Management of nutrients from mineral fertilizers in the Polish agriculture – selected issues

Abstract

The paper presents the issue of nutrient management, such ingredients as N, P, K and Ca, in mineral and lime fertiliza-tion in the Polish agriculture. The analysis covered changes in the number and share of farms using mineral fertilization and the level of consumption of individual ingredients in mineral fertiliz-ers. The comparative analysis was based on individual farm data with 2007 and 2016 years. Spatial analysis was carried out at the level of voivodships (NUTS-2). The results indicated regional diversification in the management of mineral fertilisers. This dif-ferentiation is progressing, which was evidenced by the different pace of changes in the share of farms using mineral fertilization among voivodships. Nitrogen fertilizers are the most common type of mineral fertilizers, that was indicated by the number of farms applying this type of fertilizers. At the same time, lime fer-tilizers are very rarely used on individual farms. In this scope, there is also a wide, increasing regional diversity. According to the carried out analyses, the level of consumption of mineral fer-tilizers, especially nitrogen fertilizers in Poland, is mainly related to the intensity of crop production. The average fertilizer rates for Poland do not reflect the actual situation and changes in particu-lar voivodships. The consumption of mineral fertilizers is mainly dependent on the diversity of the area structure and the organiza-tional and economic level of agricultural holdings. The intensity of fertilization with fertilizing components increases simultane-ously with the size of agricultural holdings. This dependency is described by the second-degree polynomial equation. The highest doses of macronutrients in mineral fertilizers have been used for many years in south-western and western Poland, and the small-est, with a few exceptions, in the east of the country. The results of the studies indicate that organizational factors (related to the farms` area) are an equally strong determinant of the consump-tion of fertilizing components as well as the location of the farms (geographical, administrative).