Potash Will Win Fertilizer Wars, Poll Says

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Who would have thought that fertilizer could engender such drama?

But over the last few weeks, two hostile takeover battles have simultaneously gripped the sector and its participants, as Agrium(AGU Quote) tries to buy CF Industries(CF Quote), which is trying to buy Terra Industries(TRA Quote). Two other major fertilizer players -- Potash(POT Quote) and Mosaic(MOS Quote) -- stand on the sidelines, though both have been named in the past as potential takeout targets of the cash-rich Australian mega-miner BHP Billiton(BHP Quote).

And so we asked readers of TheStreet this week in a poll: Over the near term, which of these companies will outperform the rest, whether it does so by subsuming a rival, by letting itself be subsumed, or simply by remaining independent?

Before we get to the results, however, let's review some late-breaking developments -- another chapter in the ongoing narrative that is the Fertilizer Wars.

On Friday, the influential proxy advisor RiskMetrics went public in support of CF Industries and the slate of dissident directors it has nominated for Terra's board. (Terra will convene its annual meeting on Friday, Nov. 20.) Terra, of course, immediately countered the RiskMetrics report, reiterating its opinion of CF's bid, which amounts to: stop being so cheap.