Abstract
BackgroundNutrient leaching from agricultural fields is one of the main causes of pollution and eutrophication of the Baltic Sea. The quantity of nitrogen (N) leached from a particular field can be very different from the amount of N leached from other fields in a given region or even within a single farm. Therefore, it is necessary to estimate the quantity of N leached for each field separately.MethodsAn opinion poll has been conducted on 31 farms within the Puck Commune, which is approximately 3.6% of all farms located in this commune. Farmers provided data on the manner of fertilizing and cultivating crops on all their farms. For each field individually, on the basis of collected data, an estimated amount of the N leaching from the field has been determined.ResultsAn interactive calculator to assist farmers in determining the quantity of N leaching from the agricultural field has been developed. The influence of factors shaping the amount of N leaching from a single field has been analyzed, and it has been determined that autumn plowing (specifically its absence) and the type of cultivated soil had the greatest average influence on this value in the studied sample.DiscussionDue to the possible ways of reducing N leaching from agricultural fields, most of the studied fields were fertilized in an appropriate manner. However, in the studied sample there were fields for which the fertilization intensity significantly exceeded the recommended doses. In this context, a tool in the form of an interactive, easy-to-use N leaching calculator should help farmers to select appropriate doses and optimal fertilization practices.
Highlights
The aim of agriculture, as well as any human economic activity, is to maximize efficiency
N leaching calculator Within the Water PUCK project, a website in the form of an interactive calculator to assist farmers in determining the quantity of N leaching from the field was developed
Taking into account all three factors that influence the basic leaching, that is, the type of crop cultivated in the previous year, the time of soil tillage and the application of natural fertilizers, we can see that the most dominant factor in the examined sample is the time of soil tillage which decreases basic leaching by 30% for more than half of the studied fields
Summary
The aim of agriculture, as well as any human economic activity, is to maximize efficiency. Results: An interactive calculator to assist farmers in determining the quantity of N leaching from the agricultural field has been developed. The influence of factors shaping the amount of N leaching from a single field has been analyzed, and it has been determined that autumn plowing ( its absence) and the type of cultivated soil had the greatest average influence on this value in the studied sample. Discussion: Due to the possible ways of reducing N leaching from agricultural fields, most of the studied fields were fertilized in an appropriate manner. In the studied sample there were fields for which the fertilization intensity significantly exceeded the recommended doses. In this context, a tool in the form of an interactive, easy-to-use N leaching calculator should help farmers to select appropriate doses and optimal fertilization practices
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