Nitrogen and phosphorus balances of Hungarian farms

A reduction in chemical phosphate (P) fertilizer application to farmland from 137.6 kg P ha -1 in 1985 to 99.0 kg P ha -1 in 2005 and in manure application from 42.4 kg P ha -1 in 1985 to 32.8 kg P ha -1 in 2005 did not reduce crop P uptake, which averaged 27 kg P ha -1 over the period. Phosphate balance on farmland declined from 153.0 kg P ha -1 in 1985 to 105.4 kg P ha -1 in 2005 while livestock excreta disposal increased from 12.7 kg P ha -1 in 1985 to 23.7 kg P ha -1 in 2005. As a result, residual P associated with agriculture declined from 165.8 kg P ha -1 in 1985 to 129.1 kg P ha -1 in 2005. Phosphate utilization efficiency increased from 15.7% in 1985 to 20.1% in 2005. Median, minimum and maximum values of P flows by region showed similar trends. Phosphate input and withdrawal through crop production by region were not related to regional nitrogen (N) input and withdrawal through crop production. Although non-utilized P associated with agriculture has declined nationally and regionally, it is still higher than that in foreign countries, because of high chemical P fertilizer inputs and low crop yield withdrawal. Because soil P fertility was often sufficiently high previous large P surpluses, reducing P applications did not affect crop yields. Crop P uptake was less than half that of crop N yield. These results indicate that P inputs, especially by chemical fertilizer, for crop production could be reduced, thereby reducing negative environmental effects such as eutrophication of soil and water and conserving limited P resources.

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 98%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Recent trends in phosphate balance nationally and by region in Japan

Mishima

Endô

Kohyama

2009

“…Nutrient management at the farm scale is generally assessed by the farm-gate budget (D'Haene et al 2007;Gourley et al 2007;Fangueiro et al 2008), which is defined as the difference between total nutrient farm inflow through purchased products (fertiliser, animal feed, manure, straw, etc.) or fixed from the atmosphere, and the total nutrient outflow through exported products or losses to the environment (due to leaching, erosion, denitrification, etc.).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessing phosphorus management among organic farming systems: a farm input, output and budget analysis in southwestern France

Nesme

Toublant

Mollier

et al. 2012

Organic farming is gaining interest worldwide due to its low environmental impact. However, questions still remain about its long-term sustainability, particularly in terms of nutrient management. There is debate about the ability of organic farming systems to compensate for nutrient exports due to crop and animal production. Stockless systems are considered as the most critical and they are generally associated with negative farm-gate nutrient budgets. In this study, we examined the farm-gate nutrient budgets of 23 organic farms located in southwestern France, with special focus on stockless farming systems. Phosphorus (P) was taken as a case study due to the issue of its critical management in organic farming systems. The farms were characterised on the basis of interviews with farmers and the soil nutrient status was assessed through soil sampling. Results showed that none of the farms imported rock phosphate fertiliser. On the contrary, most farms imported organic fertiliser and/or compost and manure, the latter from neighbouring farms or urban areas. As a consequence, stockless farm P budgets were not necessarily negative and options existed from achieving better nutrient cycle closure. However, soil P test was low to moderate in many cases. These results suggested that P management in organic farming systems is not simply related to the mixed versus specialised characteristics of the farms and that nutrient cycling should be addressed and assessed at a larger, e.g., district, scale.

“…Moreover, P fertilisation can lead to local excess of P in soils, resulting in water eutrophication and its related problems. The consequences of P fertiliser use are usually assessed by input/output budgets at the plot or farm scale (D'Haene et al 2007;Fangueiro et al 2008;Gourley et al 2007;Steinshamn et al 2004). Phosphorus fertilisation practices are also assessed by monitoring changes in soil mineral availability (Smaling and Dixon 2006;Tittonel et al 2007).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An analysis of farmers’ use of phosphorus fertiliser in industrial agriculture: a case study in the Bordeaux region (south-western France)

Nesme

Brunault

Mollier

et al. 2011

Global phosphorus (P) reserves are rapidly being depleted and agriculture is a major contributor to P consumption worldwide. Moreover, agricultural P use may lead to local excess of P in soils, resulting in water eutrophication. To remedy this situation, it is necessary to understand the key factors underlying P use by farmers within such a context. The objective of this article is to understand how farmers use P fertilisers under agricultural conditions. Particular attention was paid to the use of conventional decision-making tools such as soil analysis by farmers. Industrial agriculture, characterised by high levels of specialisation, input use and production yields, was considered as a case study. Forty farmers involved in industrial agriculture in south-western France were interviewed in 2008 about their P use. Soil analyses were collected when available. Input/output P balances were computed at the plot scale. Moreover, records of farmers' fertilisation practices were analysed from a database developed by a technical advisory group. Results showed that 90% of farmers had a crop-specific and yearly P fertilisation strategy. This yielded very positive P balances for vegetable crops. Few farmers used recommendations based on soil analyses: in most cases, the amounts of P used by the farmers were lower than those recommended. When asked for their opinion about the role of P in agriculture, most farmers explained that P fertilisation helped boost the growth of spring crops in the event of adverse weather conditions. This revealed the emphasis placed on ''plant-based'' strategies for P management, as opposed to ''soil-based'' strategies, thus reinforcing annual fertilisation strategy. This study provides a foundation for understanding key factors underlying P consumption in agriculture.