Fertiliser Use in Great Britain

Contrary to popular misconception, fertiliser usage in Great Britain has reduced significantly over the last 40 years, as reported in the annual British Survey of Fertiliser Practice.

Fertiliser use is closely linked to efficiency and balance, where by the need of the crop is matched, through the use of agronomy, to the available nutrients present in the soil, nutrients from left over vegetation, manures available on farm and finally supplemented by mineral fertilisers.

Through greater understanding and improving farming methods fertiliser application rates have decreased over the past 40 years by almost 50% for Nitrogen, and by over 70% for Phosphate and for Potash. In order to achieve greater efficiency it is critical to ensure plants have all the right conditions and complete range of nutrients to grow; NPKS is just the start.

Crop growth can still be limited in some areas of GB as a result of deficiency in N,P,K,S or soil pH or condition.