Nutrient bookkeeping in Germany why ? A short historical - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

For Man and Environment

• Dr. Dietrich Schulz, German Federal Environment Agency, Dessau-Roßlau

Nutrient bookkeeping in Germany – why ? A short historical introduction

The North Sea – too much nutrients

1. The Wadden Sea in the 80ies – A World Nature Heritage Site under pressure:

• Epidemic viruses among seals (weak immune system)
• Black spots (sulfides)
• Lack of oxygen due to nutrient inputs
• 2. 3rd International North Sea Conference 1990
• Reduce nutrient input by 50%
• 3. Reduce national nutrient surplus by 50% (especially nitrogen, minimum

factor in marine ecosystems)

11.04.2014

• Dr. Dietrich Schulz, FEA Germany; HELCOM AEF Tallinn

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National nitrogen farmgate balance

11.04.2014

• Dr. Dietrich Schulz, FEA Germany; HELCOM AEF Tallinn

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National nitrogen balance in Germany

11.04.2014

• Dr. Dietrich Schulz, FEA Germany; HELCOM AEF Tallinn

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Nutrient balances: Regional aspects

11.04.2014

• Dr. Dietrich Schulz, FEA Germany; HELCOM AEF Tallinn

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The Nitrates Directive – drinking water and good agricultural practice

• The nitrates directive was issued in 1991 to safeguard groundwater quality

and help to implement the drinking water limit value of 50 mg nitrate/l. Quality standard for baby food 10 mg nitrate/l.

• Identify nitrate vulnerable zones, elaborate codes of good agricultural

practice

• Whole Germany is vulnerable zone. Good agricultural practice in fertilizer

application compulsory 1996 (DüV; amendment in 2007; next amendment in 2014).

• Methods to predict N-fertilizer needs (1975 ff). Nmin, EUF. Nutrient

bookkeeping to validate (and improve) models ex post (research and development). Broader application in winter wheat (advisory services).

11.04.2014

• Dr. Dietrich Schulz, FEA Germany; HELCOM AEF Tallinn

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The Phosphate problem – resource efficiency versus intensive livestock farming

• Efficient plant growing: Apply manure (as fertilizer) according to the plants

need

• Efficient livestock farming: Get rid of manure (as waste) as cheap as

possible.

• Soils with high P-contents (D and E).
• Waste of valuable P-resources in agriculture - Expensive research

programmes to regain P from municipal waste water.

11.04.2014

• Dr. Dietrich Schulz, FEA Germany; HELCOM AEF Tallinn

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Nitrogen and Phosphorus – a partially legalized waste

Regulation versus bookkeeping:

Phosphate Ordinance on fertilizer application (DüV):

• Phosphate surplus up to 20 kg/ha allowed (generally).
• Oncoming amendment: on soils with high and very high P-status (Classes D

and E) only surplus 0 allowed. Nitrogen

• 60 kg N/ha allowed as surface balance. Ammonia emissions (losses) included

would give about 80-90 kg/ha (legal upper limit!).

• Actual national balance (average!!): N-surplus about 100 kg/ha.

11.04.2014

• Dr. Dietrich Schulz, FEA Germany; HELCOM AEF Tallinn

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Nutrient Bookkeeping: A Prerequisite for Farm Management Systems and (voluntary) Sustainability Certification

• Voluntary farm sustainability assessment systems in Germany (KSNL;

REPRO/DLG) use a set of indicators (economic, ecologic and social) to assess the sustainability performance of farms.

• As regards nutrients:
• 0 - 50 kg N/ha surface balance
• 0 - 30 kg Ammonia-N/ha
• 0 +/-15 kg Phosphate/ha
• Farms can use sustainability certificates in communication, public relation

etc., but normally do not get higher prices for their products. Some Federal States demand a certificate as basic need for participation in second pillar programmes.

11.04.2014

• Dr. Dietrich Schulz, FEA Germany; HELCOM AEF Tallinn

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Regional aspects: e. g. Lower Saxony

• Nutrient bookkeeping on farm level (according to federal law, DüV).
• Nutrient bookkeeping on farm level about import/export of manure (and
• ther organic fertilizers; Verbringungsverordnung; Meldeverordnung).

Controlled by the Chamber of Agriculture (special software).

• Data are used for Nitrate and P-Reports compiled on county level.

11.04.2014

• Dr. Dietrich Schulz, FEA Germany; HELCOM AEF Tallinn

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11.04.2014

• Dr. Dietrich Schulz, FEA Germany; HELCOM AEF Tallinn

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INPUT OUTPUT

• ther organic

imports manure imports manure excretion by animals within county export of manure and others application of

• ther organic

fertilizers manure application within county Biogas production corn import

County

Limit value 170 kg N/ha

Nutrient hot spots (in NW-Germany): N-Application via organic fertilizers (manure and fermentation leftovers)

• In 2 counties the Nitrates Directive

(170 kg N/ha) is exceeded (not only by single farms, but by the whole counties).

• Other counties are close to the limit.

11.04.2014

• Dr. Dietrich Schulz, FEA Germany; HELCOM AEF Tallinn

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Nutrient hot spots II: P-surplus in NW-Germany

• In pig and poultry areas (contrary

to dairy cattle) P is the most important nutrient to trigger nutrient exports.

• The current amendment of

fertilizer regulations (DüV) will increase this trend, because on soils with high P-status the P- balance must be lowered to zero.

11.04.2014

• Dr. Dietrich Schulz, FEA Germany; HELCOM AEF Tallinn

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Summary

• Nutrient bookkeeping was developed for agronomical, health and

environmental reasons. It is a tool for efficient fertilizer use, safeguarding drinking water quality and good environmental status.

• Nutrient bookkeeping can be applied on farm level, regional or whole

memberstate level. It can be adapted for diferent targets.

• Nutrient bookkeeping as part of good agricultural practice provides data

(instead of speculations) for environmental discussions, agricultural communication (PR), quality schemes and legal requirements. It is also a valuable tool to concentrate environmental programmes and measures on the areas where they are most urgently needed.

11.04.2014

• Dr. Dietrich Schulz, FEA Germany; HELCOM AEF Tallinn

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11.04.2014 / Hier steht der Veranstaltungstitel in 12 Punkt 15

Thank you for your attention

Dietrich Schulz Dietrich.schulz@uba.de + 49 340 2103 2885 www.uba.de