It doesn't matter how good the analysis is if you don't need the particular ratio that is in it. If it fits your acreage, fine.

Some of the most screwed up land I have ever soil sampled belonged to a "Rainbow Dealer". He was a peanut grower, and was having some problems. He rotated peanuts with irrigated corn. Well, to get enough K, he was using 1000 pounds per acre of 5-10-15 Super Rainbow Corn Special, with Heavy Zinc. He got some heavy zinc all right, with soil test levels in the upper teens, high enough to cause some zinc toxicity in peanuts.

They market a 3-9-18 Peanut Special that is 8% sulfur, largely from ammonium sulfate. We already put gypsum on peanuts, and that stuff is loaded with sulfur. Rates of 400 pounds per acre are essential to get even a little of anything out, but it sure puts out 36 pounds per acre of acidyfying sulfur!

I even heard the tale that a Rainbow salesman advertised that the low analysis fertilizers may have a lot of filler in them, yes, but the filler itself was such a premium grade product that it, too, broke down and gave you fertilizer! The farmer believed in that stuff, too. In fact, his great great great grandchildren may live long enough for some of the calcitic limestone filler they use to break down and give him a little value.

I may change my mind one day, but believe in bulk blends to match what my dirt needs, and think that is indeed to most cost efficient way to go.

Granular fertilizers ruled the world through the 70's, and IMC is at the top of the list in companies that do a good job selling them. Don't swallow the line of the uniform particle analysis too much. By the same token, be sure the blender dealer you are doing business with knows what he is doing.