How Farmers Can Recycle Crop Nutrients and Reduce Dependence on Imported Fertilizers

When crops are harvested, a share of the nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium they stored leaves the field in the harvested product, while the remaining nutrients remain in roots, straw and other plant residues. To restore the soil’s nutrient pool, farmers can use mineral fertilizers, but their cost is becoming volatile because production relies on natural-gas and imports, especially in Europe, and is affected by recent geopolitical disruptions.

Organic alternatives—bovine manure, liquid pig slurry and poultry litter combined with bedding—contain significant amounts of the same nutrients and can be recycled back into the soil. Pig slurry typically holds 75-80% inorganic nitrogen, making it the fastest-acting source, whereas poultry litter is drier and more concentrated, delivering up to about 26 kg nitrogen per tonne and comparable phosphorus and potassium levels. Proper application, guided by EU Best Available Techniques, reduces ammonia volatilization, odor and nutrient runoff, ensuring that the recycled nutrients are efficiently used by the next crop and that farmers lower their reliance on expensive imported fertilizers.