Hurricane Ian spares fertilizer plants but sends a warning to the U.S. industry (Marketplace) 

Marketplace produced a podcast on how Hurricane Ian narrowly missed landing a serious blow to the domestic fertilizer industry. About half of the phosphate fertilizer in the U.S. comes from three plants in the Tampa area. The hurricane could have been yet another headache for a fertilizer industry that’s already dealing with the impact of Russia’s war on Ukraine and energy shortages in Europe. Farmers have been turning to techniques to help minimize the amount of phosphate they need — testing soil, for example, and applying fertilizer only where it’s needed. Senior research fellow Joseph Glauber said, “I’d say, 10, 20 years ago, you saw a lot more fertilizer being used largely just because it was done so ineffectively.”