For ethanol producers sourcing low-CI corn, preparing for the 2027 45Z credit starts well before grain deliveries. Many of your growers will apply fertilizer this fall, and before they do, they should document their nutrient plans.

This is why we offer free Nutrient Budgeting in FarmRaise Passport. Today, your growers can quickly build and document their fertilizer plans to enable 2027 45Z claims. We aim for this tool to empower and streamline the foundation of your 45Z program at scale.

Why you need a nutrient budget in Fall 2026

USDA’s Regenerative Feedstock Rule requires a documented nutrient budget before nutrients are applied. The IRS provided transition relief from that requirement for fuel produced in 2025 and 2026. That relief is tied to the fuel production year. (federalregister.gov, irs.gov)

Our reading of USDA’s rule is that fertilizer applied this fall for the 2027 crop belongs in that crop’s nutrient budget. We recommend asking participating growers to complete their budgets before those applications begin. (federalregister.gov)

For your origination or grower program team, the immediate question is straightforward: which growers already have a documented plan, and which need help getting one together?

What each participating field requires

The nutrient budget must include a yield goal, planned nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium applications in pounds per acre, and all known, measurable nutrient sources and removals. That includes contributions from manure, legumes and other sources alongside commercial fertilizer.

The budget must be supported by either a soil test no more than two years old or the professional opinion of an agricultural expert who meets USDA’s qualification and independence requirements. Growers must retain the plan and supporting records for five years. (federalregister.gov)

Some growers may already have this information in a plan prepared with their agronomist. Asking for existing plans early gives your team time to identify missing information and explain what your program will need.

We've built Nutrient Management in Passport to align with these data requirements.

How FarmRaise accelerates nutrient budgets

Our Nutrient Management Plan tool in FarmRaise Passport gives growers and their advisers an efficient and streamlined way to prepare the budget and attach the records behind it. Growers can also enter or upload an existing budget.

Your company can generate a unique link that enables producers to share their FarmRaise budgets directly with your team for easy transmission (reach out to our CEO Jayce at jayce@farmraise.us to get early access).

To build a budget, farmers can simply go to My.Passport.Ag and follow these steps:

1. Identify the farm, fields and crop. Growers set up their farm and add their fields. They can draw boundaries, use satellite imagery, upload a shapefile or select available USDA field outlines. They then add crop and acreage information for 2027.
2. Prepare or upload the budget. Growers can send their agronomist, crop adviser or Extension agent a link to complete the budget and sign a supporting statement. They can also enter the information themselves or upload a plan they already have.
3. Account for nutrient sources. The tool collects the yield goal, planned nitrogen, phosphate and potash, expected crop removal, and other nutrient sources such as manure or legumes. It adds up the nutrient totals as information is entered.
4. Attach the supporting records. Growers add the soil test date, laboratory and report, or the agricultural expert’s name, employer and relevant qualifications.

This gives your team a concrete process to share when a grower asks, “What do you need from me?”

What to communicate to growers now

Start with growers who expect to apply fertilizer this fall. Ask whether they have a nutrient budget for the 2027 crop and whether it is supported by a recent soil test or a qualified expert’s opinion.

Your outreach should also explain how nutrient records fit into your program, where growers can get help and how you determine premiums. Make those expectations clear while growers are making fertilizer decisions.

As the season progresses, growers will need to retain application and harvest records as well. Verifiers will check reported nitrogen use and yield against those records. (federalregister.gov)

To help growers get started, share the FarmRaise Nutrient Management Plan tool in your next program communication. We're excited to support your 45Z efforts!

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