The indicator shows ammonia emissions in agriculture. The main sources of emissions and their changes between 1990 and 2020 are presented. The trend of emissions in the EU–27 countries is also presented.

In high concentrations, ammonia directly harms the health and well-being of humans and livestock. It is also harmful to plants. Of greatest concern, however, are its indirect effects. It is a precursor to particulate matter, which causes respiratory and cardiovascular disease. With ammonia, nitrogen is deposited in natural ecosystems, altering them (eutrophication) and threatening biodiversity. Ammonia emissions also cause economic damage through losses of plant-available nitrogen. Nitrous oxide is also emitted into the environment through the deposition of ammonia. In this way, it contributes to indirect greenhouse gas emissions.

Agriculture is the largest contributor to all ammonia emissions in Slovenia (92.8%). The largest share of ammonia in agriculture is emitted from the application of livestock manure, including grazing (46.6%), followed by emissions from animal houses (30.9%), emissions from the storage of livestock manure (13.4%) and emissions from the application of mineral fertilizers (9.0%). The high emissions from livestock manure application are partly due to the very limited use of band spreaders or slurry injectors. Tankers with discharge nozzles and sprayers, which are characterized by high emissions, are still predominantly used for liquid manure application.

Over the period from 1990 to 2020, annual ammonia emissions from agriculture decreased from 21,854 to 16,852 tonnes, or by 22.9%. The decrease in emissions was also significant for the period after 2005 (–7.4%), the base year for Slovenia's new ammonia emission commitments. The decrease was at the level of the EU–27 average. Throughout the period, the largest absolute decrease in emissions was in pig farming, followed by fertilization of agricultural plants with livestock manure, cattle production and poultry production. The large relative increase in emissions from small ruminants and horses is insignificant in absolute terms, as these emissions account only about 2% of total agricultural emissions.

The decrease in ammonia emissions is also due to regulations designed to protect water. In particular, it is the Decree on the Protection of Waters against Pollution by Nitrates from Agricultural Sources (UL RS, št. 113/09, 5/13, 22/15, 12/17 and 44/22) that sets the maximum permissible livestock density and restricts the use of nitrogen fertilizers on agricultural land. The Agricultural-Environmental-Climate Payments (KOPOP) and the Organic Farming measure from Rural Development Program also contribute to emission reduction. These measures include requirements that contribute to more efficient use of nitrogen in agriculture. In 2015, KOPOP introduced for the first time financial support for the implementation of fertilization with low ammonia emissions to air. The measure requires band application of slurry or its injection into the soil. In 2020, the Ministry of the Environment and Spatial Planning funded the publication of the Advisory Code of Good Agricultural Practices for Reducing Ammonia Emissions (Verbič, 2020).