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In the period 1992–2019 the consumption of mineral fertilizers in Slovenia was reduced by 35%. In the same period the consumption of plant nutrients (N, P2O5, K2O) per hectare of utilized agricultural area also reduced by 26%. The average consumption per hectare of utilized agricultural area was 61 kg N, 26 kg of P2O5 and 34 kg of K2O. In the period 2010–2017 the average consumption of nitrogen in Slovenia was lower (57 kg N/ha) than in the EU member states (62 kg N/ha). In the same period the consumption of phosphorus (19 kg of P2O5/ha) was higher than in the EU member states (15 kg of P2O5/ha).


The indicator represents the consumption of mineral fertilizers in Slovenia in the period 1992–2019. Their total consumption and consumption of the main plant nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium) are presented. The consumption of plant nutrients per hectare of utilized agricultural area is calculated and a comparison of nitrogen and phosphorus consumption with the countries of the European Union for the period of 2010–2017 is given.

Mineral fertilizers are substances, regardless of their physical state, which contain plant nutrients and are added to the soil or plants to improve growth, increase yields, improve crop quality or soil fertility and are obtained in an industrial process (Mineral Fertilizers Act, Ur. l. RS, 29/06).


Charts

Figure KM02-1: Consumption of mineral fertilizers in Slovenia in the period 1992–2019
Sources: 

SORS, 2021

Show data

Mineral fertilisers [Tonne]

1992

189922

1993

174055

1994

182191

1995

168780

1996

168029

1997

180599

1998

184729

1999

186370

2000

174180

2001

178166

2002

175724

2003

177589

2004

162680

2005

149504

2006

146593

2007

149587

2008

135011

2009

119135

2010

131855

2011

131304

2012

128364

2013

130347

2014

136054

2015

136114

2016

129480

2017

130524

2018

128769

2019

138218

Figure KM02-2: Consumption of plant nutrients (N, P2O5 and K2O) per hectare of utilized agricultural area in the period 1992–2019
Sources: 

SORS, 2021

Show data

Nitrogen (N) [kg/ha]

Potassium (K2O)[kg/ha]

Phosphorus (P2O5)[kg/ha]

1992

70.05

36.75

27.86

1993

60.38

39.32

31.00

1994

63.14

41.40

35.25

1995

61.40

40.04

33.13

1996

60.95

40.71

33.05

1997

68.79

45.50

35.27

1998

70.89

46.74

38.35

1999

68.95

48.94

39.55

2000

67.12

43.67

35.86

2001

68.22

41.03

32.59

2002

66.10

40.86

31.06

2003

67.69

39.25

30.04

2004

61.70

37.86

29.85

2005

57.33

31.61

26.40

2006

61.97

31.53

26.08

2007

59.41

30.62

25.57

2008

50.85

29.80

24.24

2009

60.20

18.30

16.34

2010

56.95

25.50

20.51

2011

59.22

25.20

19.67

2012

54.83

22.52

18.54

2013

56.93

22.64

18.58

2014

59.33

22.11

18.96

2015

59.39

24.17

19.79

2016

56.73

23.77

19.18

2017

56.26

22.98

18.97

2018

57.18

23.38

19.13

2019

58.46

21.14

16.89

Figure KM02-3: Consumption of nitrogen (N) per hectare of utilized agricultural area in the Member States of the European Union in the period 2010–2017
Sources: 

Eurostat, 2021

Show data

Nitrogen (N) [kg/ha]

Romania

23.95

Portugal

29.99

Greece

34.43

Estonia

34.82

Latvia

37.28

Austria

40.71

Spain

41.20

Italy

45.74

Malta

48.66

Lithuania

53.99

Bulgaria

56.32

Slovenia

57.45

Sweden

57.74

United Kingdom

59.46

Slovakia

60.09

EU-28

61.53

Finland

63.02

Hungary

65.01

Cyprus

67.40

Croatia

68.15

Ireland

73.79

Poland

74.84

France

75.10

Denmark

77.33

Czechia

100.81

Germany

101.14

Luxembourg

103.20

Belgium

112.50

Netherlands

118.49

Figure KM02-4: Consumption of phosphorus (P2O5) per hectare of utilized agricultural area in the Member States of the European Union in the period 2010–2017
Sources: 

Eurostat, 2021

Show data

Phosphorus (P2O5)[kg/ha]

United Kingdom

4.89

Netherlands

7.50

Estonia

7.72

Malta

8.02

Sweden

8.90

Luxembourg

8.94

Romania

9.06

Bulgaria

10.45

Austria

10.56

Greece

10.77

Belgium

10.86

Slovakia

10.87

Finland

11.36

Portugal

11.51

Denmark

11.64

Latvia

11.76

Czechia

12.56

Hungary

14.37

EU-28

14.79

Lithuania

14.90

France

15.53

Germany

16.14

Spain

16.72

Ireland

17.33

Italy

17.96

Slovenia

19.28

Croatia

22.46

Poland

24.28

Cyprus

39.70


Goals

  • Balanced consumption of mineral fertilizers, gradual increase in the volume of organic production and prevention of soil pollution from point and diffuse sources.
  • Fertilize the plants in such a way that they can make the most of the nutrients and that they are not lost to groundwater and to the atmosphere.
  • Reduce and prevent further pollution of waters with nitrates from agricultural production.

 


In the period 1992–2019 the consumption of mineral fertilizers in Slovenia reduced by 35%. In that period the consumption of mineral fertilizers per hectare of utilized agricultural area also reduced by 3.5 kg/year or by 26%. The average nutrient consumption was 121 kg/ha (61 kg N/ha, 26 kg P2O5/ha and 33 kg K2O/ha). In that period the consumption of N per ha reduced by 17%, P2O5 by 56% and K2O by 57%. Among plant nutrients, N (52%) predominates in the composition of mineral fertilizers, followed by K2O (27%) and P2O5 (22%). This fact confirms that mineral fertilizers in Slovenia are mainly used for top-dressing with nitrogen (use of nitrogen fertilizers), and fertilization with phosphorus and potassium is combined with the use of livestock fertilizers in pre-sowing tillage.

The reduction in the consumption of mineral fertilizers can be attributed to the requirements of the Nitrates Directive and the principles of good agricultural practice in fertilization, to which agricultural holdings have been committed in recent years, especially after 2004, when Slovenia joined the European Union (EU). Both documents pay more attention to the use of livestock manure and the consideration of plant nutrients in livestock manure when planning fertilization with mineral fertilizers. As the agricultural holdings must have fertilization plans in place, in which the plant nutrients used from livestock manure are also evaluated, the consumption of mineral fertilizers is reduced accordingly.

The consumption of nitrogen in Slovenia was in the period 2010–2017 lower (57 kg N/ha) than on average in the EU Member States (62 kg N/ha). The highest consumption of nitrogen was in the Netherlands (118 kg N/ha), Belgium (112 kg N/ha) and Luxembourg (103 kg N/ha), and the lowest in Romania (24 kg N/ha) and Portugal (30 kg N/ha).

The consumption of phosphorus in Slovenia was in the period 2010–2017 higher (19 kg P2O5/ha) than on average in the EU Member States (15 kg P2O5/ha). The highest phosphorus consumption was in Cyprus (40 kg P2O5/ha) and Poland (24 kg P2O5/ha) and the lowest in the United Kingdom (5 kg P2O5/ha).



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