Pop-up editorial reports
Little organic matter in German soils
Saxony-Anhalt is a German state with a beautiful rolling arable landscape. Vast fields with grain and rapeseeds alternate with sugar beet and maize. There are potentially many outlets here for animal manure from the Netherlands.
The question is therefore: which type of fertilizer product is interesting for German arable farmers? The pop-up editors of Boerenbusiness goes looking for the answer.
The need for fertilizers is great
The soils in Saxony-Anhalt are predominantly sandy and arid. This means that arable farmers need fertilizers for optimal crop growth. Agri Technics, a Dutch company specialized in soil quality and fertilizer use, examined the soils in East Germany and concluded that there is a poor organic matter balance.
Lack of organic matter
The arable land in East Germany, including Saxony-Anhalt, simply needs organic matter. Samples by Agri Technics have shown that the organic matter content in the soil varies between 1,8 and 8,7 percent. These are low levels with a wide spread. According to Ron Cox, of Agri Technics, monoculture is a cause of this. 'Maize on maize, year after year, reduces the organic matter balance in the soil.'
The continental climate in Saxony-Anhalt brings little precipitation and relatively high temperatures, which is why there is a need for water storage capacity in the ground. 'The more organic matter, the better the soil structure', says Cox.
According to Cox, the main characteristics in the East German soils are in reasonable order. The contents of nitrate (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) are sufficiently present. As a rule, there is enough phosphate in the soil here. Fertilization is often applied by means of fertilizer. However, according to Cox, a lack of organic matter in the soil will cause problems in the long term. Replenishing the organic matter balance should therefore be the goal of the sale of animal manure from the Netherlands.
Replenishing organic matter is difficult
Replenishing the organic matter balance is easier said than done. According to Cox, increasing 1 percent organic matter in the soil can take a lifetime. Just maintaining the percentages is usually quite a challenge. Despite the potential benefits of animal manure, this is not always considered. Arable farmers here are often economically driven with a short-term vision. Therefore, fertilizers are often used. 'In fact, the manure problem was created by fertilizers,' says Cox. This does not only apply to East Germany. The same problem occurs in other European arable areas.
Good grain years important
'The less organic matter in the soil, the lower the production', says Cox. This thought is increasingly entering the minds of arable farmers. However, the yield is often secondary to the yield. Especially when grain prices are bad. When grain prices exceed 150 euros per tonne for a number of years, the lack of organic matter in the soil will weigh more heavily. Then the yield will outweigh the cost price and the tons per hectare will count. The potential of fertilizer sales is therefore closely related to current market prices.
Pop-up editors
The 'pop-up editors' of Boerenbusiness reports this week from the state of Saxony-Anhalt (East Germany). There she is investigating the export possibilities of Dutch manure to that agricultural region. The 'pop-up editors' visit German arable farmers and follow Dutch manure processors and exporters.
All articles about this trade mission can be found here.
Wouter Job
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