Die Bodenkultur - Journal for Land Management, Food and Environment

F. Heinzlmaier, G. Dersch, A. Baumgarten and M.H. Gerzabek:

Temporal trends of macro nutrient contents in Austrian soils

Summary

Temporal trends of nutrient contents in Austrian soils are presented in this study. These findings are based on samples of routine soil analysis of the Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES). The selected soil samples come from the Waldviertel and the eastern part of Austria and cover the time period from 1991 to 2003. The assessment of temporal trends in the nutrient supply is conducted concerning the available secondary production regions of Austria as well as summarizing the two primary production regions of the Nordöstliches Flach- und Hügelland and the Mühl- und Waldviertel, where the main part of the analysed soil samples comes from. The results show decreasing potassium contents in the whole arable region of Eastern Austria as a consequence of the diminishing nutrient application in agriculture during the last three decades. Key words: Soil, nutrient supply, temporal trends.