Farm management practices are determined as decisions and practical measures defining management on farms. They include production technologies such as crop rotation, methods of soil treatment and coverage of soil with vegetation, as well as types and capacities of storage facilities for organic fertilizers*.

*the definition of the term is taken from: H. P. Piorr, U. Eppler (University of Eberswalde) in the framework of the PAIS project (Proposal on Agri-Environmental Indicators), financed by ESTAT (from 2000 to 2004).

In Slovenia’s categories of agricultural land, the most land is covered with permanent grassland and the least with arable land. In spite of that, the basic characteristic of Slovenia’s agriculture is its orientation into the production of fodder. For economic reasons, maize is by far the most predominant fodder plant. The limited sowing structure results in a relatively low level of land cover, a large share of maize and small share of legume plants in crop rotation. All these factors accelerate soil degradation processes. A slight increase in land cover and the share of legume plants in the sowing structure after 2000 is mostly due to the introduction of individual measures in the framework of the Slovenian Agri-Environmental Programme. The sowing structure is the reflection of specialized farming production, thus no significant changes are anticipated in the near future. From this aspect, the studied period of 1992-2005 is relatively short.

Adequate storage capacities enable good livestock manure management and reduce the risk of pollution of natural resources. Slovenian regulations determine that 3.5 m2 of manure facility with a 2 m3 dung pit, or a 8 m3 dung pit or lagoon for slurry must be provided per every livestock unit (LU). Types of farms where livestock manure is stored as solid dung prevail on cattle breeding farms oriented in the production of milk. About 85 % of all surveyed farms have dunghills and dung pits for slurry, 2 % of farms have only dunghills and no dung pits, and 13 % only have slurry.

The storing capacity of objects on farms with only slurry is comparable with the EU average. About 70 % of Slovenian farms can store slurry for more than six months. Concrete dung pits outside barns prevail (55 %), followed by slurry storage facilities under bars in barns (39 %), and open tanks above ground and lagoons. Farms with combined storage facilities have a relatively high storage capacity, sufficient for more than six months of slurry storing – in comparison with the EU, their total capacity is above average. Uncovered dunghills with an impermeable or concrete base present the prevalent type of livestock manure dunghills (> 90 %). In view of the type and capacity of dunghills, the situation in Slovenia is comparable with that in Finland and Sweden.

There are no data for Slovenia and the EU on their state in the past and the assessment of trends is thus impossible. Lately, the number of soil analyses has been on the increase, which enables manuring adapted to the needs of the plants. An exceptional increase in the number of these analyses in 2004 and 2005 is the consequence of the introduction of payments for the implementation of the Nitrates Directive standards, regulating manuring on the basis of soil analysis and a fertilization plan as well as other conditions.