This indicator presents the consumption of mineral fertilisers in Slovenia in the period 1992–2015. Their total consumption and the consumption of major plant nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium) are presented. The consumption of mineral fertilisers per hectare of utilised agricultural area was calculated and a comparison made with some EU Member States in the period 2002–2015.

Mineral fertilisers are substances in various aggregate states that contain nutrients and are added to soil or plants in order to improve growth, increase yields and raise the quality of crops or soil fertility. They are obtained using industrial procedures (Mineral Fertilisers Act, Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia, No. 29/06).

The consumption of mineral fertilisers in Slovenia was reduced by 28% in the period 1992–2015. Reduced consumption has been noted particularly after 1999. Namely, more than 180,000 tonnes of mineral fertilisers were used that year and only 135,000 tonnes in 2008. The consumption of mineral fertilisers per hectare of utilised agricultural area in the quoted period was reduced from 342 kg/ha to 285 kg/ha, or by 16%. The consumption of plant nutrients (N, P₂O₅, K₂O) was reduced as well – from 135 kg/ha to 103 kg/ha, or by 23%. In the period 1992–2015, an average of 62 kg of N, 28 kg of P₂O₅ and 34 kg of K₂O per hectare of utilised agricultural land was used. The prevailing element among plant nutrients composed of mineral fertilisers is nitrogen (51%), followed by potassium (27%) and phosphorus (22%). This fact confirms that mineral fertilisers in Slovenia are used primarily for side dressing with nitrogen (KAN and urea), while fertilising with phosphorus and potassium is combined with the use of livestock manure in the pre-sowing treatment of soil.

The decrease in consumption of mineral fertilisers per hectare of utilised agricultural area is attributable to the Nitrates Directive requirements and the principles of good agricultural practice in manuring, to which farm holdings have been committed over the last few years, especially after Slovenia joined the EU in 2004. Both papers devote more attention to the use of livestock manure and the assessment of plant nutrients in livestock manure in planning fertilisation with mineral fertilisers. As farm holdings must now develop fertilising plans that include assessments of the use of plant nutrients from livestock manure, the consumption of mineral fertilisers has been decreasing accordingly.

The consumption of nutrients (N, P₂O₅, K₂O) per hectare of utilised agricultural area in the period 2002–2013 in Slovenia (100 kg/ha) was above the EU-28 average (88 kg/ha). The consumption of nutrients in the stated period was the highest in Croatia (217 kg/ha), Belgium (186 kg/ha) and the Netherlands (169 kg/ha), while in Latvia (45 kg/ha), Greece (42 kg/ha) and Romania (30 kg/ha), it was the lowest.