| Nitrogen use per ha - Derogation farms |
Decrease in nitrogen application in 2022
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30/10/2024
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The average nitrogen application from livestock manure shows a downward trend over the period from 2006 to 2022. In 2006, 242 kg of nitrogen from livestock manure was used per hectare. In 2021 and 2022, this had dropped to 228 kg per hectare. A downward trend is also visible in nitrogen fertiliser consumption. At 119 kg per hectare in 2022, the use of inorganic nitrogen-containing fertilisers is at the lowest level in the entire period from 2006 to 2022.
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65% nitrogen application from livestock manure
The nitrogen application from livestock manure in 2021 of 229 kg per hectare on average is relatively low compared to previous years. Only in The nitrogen application from livestock manure in 2021 and 2022 of 228 kg per hectare on average is low compared to previous years. Only in 2012 and 2019, similar low amounts were realised. Over the whole period from 2006 to 2022, a decreasing trend is visible in the nitrogen application from livestock manure. The use of inorganic nitrogen-containing fertilisers in 2022 is also at the lowest level, with 119 kg per hectare. In 2018, the use of inorganic nitrogen-containing fertilisers was also relatively low at 122 kg/ha. After 2018, the use of inorganic nitrogen-containing fertilisers rose again for 2 years in a row to 132 kg/ha in 2020 and decreased again for two years in a row to 119 kg/ha in 2022. Over the entire period from 2006 to 2022, the use of inorganic nitrogen-containing fertilisers shows a downward trend. In 2022, the total nitrogen application per hectare consisted, on average, of more than 65% livestock manure, while more than 35% came from inorganic nitrogen-containing fertilisers.
The Clay region is the region where the share of nitrogen from livestock manure in total nitrogen application was the lowest in all years. This was partly due to the higher total application level in the Clay region (2022: 371 kg nitrogen per hectare compared to 349 kg/ha at all farms in the derogation monitoring network), while the application of livestock manure was limited by the livestock manure application standard. Total nitrogen application in 2022 was lowest in the Loess region with 313 kg/ha, followed by Sand-230 region and Sand-250 region with 335 and 336 kg/ha respectively and the Peat region with 344 kg/ha. Total nitrogen application was highest in the Clay region with 371 kg/ha.
Less application that allowed by the nitrogen application capacity
The difference between nitrogen application and the nitrogen application standard decreased sharply, especially in the years from 2006 to 2009. In 2006 this difference was still 68 kg/ha, in the period from 2009 to 2017 this varied from 19 to 30 kg/ha. The decrease in the difference is on the one hand due to a decrease in the nitrogen utilisation capacity in the period from 2006 to 2013 from 293 to 263 kg/ha. This is the result of higher legal efficiency coefficients for manure on dairy farms with grazing and partly due to the tightening of nitrogen application standards over time. After 2013, the nitrogen utilisation capacity increased again to around 280 kg/ha. One reason for this is a higher share of grassland from 2014 onwards because of an adjustment of the derogation conditions (from a minimum of 70 to a minimum of 80% grass in the cropping plan). Grassland has a higher nitrogen utilisation standard than other crops. On the other hand, the decreasing difference between the nitrogen utilisation capacity and the nitrogen application is the result of an increase in the total use of active nitrogen in the period from 2006 to 2017 to 262 kg/ha. Since 2018, the difference between nitrogen application capacity and the nitrogen application have increased again. A lower nitrogen production from livestock manure, not compensated by an increase in nitrogen added via livestock manure, is one of the main reasons for the shortfall in meeting the nitrogen application standard. In 2022, the unused nitrogen application capacity increased further to 49 kg/ha, up from 42 ha/kg in 2021, due to a decrease in the use of inorganic nitrogen-containing fertilisers to 119 kg/ha.
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