Nutrient balance

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The aim of the nutrient balance in agriculture is to get an overview of the sum of the inflows and outflows of nutrients (mainly nitrogen ). Other expressions are nutrient balance or nutrient comparison (see also fertilizer balance).

Serious errors in fertilization are hardly to be expected on farms with a balanced balance. A positive balance indicates nutrient enrichment, a negative balance indicates nutrient depletion.

Procedure

According to the Fertilizer Ordinance (§ 5), three procedures are possible ((file: forms of operational nutrient comparisons.png / mini / farm gate balance, field-stable balance and aggregated field balance in comparison))

Nutrient comparison on a single strike basis

(especially suitable for arable farms with no livestock)

  • Reference period: calendar year
  • Information from the field card must be supplemented by:
    • Amount of nitrogen bound by legumes
    • Nutrient removal through the crop
    • Nutrient supply from crop residues remaining on the field

Nutrient comparison on a field-stable basis

  • Reference period: financial year (1.7. To 30.6) → better: calendar year
  • rather unsuitable for grassland farms
  • Access to nutrients from animal husbandry for the entire farm thanks to a simplified barn balance (number of barn spaces x guide value for nutrient excretion)

Nutrient comparison on a farm gate basis

  • Reference period: financial year (1.7. To 30.6) → better: calendar year
  • Internal nutrient flows are not taken into account.
  • Nutrient inflows and outflows are only determined through purchases and sales of cattle, milk, eggs, harvested products, and organic and mineral fertilizers (mostly guide values).

Important: changes in inventory must be taken into account!

In theory, all three approaches should produce the same result. In practice, however, the results are often very different.

Information required for nutrient balancing

Nutrient Intake - Nutrient Removal = Gross Balance

Field stall base

Nutrient intake through

  • Mineral fertilizers
  • Excretion of animals
  • symbiotic N-bond
  • other organic fertilizers

Nutrient removal through

  • Harvest products (grassland / arable land)
  • Submission of own organ. fertilizer

Courtyard gate base

Nutrient intake through

  • Mineral fertilizers
  • Acquisition of cattle
  • Feed
  • symbiotic N-bond
  • otherwise. organ. fertilizer
  • atmospheric nitrogen input

Nutrient removal through

  • Sale of vegetable + animal products
  • Submission of own organ. fertilizer
  • Cattle sale
  • Chargeable N losses from animal husbandry

literature

  • Hans Herrmann, Ulrich Meyer-Ötting (Red.): Basic level agriculture. Specialized theory for soil, plants, animals, biology, chemistry, physics, ecology, economics, technology, business administration, bookkeeping, commercial fundamentals. (Textbook and workbook for vocational schools). New edition. BLV-Verlags-Gesellschaft et al., Munich 1998, ISBN 3-405-15092-2 .
  • Guide to fertilizing arable land and grassland. 10th edition. Bavarian State Institute for Agriculture, Freising 2012.