Investigation of the nitrogen and phosphorus content in arable agricultural land in Serbia

Abstract

The aim of this work was to determine the nitrogen and phosphorus content in arable agricultural land on farms in the Republic of Serbia. The sampling of soils was carried out in 2020 with the recording of GPS coordinates and entering the obtained results into the software platform. The analysis of the nitrogen content (N) was determined by the Kotzman method and calculated from the humus on a sample of 30,957 plots, with an area of 19,629.24 ha. The phosphorus content (P2O5) was determined by extraction, whereby the easily soluble part of the phosphorus was transferred into a solution and colorimetrically determined in the resulting extract, on a sample of 28,944 plots with an area of 18,459.96 ha. The results obtained show that 64.59% of the area, i.e., 12,678.81 ha, had a good nitrogen content (0.2-0.1%). A very high phosphorus content (400.1-500.0 mg kg-1 of the area) was found on 27.68% of the area, which is 5,108.92 ha. On 15.34% of the plots where a harmful value was found, additional analyses should be carried out to determine the cause of such a high phosphorus content in the soil. Based on data on the content of total nitrogen and readily available phosphorus in the soil, the type and amount of fertilizer can be adequately selected, which can lead to a reduction in ecosystem pollution. The results in this study represent the basis for soil management, biodiversity protection and optimal planning of cultivation of arable, vegetable and fruit crops. The obtained results can help agricultural producers and other entities to increase the competitiveness of their production.