The nitrogen balances are calculated based on the combination of the soil surface and farm gate balance approach, and are closely linked to the estimation of crop specific fertilizer application rates.

The gross balance is defined as the difference between the different nitrogen inputs:

• Nitrogen from mineral fertilizer
• Nitrogen from manure
• Nitrogen in crop residues
• Nitrogen from biological fixation by legmuninosae
• Nitrogen from atompsheric deposition

and export by harvested crop material. In order to get a more refined pressure indicators on soils and water, an emission factor approach estimates gaseous losses during manure storage and in stable as well as during application of organic and merinal fertilizer, and thus calculates the nitrogen which could either run-off, leach below the root zone or be stored in soils.

Britz W .:
Nitrogen Balances for EU27 at NUTS II level combing the farm gate and soil surface approach, JRC, 2007 (pdf, foils)

Last Updated:Tuesday, October 28, 2008