Beyond the Bushel

Better records, sharper analysis, a focus on profitability, and a shift in thinking are reshaping modern farm management.

- Adrienne Held

For decades, the agriculture decision-making process revolved around a straightforward formula: Select your inputs (seed, fertilizer, crop protection) and apply them with a check-the-box mentality. But a new wave of thinking is reshaping how growers approach profitability, efficiency, and sustainability. Farmers, agronomists, and advisers are beginning to challenge the input-heavy mindset in favor of one rooted in outcomes: yield per dollar, long-term resilience, and return on investment (ROI).

This transition, however, requires more than a new product or spreadsheet; it's a mental shift in how to define success.

From Inputs to Impacts

“We tend to treat crop nutrition like feeding our best athletes with gas station food,” said Keith Byerly, commercial sustainability lead for Mosaic Company. “Yes, you’ll meet caloric needs, but you’re not feeding for performance.” Instead of chasing the lowest cost per ton of fertilizer, he said, outcome-focused farmers are asking deeper questions: How does this investment improve nutrient uptake, yield response, and soil health across the season?

Byerly described this product- or outcome-based mindset as one that values nutrient availability, efficiency, and synergy among elements. “Nitrogen and potassium, phosphorus and zinc, how they interact matters,” he said. “When we understand that synergy, and how antagonisms can reduce performance, we can make smarter fertility plans that go beyond just meeting basic needs.”

He noted that tools such as on-farm trials, replicated research, and economic modeling are keys to validating whether these more advanced fertilizers justify their cost. “It’s not just about spending more; it’s about spending smart,” he said.

Economics Drive the Shift