Summary
This paper, published in Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment in 2016, synthesises data on soil nutrient balances across European farmland, likely drawing on national agricultural statistics and soil monitoring datasets. It is expected to document regional heterogeneity in nutrient surpluses and deficits, with implications for both soil health and water quality. The work contributes to evidence-based frameworks for nutrient management policy at the European scale.
UK applicability
The findings are broadly applicable to the UK, which shares comparable arable and mixed farming systems with much of northern and western Europe; UK nutrient management policy (e.g. Nitrate Vulnerable Zones, the Farming Rules for Water) aligns with the concerns around nutrient imbalance highlighted in European-scale studies of this kind.
Key measures
Soil nutrient balance (kg nutrient ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹); nitrogen surplus/deficit; phosphorus and potassium budgets; regional variation across European agricultural systems
Outcomes reported
The study likely assessed nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium balances in European soils, examining surpluses and deficits across different farming regions and land-use types. It probably reports spatial patterns of nutrient imbalance and their implications for soil fertility and environmental risk.
Topic tags
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