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Abstract
Excerpt from the report Summary: Increased use of fertilizer has played a major part in meeting production needs and in lowering unit production costs. The present level of use on many crops in many areas is below the level that would be most profitable for most farmers. Projected crop production needs can be met more economically through use of more fertilizer and fewer acres than are represented by the present fertilizer-land use ratio. For a fixed output, either for a farmer or for the Nation as a whole, resource combinations that will reduce unit costs are economically desirable. This often means use of more fertilizer and fewer acres. But the sacrifice involved in shifting acreage away from, the crops to which they are best adapted is greater in areas where fixed costs per acre are relatively high. Therefore, in using improved technology to make profitable changes in farming, farmers need to recognize regional and local differences in the farm cost structure, as do those concerned with general adjustment programs.