Statistical data concerning the consumption of fertilizers by crops are unavailable and for the sake of this report an indirect approach had to be used. This approach is based on so-called 'coefficients of preference'. This coefficient represents the ratio of the actual fertilizer rate for a given crop to the average rate applied to one ha of agricultural land. Coefficients of preference were calculated from the survey conducted during the past five years on the representative set of farms in Poland.
Unfortunately the coefficients of preference concern the total amount of NPK and do not separate out the individual nutrients. Consequently some crops seem to be under-estimated and others over-estimated with respect to calculated rates of nitrogen, phosphorus and/or potassium fertilizers. The previous method under-estimated the rates on potatoes, rapeseed and vegetables, and over-estimated those on maize, grassland and perennial fodder crops. The main drawback of both methods is the assumption that the whole area of a given crop is fertilized, while some farmers do not apply fertilizers at all or use fertilizers only on a few, high profitable crops.
The actual (or most probable) rates of nitrogen for crops grown in regions of Poland are presented in Table 14. The rates of nitrogen are the highest for sugar and fodder beets (in spite of manure application), maize, rapeseed and wheat. High rates of nitrogen are also applied on vegetables and triticale. The lowest rates are applied on rye, oats, pulses and fodder crops. The low rate for grassland is to a certain extent misleading because there are no separate coefficients of preference for meadows and pastures. Part of the area of pastures is, moreover, not fertilized. However, due to the alternative utilization of most grassland in Poland (for both hay and grazing) it seems practical to calculate the average rate of nitrogen for the total grassland area.
Table 14. Actual rates of nitrogen applied to crops in the regions of Poland (averages 1999-2001, kg N/ha)
Region or province |
Grassland |
Wheat |
Grain maize |
Potatoes |
Sugar beet |
Dls |
29 |
49 |
62 |
36 |
91 |
Kuj |
59 |
98 |
124 |
75 |
182 |
Lub |
34 |
56 |
71 |
41 |
105 |
Lus |
53 |
88 |
112 |
65 |
164 |
Lod |
46 |
77 |
98 |
57 |
145 |
Mal |
30 |
51 |
64 |
37 |
95 |
Maz |
35 |
58 |
74 |
43 |
108 |
Opl |
46 |
77 |
97 |
56 |
143 |
Pdk |
18 |
31 |
39 |
22 |
57 |
Pod |
39 |
66 |
83 |
48 |
123 |
Pom |
50 |
83 |
105 |
61 |
155 |
Sls |
32 |
53 |
68 |
39 |
100 |
Swi |
28 |
46 |
59 |
34 |
87 |
Wrm |
43 |
71 |
90 |
52 |
133 |
Wlp |
56 |
93 |
118 |
68 |
173 |
Zpm |
54 |
89 |
113 |
66 |
167 |
Poland |
39 |
65 |
82 |
47 |
121 |
Present phosphorus rates are presented in Table 15. These rates are the highest for sugar and fodder beet, maize and rapeseed. Rates of phosphorus per hectare of agricultural land are higher in Opl and Pom regions than the average for Poland, however in Pom region the share of set-aside (unfertilized) land is three times higher in comparison to Opl region. Therefore the rates of phosphorus for the individual crops in Pom region far exceed those in Opl region.
Table 15. Actual rates of phosphorus applied to crops in
the regions of Poland
(averages 1999-2001, kg
P2O5/ha)
Region or province |
Rapeseed |
Wheat |
Grain maize |
Potatoes |
Sugar beet |
Dls |
32 |
22 |
28 |
16 |
41 |
Kuj |
31 |
21 |
27 |
16 |
40 |
Lub |
37 |
25 |
32 |
18 |
47 |
Lus |
42 |
28 |
36 |
21 |
53 |
Lod |
26 |
18 |
223 |
13 |
34 |
Mal |
41 |
28 |
35 |
20 |
52 |
Maz |
43 |
29 |
37 |
21 |
55 |
Opl |
37 |
25 |
32 |
19 |
47 |
Pdk |
24 |
16 |
21 |
12 |
31 |
Pod |
38 |
26 |
33 |
19 |
49 |
Pom |
61 |
41 |
52 |
30 |
77 |
Sls |
24 |
16 |
21 |
12 |
31 |
Swi |
28 |
19 |
24 |
14 |
36 |
Wrm |
29 |
20 |
25 |
14 |
37 |
Wlp |
35 |
24 |
30 |
18 |
45 |
Zpm |
33 |
23 |
29 |
17 |
43 |
Poland |
33 |
23 |
29 |
17 |
43 |
The rates of potassium application are presented in Table 16. They are highest for sugar beet, maize and rapeseed and lowest for rye, pulses and fodder crops. Care is taken with potassium fertilization in western and northern Poland but it is neglected in the middle and eastern parts of the country.
Table 16. Present rates of potash applied to crops in the
regions of Poland
(averages 1999-2000, kg
K2O/ha)
Region or province |
Rapeseed |
Wheat |
Grain maize |
Potatoes |
Sugar beet |
Dls |
38 |
26 |
33 |
19 |
49 |
Kuj |
42 |
29 |
36 |
21 |
53 |
Lub |
43 |
29 |
37 |
21 |
55 |
Lus |
45 |
31 |
39 |
22 |
57 |
Lod |
31 |
21 |
26 |
15 |
39 |
Mal |
43 |
29 |
37 |
222 |
55 |
Maz |
52 |
36 |
45 |
26 |
66 |
Opl |
60 |
41 |
52 |
30 |
77 |
Pdk |
26 |
18 |
23 |
13 |
33 |
Pod |
41 |
28 |
35 |
20 |
52 |
Pom |
78 |
53 |
67 |
39 |
99 |
Sls |
35 |
24 |
30 |
17 |
44 |
Swi |
25 |
17 |
22 |
13 |
32 |
Wrm |
38 |
26 |
33 |
19 |
49 |
Wlp |
48 |
33 |
42 |
24 |
62 |
Zpm |
55 |
38 |
48 |
28 |
71 |
Poland |
42 |
29 |
36 |
21 |
53 |