Phosphorus fertilization management InnoSoilPhos II, BMBF Research No. 031B0509A

WP4-6: Identification of farm fertilization patterns and efficiency analysis

The rationale for the contributions of the Production Economics Group in InnoSoilPhos is the need to understand farm-fertilization behaviour from a production economics perspective including intensity, mix, technology and sources of nutrients. The objective is to identify potential relationships of overall farm and field intensity, farm-specific fertilization patterns, and the (P-) fertilization reduction potential. To find useful approaches for avoiding luxurious P-fertilization, we will develop a deeper insight into the complex process of decision-making of P fertilization in the farms’ production process. We collect and analyse data on use of p-fertilizers on-farms. We will clarify how fertilizers are applied according to on-farm characteristics (e.g., fertilization technology, quantity, sources, time, managerial ability), how policy affects (P-) fertilization (e.g., the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy, the German Fertilizer Ordinance), what role the prices play, how P-fertilization is related to other traits of specific farm (e.g., type, legal form) or field intensity (e.g., other nutrients, chemical pesticide use). We thereby refer to the level/mix of inputs but also the expected environmental effects, and the use of technological innovations. Closing this knowledge gap by analysing a detailed, unique and newly available data set with innovative methods will stimulate the interdisciplinary governance research with focus on P and soil and the delivery of proposals for an improved P governance.

Project team:
Prof. Dr. Silke Hüttel, Dr. Reinhard Uehleke (Univserity of Göttingen)
Prof. Dr. Bärbel Gerowitt (Rostock University)
Prof. Dr. Sabine Andert (HS Weihenstephan-Triesdorf)


Collaboration partners:
Universität Rostock
Julius-Kühn-Institut - Bundesforschungsinstitut für Kulturpflanzen
Technische Universität München
Brandenburgische Technische Universität Cottbus
Forschungszentrum Jülich

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