Effective Reduction of Nitrogen Standards: Guidelines and Conclusions

1. How are the nitrogen standards reduced? Ruth Grant National Environmental Reseach InstituteAarhus University

2. Content • Principles for N standard reduction • Basis for calculation • The annualcalculation • Conclusion

3. 1. Principles for N standard reduction

4. Background (Action Plan III, 2005) • Decision takingplace from 2005/06 • The economic optimum for nitrogen standards shallbe set at a the cropyield, whichwould have beenoptainedwithoutrestrictions in N use • The nitrogen standards used by the farmersshallbereduced by minimim 10% relative to the economic optimum • The nitrogen quota at the national levelmust not exceed the quota in 2003/04 (next slide)

5. National nitrogen quota The nitrogen quota at the national level = national nitrogen bag • must not exceed the quota in 2003/04, adjusted for the crop rotation

6. Implications

7. Problems to be addressed • In 2005 the EU subsidypayment changed to the single payment – increase in registeredagriculturalarea (nochange in actualarea): adjustmentneeded • Action Plan III from 2005 had severalareaassignments – actualdecrease in agriculturalarea: noeffect on N bag and noeffect of measures • In 2008 no longer set-aside obligations - actualincrease in agriculturalarea: noeffect on N bag

8. Overall principle • N bag adjustedeachyearbased on • Crop rotation (step 1) • New areaassigned for roads, buildings etc. (step 2) • N standard reduction % calculatedaccording to adjusted N bag (step 3) Twoyears of timelag relative to actual agricuturalarea 2010/2011: 385 000 tons N • N rate per ha: economic optimum for eachcropreduced by N standard reduction% (step 4)

9. 2. Basis for calculation

10. Basis - calculation of N bag for 2003/04

11. Basis - calculation of N bag for 2003/04- adjusted for extra registered area in 2005

12. 3. The annual calculation

13. Calculation of N bag for 2010/11 (step 1): - based on N rates in 2004 and crop rotaion in 2009, adjusted to the area in 2004

14. Calculation of adjusted N bag in 2011 (step 2):- adjusted for area assigned for roads, etc. • N quota in 2011 (step 1): 386 924 tons N • Area in 2009: 2671 700 ha • Average N standard: 144.8 kg N/ha • Area assigned for roads etc: 10 000 ha • Reduction in N quota (step 2): 1 448 tons N • N bag in 2011: 385 476 tons N

15. Calculation of N standard reduction in 2011 (step 3) *) for loamy sand **) adjusted for soil type and residual effect

16. Calculation of N rate for crops (step 4) The Plant Directorate publishes an announcement each year with updated N rates for each crop and 5 different soil types *) for loamy sand

17. 4. Conclusions

18. N standard reduction obtained • % reduction N bag (1000 tons) • 2005/06 14,3 % 362 942 • 2006/07 14,4 % 362 942* • 2007/08 15,0 % 362 942* • 2008/09 14,5 % 368 543 • 2009/10 15,5 % 381 655 • 2010/11 16,0 % 385 476 * No corrections for largerregisteredagriculturalarea

19. Effect of change in agric area • tackled • VMP III – reduction in agric. area • Roads, buildings, etc. √ • Afforestation ÷ • Wetlands, bufferzones÷ • No Set- aside - increase in agric. area • 81000 ha in 2008 • + 35 000 ha in 2009 Increased norm reduction in 2010 and 2011, √ but temporaryincrease in fertilser use in 2008 and 2009