%	-50%
Georgia	154,006	147,884	167,766	113,422	109,857	136,859	89,829	-22%	-18%
Hawaii	12,550	12,550	12,550	11,578	12,881	13,230	13,365	-1%	4%
Idaho	192,428	211,142	203,021	172,028	210,900	175,046	216,350	-9%	3%
Illinois	717,834	836,437	950,530	948,223	964,434	937,947	958,393	11%	-1%
Indiana	463,811	531,979	510,904	487,380	516,263	460,059	586,023	7%	14%
Iowa	860,894	940,910	1,091,559	936,589	1,214,110	1,150,044	1,202,495	16%	-1%
Kansas	617,369	661,394	824,216	628,161	601,499	670,396	773,312	8%	29%
Kentucky	179,037	174,617	200,739	164,229	179,875	212,961	197,070	-2%	10%
Louisiana	184,113	191,609	191,288	178,056	203,915	221,634	217,907	11%	7%
Maine	21,178	30,439	37,443	30,891	31,078	11,150	9,394	20%	-70%
Maryland	41,426	67,238	11,392	38,003	39,836	29,851	55,848	-33%	40%
Massachusetts	13,072	16,486	17,476	13,621	13,599	7,813	15,233	-4%	12%
Michigan	214,616	227,079	243,641	175,800	200,393	263,310	234,186	-8%	17%
Minnesota	575,280	573,841	630,108	569,554	666,979	706,798	678,548	6%	2%
Mississippi	186,206	115,483	153,519	98,040	107,933	100,629	101,651	-20%	-6%
Missouri	402,742	420,645	476,829	353,128	431,119	446,900	466,034	-1%	8%
Montana	117,047	106,200	158,226	138,305	228,141	214,046	208,606	38%	-9%
Nebraska	700,200	735,424	733,803	790,434	850,422	866,331	811,994	10%	-5%
Nevada	9,648	8,663	10,602	9,410	9,246	7,733	7,813	-1%	-16%
New Hampshire	3,205	3,926	4,510	4,081	4,243	2,444	2,077	2%	-51%
New Jersey	24,172	23,603	25,313	26,020	20,904	24,961	21,610	-1%	3%
New Mexico	35,557	36,944	44,142	35,655	26,240	20,871	20,882	-5%	-20%
New York	69,705	75,038	72,843	57,185	70,747	100,645	101,689	-11%	44%
North Carolina	139,140	151,515	189,244	130,629	155,102	161,420	162,870	1%	5%
North Dakota	474,384	529,708	577,922	386,125	649,113	839,905	729,401	12%	12%
Ohio	393,350	375,008	329,679	357,747	306,996	304,506	389,092	-6%	27%
Oklahoma	315,213	238,106	228,405	248,299	259,305	262,134	237,380	-3%	-8%
Oregon	192,496	171,326	175,643	126,462	176,867	119,558	143,309	-7%	-19%
Pennsylvania	62,488	77,861	95,757	103,827	86,632	114,584	124,559	13%	44%
Rhode Island	1,413	2,070	2,485	2,400	2,047	2,009	2,283	11%	12%
South Carolina	63,720	62,694	65,808	21,047	50,785	54,902	60,821	-27%	20%
South Dakota	395,359	405,967	418,597	370,465	472,276	468,635	554,472	1%	17%
Tennessee	129,075	146,957	115,979	127,607	85,883	183,371	188,361	-21%	119%
Texas	797,626	745,259	736,993	643,462	560,879	587,248	608,141	-14%	8%
Utah	13,164	15,390	15,936	15,367	20,432	21,053	22,555	20%	10%
Vermont	4,279	7,904	6,745	8,207	8,176	14,370	12,157	17%	49%
Virginia	86,004	76,265	84,151	71,359	85,962	79,426	81,919	-5%	-5%
Washington	204,657	212,058	220,620	181,474	200,406	165,739	180,970	0%	-10%
West Virginia	5,228	34,342	21,481	1,949	5,778	7,536	2,541	-53%	-56%
Wisconsin	226,508	223,049	274,394	252,201	283,808	321,391	296,587	10%	5%
Wyoming	84,001	90,542	91,773	79,016	165,678	170,173	171,907	24%	4%

Sources: Commercial Fertilizers annual data, 2002–2011, maintained by the Association of American Plant Food Control Officials for The Fertilizer Institute; Commercial Fertilizers annual data, 2022 report, maintained by the Association of American Plant Food Control Officials for The Fertilizer Institute

• 2002-2011 Fertilizer nitrogen data table (xlsx) (18.52 KB)
• 2016 & 2017 Fertilizer nitrogen data table (xlsx) (12.92 KB)

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Amounts of fertilizer P₂O₅ purchased by states in individual years 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2016, and 2017; and the percentage change in average amounts purchased per year from 2002–2006 to 2007–2011, and from 2011 to 2017. Fertilizer information is reported by state fertilizer control offices and excludes livestock manure, liming materials, peat, potting soils, soil amendments, soil additives, and soil conditioners.

State	Fertilizer purchased in 2003 (1000 kg of P2O5)	Fertilizer purchased in 2005 (1000 kg of P2O5)	Fertilizer purchased in 2007 (1000 kg of P2O5)	Fertilizer purchased in 2009 (1000 kg of P2O5)	Fertilizer purchased in 2011 (1000 kg of P2O5)	Fertilizer purchased in 2016 (1000 kg of P2O5)	Fertilizer purchased in 2017 (1000 kg of P2O5)	Percentage change from 2002–2006 to 2007–2011*	Percentage change from 2011 to 2017
Alabama	44,090	55,450	52,253	30,683	39,936	41,831	43,505	-13%	9%
Alaska	733	733	733	594	754	775	783	-3%	4%
Arizona	32,319	46,129	28,318	20,071	20,429	24,302	17,783	-41%	-13%
Arkansas	84,605	74,587	78,079	47,873	66,212	88,663	72,861	-21%	10%
California	207,920	236,867	250,766	102,797	172,683	83,574	57,125	-31%	-67%
Colorado	42,009	43,197	28,845	32,530	29,378	45,951	37,639	-25%	28%
Connecticut	3,438	3,592	3,200	2,196	1,642	1,271	818	-35%	-50%
Delaware	3,768	3,551	3,409	2,863	3,264	2,189	2,764	19%	-15%
Florida	70,104	64,324	60,847	35,746	43,162	25,746	20,886	-33%	-52%
Georgia	111,193	118,646	118,204	19,808	22,781	23,732	18,218	-65%	-20%
Hawaii	4,265	4,265	4,265	3,583	4,344	4,470	4,519	-3%	4%
Idaho	97,713	93,261	82,568	65,674	85,963	67,428	108,715	-9%	26%
Illinois	231,367	278,092	310,134	245,310	298,433	344,693	351,247	-1%	18%
Indiana	181,756	211,126	185,818	149,008	196,903	175,601	155,075	0%	-21%
Iowa	315,952	332,640	338,698	209,164	458,196	374,508	390,221	8%	-15%
Kansas	178,441	188,468	202,775	146,760	180,621	155,811	187,085	-3%	4%
Kentucky	89,681	84,179	95,785	56,916	70,386	96,403	96,185	-20%	37%
Louisiana	45,269	34,797	35,227	24,323	39,165	42,817	43,539	-5%	11%
Maine	18,270	26,256	32,297	25,967	25,935	5,999	6,130	19%	-76%
Maryland	13,993	15,042	17,622	8,245	18,854	13,319	16,995	-17%	-10%
Massachusetts	4,267	5,222	5,065	3,172	2,744	1,034	2,473	-28%	-10%
Michigan	77,386	74,731	73,583	47,744	50,026	76,684	71,247	-25%	42%
Minnesota	233,776	270,487	252,859	191,133	299,381	291,440	303,809	1%	1%
Mississippi	31,027	28,754	35,965	16,570	22,527	25,333	25,616	-32%	14%
Missouri	170,595	174,269	178,888	91,626	173,988	186,773	194,770	-14%	12%
Montana	60,173	60,008	73,602	65,801	69,681	91,176	84,825	12%	22%
Nebraska	210,829	247,184	231,818	274,365	289,017	252,819	252,223	10%	-13%
Nevada	7,862	7,190	6,717	5,004	6,531	6,699	6,773	-13%	4%
New Hampshire	941	1,291	1,624	1,045	1,129	532	538	12%	-52%
New Jersey	8,470	8,021	8,712	6,105	4,321	5,657	5,285	-24%	22%
New Mexico	10,596	8,108	13,288	9,548	10,621	7,004	7,212	-1%	-32%
New York	28,970	29,639	29,224	19,074	25,680	32,459	32,815	-20%	28%
North Carolina	88,149	93,565	98,552	69,780	93,672	130,467	136,355	-10%	46%
North Dakota	186,109	213,397	237,229	132,064	233,412	310,653	293,114	10%	26%
Ohio	158,348	164,924	146,000	119,679	98,215	98,100	146,685	-11%	49%
Oklahoma	90,676	81,970	53,160	38,988	57,418	58,779	53,034	-32%	-8%
Oregon	48,587	63,083	58,862	35,023	40,797	31,175	32,299	-15%	-21%
Pennsylvania	28,723	30,573	31,013	27,459	25,616	31,296	29,383	-17%	15%
Rhode Island	515	756	826	582	460	474	439	-19%	-5%
South Carolina	25,164	22,059	24,941	6,258	14,642	26,892	17,389	-36%	19%
South Dakota	178,039	199,819	195,622	166,166	242,449	227,531	223,221	3%	-8%
Tennessee	69,203	77,120	54,433	45,321	37,060	78,680	80,826	-40%	118%
Texas	194,437	232,830	189,662	136,028	144,209	129,552	143,232	-24%	-1%
Utah	9,052	14,378	13,093	13,546	9,970	12,389	7,469	1%	-25%
Vermont	2,264	3,095	2,616	2,314	1,846	2,810	2,448	-10%	33%
Virginia	49,641	43,332	40,368	26,259	28,970	34,212	30,969	-35%	7%
Washington	50,432	52,630	53,608	38,619	42,026	32,403	32,282	-7%	-23%
West Virginia	2,914	1,259	3,429	847	4,125	4,279	1,869	45%	-55%
Wisconsin	64,409	68,040	78,748	54,947	80,269	92,367	94,648	-1%	18%
Wyoming	21,392	22,098	22,399	19,052	27,799	28,663	29,005	1%	4%

Note - P₂O₅ is 44% phosphorus. By convention, the amount (or analysis grade) of phosphorus in fertilizers is expressed in this oxide form. Additionally, The Association of American Plant Food Control officials have developed a uniform state fertilizer bill which says that available P₂O₅ must be guaranteed by the manufacturer and so the guaranteed analysis of phosphorus must be expressed in the oxide form.

Sources: Commercial Fertilizers annual data, 2002–2011, maintained by the Association of American Plant Food Control Officials for The Fertilizer Institute; Commercial Fertilizers annual data, 2022 report, maintained by the Association of American Plant Food Control Officials for The Fertilizer Institute

• 2002 - 2011 Fertilizer phosphorus data table (xlsx) (27.82 KB)
• 2016 & 2017 Fertilizer phosphorus data table (xlsx) (12.81 KB)

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Source of Data

1. Commercial Fertilizers annual data, 2002-2011, maintained by The Association of American Plant Food Control Officials, Inc. for the Fertilizer Institute.
2. Commercial Fertilizers annual data, 2022 report, maintained by The Association of American Plant Food Control Officials, Inc. for the Fertilizer Institute.

Data source information

Data are from the 2002-2011 and the 2022 Commercial Fertilizers databases, maintained by the Association of American Plant Food Control Officials (AAPFCO) for The Fertilizer Institute. With a few exceptions (refer to next section), these yearly data are based on fertilizer consumption information, in terms of fertilizer sales or shipments, reported by state fertilizer control offices to AAPFCO. The data presented are the amounts of fertilizer purchased by each state in individual years corresponding to the Commercial Fertilizers 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, and 2022 reports. In most cases, the yearly report presents data for that “fertilizer year” or FY (from July 1st of previous year through June 30th of year of the report), but refer to the next section for exceptions. The data in the column entitled Percentage change from 2002–2006 to 2007–2011 equal the average amounts purchased in years 2007–2011 subtracted by the average amounts purchased in years 2002–2006, divided by the average amounts purchased in years 2002–2006, and converted to percentage format: ([(av 2007–2011) – (av 2002–2006)]/av 2002–2006)*100. The data in the column entitled Percentage change from 2011 to 2017 equal the amounts purchased in 2011 subtracted by the amounts purchased in 2017, divided by the amounts purchased in 2011, and converted to percentage format: [(2017 – 2011)/ 2011]*100.

What to consider when using these data

Most of the data presented here are based on fertilizer consumption information, in terms of sales or shipments, submitted by state fertilizer control offices to AAPFCO, and are for the “fertilizer year” or FY (from July 1st of previous year through June 30th of current/report year). Cases in which alternative methods were used by AAPFCO or states to obtain or report data, or data are for alternative time frames, are listed here:

• State specific alternative methods for the 2022 report include:
  • Alabama - The AL Department of Agriculture provided total tons for FY2017 based on income from inspection fees. The total tonnage for FY2016 was proportioned into the tonnage for the counties and the individual materials and grades in the same ratio as that in FY1998, the state’s last detailed report.
  • Colorado - The CO Department of Agriculture has changed their reporting period from fiscal to calendar year. FY2017 data are for the year beginning January 2017.
  • Missouri - Missouri provided a total tonnage number for FY2017, however, no detail. The tonnage was distributed across the State based on 2016 estimate.
  • North Carolina - The NC Department of Agriculture has reported only total tonnage for the fertilizer years since 1997. There were no county data or breakout of materials or mixed grades. The total tonnage for FY2017 was proportioned into the tonnage for the counties and the individual materials and grades in the same ratio as that in FY1997, the state’s last detailed report.
• For reports prior to 2022: estimation of fertilizer purchased in AL, AK, HI, and ME for all years, in UT for years 2008 and 2009, in VT for year 2010, and in WY for years 2002–2009. For these states, the AAPFCO estimates reported and used for this dataset were either:
  • set as equal to a previous year’s data or estimate (AL, 2004 estimate set as equal to 2003 estimate; AK, 2003–2008 estimates set as equal to 2002 estimate; HI, 2002–2008 estimates set as equal to an original estimate by TVA ~1989; UT, 2008 estimate set as equal to 2007 data); or
  • based on the last data or estimate reported by the state (AK, 2002 and 2009–2011 estimates based on the previous year’s estimate; HI, 2009–2011 estimates based on the previous year’s estimate; ME, 2002–2010 estimates based on 1994 data; UT, 2009 estimate based on 2008 estimate; VT, 2010 estimate based on 2009 data; and WY, 2002–2009 estimates based on 1993 data) with yearly adjustments derived from the weighted average of the change in the reported tonnage from surrounding states (AK and HI, 2009 estimates used 36 “surrounding” states, 2010 estimates used 45 “surrounding” states, and 2011 estimates used 46 “surrounding” states; ME, 2002–2011 estimates used CT, MA, NH and RI; UT, 2009 estimate used CO and NV; VT, 2010 estimate used 45 “surrounding” states; and WY 2002–2009 estimates used CO, ID, MT and in all years except 2009, UT); or
  • based on income from inspection fees (AL, all years except 2004).

  All estimates were proportioned into the amounts of individual materials and grades (and thus amounts of phosphorus vs. nitrogen) that were purchased the year of each state’s last detailed report or original estimate (AL, 1998; refer to last bullet for other states).

• Estimation of fertilizer grade (and thus amounts of phosphorus vs. nitrogen) by states or AAPFCO for some or all mixed fertilizers. This included non-farm fertilizers in CA; all mixed fertilizers in GA, NC, AL; all mixed fertilizers in AZ from 2001–2006; all mixed fertilizers in OH in 2005; specialty products in TX; and all mixed fertilizers in WI in 2002.
• In the 2002-2008 reports, data from VT, ND, and SD are for the previous calendar year.
• Data from VT (2009 report), and CO, ND and SD (2009–2011 reports) are for the calendar year (Jan-Dec of the year of the report).
• Data from OH (2006–2011 reports) are for Nov 1 of the previous year–Oct 30 of the year of the report.
• Data from TX (all years’ reports) are for Sept 1 of the previous year–Aug 31 of the year of the report.

Additionally, users should consider that the rate of delivery of nitrogen and phosphorus from land-applied fertilizer to streams is dependent on the amount, timing, and placement of application, as well as best management practices to minimize runoff from fields.

References and links to other data sources

1. Ruddy, B.C., D.L. Lorenz, and D.K. Mueller. 2006. County-level estimates of nutrient inputs to the land surface of the conterminous United States, 1982–2001: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2006-5012.
2. Jasinski, S.M., Kramer, D.A., Ober, J.A., and Searls, J.P. 1999. Fertilizers – Sustaining Global Food Supplies: U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet 155-99.
3. U.S. Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service. Fertilizer Use and Price Datasets.
4. The Fertilizer Institute.