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US Consumer Preferences for Home Lawn Fertilizers

Hayk Khachatryan, Alicia Rihn, and Michael Dukes

Introduction

Lawn fertilizers are an important part of healthy lawn maintenance. A healthy lawn benefits the environment (through urban heat dissipation, erosion control, carbon sequestration, and water quality), the community (enhanced safety and value), and private property (improved property value and aesthetics) (Yue et al. 2012). More than 75% of US homes (approximately 53 million acres) have lawns (Kiesling and Manning 2010). Consequently, there is a large market for home lawn fertilizers. A large market and wide variety of site-specific requirements have spurred the development of several different fertilizer products and product features from which consumers can choose. Industry stakeholders and educators must understand consumer preferences in this market. Consumer preference influences product selection; understanding consumer preference helps the industry to design appealing products and to educate consumers effectively to promote those products. Knowing consumer preferences greatly reduces stakeholders' risks and improves efficiency as they assess their current offerings and determine their future product and promotional strategies. Consumer preferences are not always informed and do not always align with best practices. Understanding the disconnect will help turf industry educators better address consumers' misperceptions about fertilizers.

Figure 3. 
Figure 3. 
Credit: Bochkarev Photography, iStock/Thinkstock

The following report discusses the findings of a 2013 survey of 1,066 US homeowners about their preferences and willingness-to-pay for various lawn fertilizer attributes. Attributes include price (per 25-pound bag), type (liquid, water-soluble powder, granules/pelleted), source (natural organic, synthetic organic, natural inorganic, synthetic organic), nitrogen-release rate (fast [<15%] and five levels of slow release [15–20%, 21–30%, 31–50%, 51–75%, 76–100%]), phosphorus content (phosphorus-free, contains phosphorus), herbicide content (pre-emergent, post-emergent, none), insecticide content (present, absent), and pet/kid friendly (labeled, not labeled). Respondents were provided definitions of source, nitrogen-release rate, phosphorus content, and herbicide content before the choice experiment (Table 1).

A choice experiment was used to assess homeowner preferences and to determine their willingness to pay for fertilizers. In the choice experiment, respondents were given two lawn fertilizer products with different attributes to examine. They were asked to choose one of three purchase options: product 1, product 2, or neither product. Survey results indicated how different fertilizer attributes influence consumer choice/preference of lawn fertilizers. Only homeowners who had lawns and were the primary decision makers for those lawns participated in the survey. Respondents were recruited from all 48 US contiguous states, with 59% living in the suburbs, 21% living in rural areas, and 20% living in urban areas. Statistics for the respondents showed that the average age was 49 years old, 51% were male, 81% were white/Caucasian, 45% had a four-year college degree or higher, 64% had pets with lawn access, and 39% had minor children (<18 years old) living at home. The mean household size was between two and three people, and the mean household income was between $40,000 and $59,999 per year.

Important Lawn Fertilizer Attributes

According to the survey results, the only attribute that negatively influenced homeowner preferences for lawn fertilizers was price (Figure 1), which was consistent with the typical price and quantity demanded relationship (i.e., consumers were less likely to select higher-priced lawn fertilizers). Fertilizer type strongly influenced consumers' fertilizer selection: granular fertilizers were strongly preferred over liquid fertilizers. These results were likely linked to ease of use and compatibility with fertilizer spreaders, since granular fertilizers work better than liquid fertilizers in most types of fertilizer spreaders. More homeowners also preferred water-soluble (powder) lawn fertilizers to liquid fertilizers because they are easier to store, lighter, and less bulky.

Figure 1. US consumer preferences for lawn fertilizer attributes.
Figure 1.  US consumer preferences for lawn fertilizer attributes.

Regarding nutrient source, consumers were more likely to select a lawn fertilizer with natural organic and natural inorganic nutrients than a lawn fertilizer with synthetic organic and synthetic inorganic nutrients (Figure 1). This may be related to perceptions of environmental safety associated with natural as opposed to synthetic (Campbell et al. 2013). Additionally, consumers were more likely to choose a phosphorus-free fertilizer than a fertilizer containing phosphorus. Because phosphorus runoff has been widely criticized as a primary source of water pollution, many states have restricted the use of phosphorus in lawn/landscape fertilizers (Hochmuth et al. 2012).

More consumers preferred slow-release (over 50%) nitrogen than fast-release (<15%) nitrogen fertilizers (Figure 1). This was because slow-release fertilizers were more environmentally friendly (they reduce the quantity of nutrients that pollute groundwater, lakes, and streams) and required fewer repeat applications.

Consumers were also more likely to select fertilizers that contained pre-emergence herbicides, post-emergence herbicides, or insecticides compared to those that do not (Figure 1). Consumer preference for dual-purpose fertilizers (include herbicides or pesticides) allowed consumers to take a preventative approach, rather than a reactive approach, to pest management. Also, dual-purpose fertilizers required only one application, rather than separate applications. Although consumers showed a preference for dual-purpose fertilizers, herbicide-fertilizers are not recommended due to their inconsistent weed protection, potential non-target species (i.e., ornamental plant) damage, and insufficient nutrients for turfgrass (Unruh et al. 2004).

Lastly, pet-safe and child-safe fertilizers were strongly preferred over those that did not have a pet/child friendly label because most consumers believe fertilizers are toxic (Figure 1).

Willingness-to-Pay Premiums for Lawn Fertilizer Attributes

We estimated the price premiums consumers were willing to pay for fertilizer attributes. As shown in Figure 2, consumers were willing to pay the greatest premiums for granular fertilizers ($27.82/25-pound bag) and pet/child friendly fertilizers ($16.49/25-pound bag). Consumers were also willing to pay premiums for fertilizers that contained pre-emergence herbicides, were synthetic organic, were 51–75% slow-release nitrogen and contained a post-emergence herbicide, or were 76–100% slow-release nitrogen. Survey respondents were less willing to pay premiums for fertilizers that were slow-release below 50% nitrogen, water-soluble, natural organic, slow-release 31–50% nitrogen, phosphorus free, and natural inorganic (Figure 2). The willingness-to-pay results corresponded to the consumer preference results for fertilizers.

Figure 2. US consumer willingness-to-pay premiums for lawn fertilizer attributes.
Figure 2.  US consumer willingness-to-pay premiums for lawn fertilizer attributes.

 

Summary

This report highlights consumer preferences and willingness-to-pay for a variety of lawn fertilizer attributes. These results can be used by fertilizer industry manufacturers, marketers, and retailers as they develop their products and determine the best information to provide consumers and educators as they develop educational materials about lawn fertilizers. Fertilizer attributes that improve lawn fertilizer efficiency and effectiveness while still being safe for pets/children were deemed the most important attributes to homeowners. Results show that efforts to align fertilizer application type, source, nitrogen-release percentage, safety qualities, and content with consumer preferences could increase consumer demand. Favorable attributes improve the likelihood that consumers will purchase fertilizers at a price premium. Overall, our results indicate that the lawn fertilizer industry should continue to promote lawn fertilizers that are easy to use and environmentally friendly and that retailers could benefit from promoting fertilizer options that are aligned with consumer preferences.

References

Campbell, B., S. Milanga, and I. Lesschaeve. 2013. "Perception versus reality: Canadian consumer views of local and organic." Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics 61:531–558.

Hochmuth, G., T. Nell, J.B. Unruh, L. Trenholm, and J. Sartain. 2012. "Potential unintended consequences associated with urban fertilizer bans in Florida: A scientific review." HortTechnology 22:600–616.

Kiesling, F.M., and C.M. Manning. 2010. "How green is your thumb? Environmental gardening identity and ecological gardening practices." Journal of Environmental Psychology 30:315–327.

Unruh, J.B., B. Brecke, and L.E. Trenholm. 2003. Weed Management in Home Lawns. EP141. Gainesville: University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ep141

Yue, C., K. Hugie, and E. Watkins. 2012. "Are consumers willing to pay more for low-input turfgrasses on residential lawns? Evidence from choice experiments." Journal of Agriculgtural and Applied Economics 44:549–560.

Table 1. 

Choice experiment definitions.

Attribute

Attribute Levels

Definitions

Source

Natural Organic

Made from all natural materials: plant and animal matter

Synthetic Organic

Formulated from organic materials: urea, etc.

Natural Inorganic

Made from naturally mined materials: powdered limestone, mined rock phosphate and sodium nitrate

Synthetic Inorganic

Composed of simple chemicals and minerals

Nitrogen Release

Fast-Release (<15%)

Slow-Release (15–20%, 21–30%, 31–50%, 51–75%, 76–100%)

The percentage refers to the relative amount of slow-release nitrogen included in the fertilizer. It is formulated to either delay nutrient availability after application or result in a longer period of availability over time.

Phosphorus Free

Yes

Contains no phosphorus or a small amount (which is allowed by law)

No

Fertilizer contains phosphorus

Herbicide Content

Pre-emergent

Controls and prevents weeds before they germinate

Post-emergent

Controls weeds that are already established and growing

None

Fertilizer does not contain an herbicide

 

Publication #FE975

Release Date:December 17, 2018

Reviewed At:January 20, 2023

Related Experts

Rihn, Alicia L

University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Dukes, Michael D.

Specialist/SSA/RSA

University of Florida

Khachatryan, Hayk

Specialist/SSA/RSA

University of Florida

  • Critical Issue: Water Quality and Conservation
Fact Sheet
Homeowner

About this Publication

This document is FE975, one of a series of the Food and Resource Economics Department, UF/IFAS Extension. Original publication date August 2015. Revised December 2018. Visit the EDIS website at https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu for the currently supported version of this publication.

About the Authors

Hayk Khachatryan, assistant professor, Food and Resource Economics Department, UF/IFAS Mid-Florida Research and Education Center; Alicia Rihn, postdoctoral research associate, Food and Resource Economics Department, UF/IFAS MFREC; and Michael Dukes, professor, Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering; UF/IFAS Extension, Gainesville, FL 32611.

Contacts

  • Hayk Khachatryan