Managing Phosphorus in Polish Agriculture – Production and Environmental Aspects

Abstract

Phosphorus (P) is an essential building block of life. It naturally occurs in the environment as organic and mineral compounds, mostly as orthophosphates. P is introduced into agriculture as phosphorus mineral fertilizers (PMF), manures, and other organic sources such as digestate and sewage sludge. It is an irreplaceable element, as there is no substitute for its use in animal feed and fertilizer. Sustainable P management is vital as P is one of the most yield-forming factors for determining production capacity, including varietal improvement. In addition, when used efficiently, losses are minor and almost irrelevant [1][2].Pol. J. Environ. Stud. Vol. 25, No. 6 (2016), 2461-2468 AbstractPhosphorus (P) is an essential building block of life. It is an irreplaceable part of agriculture, as there is no substitute for its use for producing food and feed. The objective of P fertilization is to add an adequate (in regard to soil test P) amount of P to produce an economical yield. Unbalanced P management leads to P wastage, lower cost-effectiveness of production, and water quality impairment. The aim of this paper is to analyze the structure and trends in the consumption of phosphorus mineral fertilizers and to draw gross phosphorus balance in Poland (NUTS level 1) and by regions (NUTS level 2). In Poland, P for agriculture is mainly applied as a compound fertilizer, among which diammonium phosphate represents the greatest share. Average P consumption rate in Poland has declined slightly since 2008, currently reaching 24.4 kg P 2 O 5 •ha -1 UAA. The differences in intensity of farming, measured by the consumption of PMF, reached more than 200%, and this differentiation has intensified over the years. The polarization of Polish agriculture is also confirmed by GPB outcome, as differences between provinces are in the range of -1.9 kg P•ha -1 UAA in Małopolskie to 7.7 kg P•ha -1 UAA in the Wielkopolskie region. The differences in crop and animal production in Poland are largely conditioned by both organizational and production management, which conjointly affect agricultural phosphorus use efficiency.

Identifying Potential Hazardous Farms in Nitrate-Vulnerable Water Catchments Based on the Rapid Identification System

“…The rapid identification system is focused primarily on the aspects of nutrient dissipation, as this is the prime problem in the area of agricultural production [18][19][20][21][22]. It incorporates all elements prioritized by action programs for nitrate-vulnerable zones.…”