| Phosphate use per ha - Derogation farms |
Decrease in phosphate application
|
07/09/2023
|
Since 2015, phosphate application on farms in the derogation monitoring network has come almost entirely from animal manure, while in previous years almost 3 kg/ha also came from inorganic phosphate-containing fertilisers. Total phosphate application shows a downward trend in the period 2006-2020.
|
Phosphate application decreased
The total phosphate application for all farms in the derogation monitoring network shows a downward trend in the period 2006-2020 (-25%), from an average of 100 kg/ha in 2006 to 75 kg/ha in 2020. This trend is visible in all regions, except in the Loess region. In the Loess region, the total phosphate application in the period 2007 to 2015 fluctuated between 83 and 91 kg/ha, but the fertilisation was at a lower level in the years 2016-2020 at 66 to 75 kg/ha. The decrease in phosphate application is the result of a decrease in permissible phosphate application per hectare by lowering the phosphate application standards and because the phosphate application standards depend, since 2010, on the phosphate status of the soil (for grassland measured as mg of P2O5 per 100 grams of dry soil and for arable land measured as mg of P2O5 per litre of soil). In the 2009-2014 period, for farms in the derogation monitoring network, the phosphate application consisted on average for 96 or 97% of animal manure. In 2006 this share was on average still at 89%. This was caused by a decrease in the use of inorganic phosphate-containing fertilisers from 11 kg/ha in 2006 to approximately 3 kg/ha from 2009. Since 15 May 2014, inorganic phosphate-containing fertilisers can no longer be used on derogation farms. The share of phosphate application from animal manure has therefore increased further to an average of 99% from 2015. Phosphate application from other organic manure is very limited on farms in the derogation monitoring network, with less than half a kg/ha in most years.
The difference between phosphate use and phosphate application capacity is increasing again
The average phosphate application standard on farms in the derogation monitoring network decreased from 108 kg/ha in 2006 to about 84 kg/ha from 2015. As a result, the difference between the phosphate application standard and the phosphate fertilisation decreased from 8 kg/ha in 2006 to around 4 kg/ha in the period 2010 to 2014. Since 2015, the difference between the phosphate application standard and the phosphate fertilisation has increased again to 9 kg/ha in 2020. This is probably because the nitrogen application standard for animal manure is restrictive on an increased number of farms in the derogation monitoring network. In contrast to before 15 May 2014, the remaining phosphate application capacity was no longer allowed to be filled with inorganic phosphate-containing fertilisers.
|