Monitoring and Assessment of Impact of

Nutrient Management Measures

Dr. Antanas Sigitas ŠILEIKAWater Management InstituteSigitas@water.omnitel.net

2004 09 14

The problem Status Report on Implementation

of the 1988 Ministerial Declaration reveled that non of the HELCOM Contracting Parties had achieved the overall N and P load reduction target of 50 % to the Baltic Sea

Nutrient load to the Baltic SeaNutrient load to the Baltic SeaN, tons P, tons

Country 1990 1995 1990 1995Denmark EstoniaFinlandGermanyLatviaLithuaniaPolandRussiaSweden

83,00059,00072,00014,00094,00019,000120,00081,000119,000

68,70046,50066,00021,40091,00036,800214,80084,600130,900

5,3002,8003,4001,2003,2001,70015,0009,5004,000

2,6001,3003,6000,6002,2001,40014,2007,1004,700

TOTAL 661,000 760,700 46,100 37,700

N load has increased

100,000 tons

Nutrient load to the Baltic Sea fromNutrient load to the Baltic Sea from the the r. r. Nemunas in LithuaniaNemunas in Lithuania

198619881990199219941996199820002002

3,7367,1445,2734,7277,9806,6545,7271,0781,664

14,97815,13114,72727,59632,75323,19339,66127,20537,383

5,8451,7802,9721,5611,7230,9791,1280,5921,076

Year NH4-N, t NO3-N, t PO4-P, t

Source: Monitoring annals of the Lithuanian Joint Research Centre. Calculation for the Nemunas basin from Smalininkai post

NO3-N load has

increased 2.5 times

Nitrogen load from agriculture in rivers of Finland, Germany, Denmark and Lithuania

Source: Sustainable Agriculture and Forestry (BERNET Report), 2000 Monitoring data of the Lithuanian Joint Research Centre

0

5

10

15

20

Ost

robo

thni

a(F

inla

nd)

Schl

esw

ig-

Hol

stei

n(G

erm

any)

Fyn

Cou

nty

(Den

mar

k)

Nem

unas

basi

n(L

ithua

nia)

Nitr

ogen

load

kgh

a-1 y

ear

N leaching from Nemunas basin 6 times less than from Denmark

Agricultural Production, N Fertilization in Lithuania, NO3-N Concentration in Agricultural

Rivers

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

14019

86

1988

1990

1992

1994

1996

1998

2000

2002

Ferti

lizat

ion,

pro

duct

ion,

%

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

Con

cent

ratio

n, m

g/l

Production % Fertilization

%

Concentrationmg/l

AVG NO3-N Concentration, mg/l 1996-2001

Kaliningrad distr.

Poland

B e l a r u

s

L a t v i a

Bal

t ic S

ea Minija

Šyša

Jūra

Min

i ja

Veiv

ir žas

Jūra

Šešuvis

Dubys

a

Šušvė

TatulaŠ iau lia i

P anevėžysK laipėda

K aunas

Vilnius

VentaR ekyvos ež. Lėvuo

Vyžuona

Duby

sa

MūšaMūša

Šventoji

Aisetas Žeimenys

Tauragnų

Siesartis

Minčia

Šventoji

Širvinta

Žeimena

Neris

Venta

Mūš

a

Nevėžis

Nev

ėžis

Kėdainia i

Šušv

ė

Nem

unas

MerkysNe

mun

asŠešupė

Skro

b lus

Merkys

Šešupė

Marijampolė

ŠilutėTauragė

Plungė

Pasvalys

Biržai

Anykščiai

1

Concentration 0,0-1,0 mgl -1

Concentration 0,1-2,0 m gl -1

Concentration 2,1-3,0 mgl -1

Concentration 3,1-4,0 m gl -1

Concentration >4,1 mgl -1

> 4.1 mgN/l

NO3- N changes in the agricultural and background

rivers

0200400600800

10001200

Nevezis

Zeimena

Period of agr. reform.

Duckweed in the r. Nevezis

Nutrient concentration in riversNutrient concentration in rivers Phosphorus concentration dropped

down below eutrophication level 0,05 mg/l;

Ammonium nitrogen concentration now is below permitted limit 0,39 mg/l;

Meantime concentration of nitrate nitrogen increased and still is higher than before 1990 in agricultural rivers.

N cycle in watershedRainfall

FodderEmission

Fertilizers

N fixation

Food

Leaching

Runoff

Monitoring and Assessment Method

1. Demonstration watersheds in the areas vulnerable to nitrate pollution and built on previous BAAP and other works;

2. Topography, soils characteristics and land use GIS data base in watersheds;

3. Advanced manure handling in animal farm and nutrients balance on fields and farms;

4. Monitoring of agricultural runoff, precipitation, water quality in dug wells.

Watershed Total area, km2

Arable,%

Pasture,%

Forest,%

Graisupis 14.1 48.1 24.1 27.8Vardas 7.5 32.2 44.8 23.0Lyzena 1.83 23.3 74.3 2.4Bariunai 0.24 Farm

Yard0.1 0

Characteristics of demonstration watersheds

L a t v I a

Š iau lia i

P anevėžysK la ipėda

K aunas

Vilnius

Lėvuo

Vyžuona

Nemunas basin

Lie lupė basin

Venta basin

Baltic sea basin

Vardas

Bariūnai

GraisupisLyžena

Location ofMonitoringWatersheds

Watersheds

#

150

148

152

142

146

136138

140

144

134

154

158160

144

132

14 0

130

164

170

128

172

146

152

132

142

150

158

162

146

154

150

132

162

144

142

154

134

134

154

150142

146142

136

154154

153

156

14614 4

N

M onitoringpost

L yženaLyžena

#

Valučiai

Dem. farm

N

M onitoringpost

Graisupis

Gra isupis

Gra

isup

is

N

#

+

M onitoring post

Dem. farm

Graisupis post

Vardas post

Lyzena post

Opening of the DF

Monitoring post

Monitoring methods

Thompson weirs are used for flow measurements in streams. Water level is registered automatically by limnigraphs;

The river water samples are taken manually every day. Joint weekly samples are analysed in spring and joint monthly sample at another time of the year;

The concentration of nutrients and average monthly values of the river water flow are used for calculation of nutrient losses;

Tipping buckets are used for drainage flow measurements.

NO3-N load from watershed, kg ha yr-1

1997 1998 1999 Total AVGr. Graisupis 11.6 17.6 6.9 36.1 12.0Ditch 13.4 19.2 14.9 46.8 15.6

Crop 16.1 22.8 11.5 50.8 16.8

Pasture 6.7 5.3 4.4 16.4 5.5Rainfall 4.9 1.9 5.23 12.4 4.0

Largest loadfrom crop

NO3-N concentration in r. Nevezis (upstream Kedainiai) and Graisupis

0

5

10

15

20

1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003

Con

cent

ratio

n, m

gl-1

l

Nevezis Graisupis

Nutrient retention

0

5

10

15

20

25Lo

ad k

g ha

-1

1997 1998 1999 AVG

Loadfrom crop

Loadin stream

Loadin ditch

Loadin river

Assessment of watersheds monitoring

The highest N losses (15.3 kg N ha-1) determines more intensive agricultural activity in Graisupis (71.5 kg N ha-1 of fertilisers; 54% of arable land; 0.87 LU ha-1);

Close to the sea (Lyzena) are bigger water discharges in winter but due to low N content in soil (32.9 kg N ha-1 of fertilisers, 74% of grassland) the annual N losses are very small (5.7 kg N ha-1);

The highest P losses (0.318 kg P ha-1) determine Vardas hilly relief and clay soil;

Bigger specific water runoff (0.08 l s-1 ha-1) and light soils (sandy loam) determine comparatively high N losses (11.9 kg N ha-1) despite low farming activity (39.4 kg N ha-1 of fertilisers, 45% of grassland) in Vardas watershed.

N cycleon farm N losses

N losses

N and P input in soil of dem. farm

Input, kg ha-1

1995 1999 2001 1995 1999 2001

Fertilizers & seeds 41 85 124 30 10 9Fodder and animals

7 9 10 2 2 6

Deposition & fixation

4 17.6 13 0 0.5 0

Manure 7 10 14Total I 59 122 160 32 13 15

PN

1995 1999 2001 1995 1999 2001

Crop yield 80 123 74 13 24 16

NH3 evaporation 7 50

Leaching 38 30 23

Denitrification 38 30 16

Total II 163 237 113 13 24 16

Total I-Total II (x) -102 -111 +46 +20 -10 -4

Residues (y) 34 43 32 6 14 7

x–y =deficit/oversupply -136 -154 +14 +14 -24 -11

N and P output from soil, kg ha-1

Deficit Oversupply

7

59

3 8 16

2

V16.33 ha

IV8.16 ha

VI6.36 ha

II11.52 ha

I6.65 ha

Graisu

pis

G -1

G -1

M onitoringpost

Kėdainiai

Krakė

s

57

56.5

III12.5 ha

Field Trials

Perennialgrass

Spring cereal

Winter cereal

Row crops

N leaching dependence on crop

The least leaching is from perennial

pastures

The highest leaching is from row crops

Grassland management and NO3- N leaching to drainage, kg ha-1

02468

1012

1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001

CutPloughed

Before ploughing

After ploughing

Slurry in Lithuanian large farms

< 2000 m 3

2001-5000 m 3

5001-10000 m 3

10001-20000 m 3

> 20000 m 3

ŠilutėTauragė

Plungė

Klaipėda

Kretinga Telšiai

SkuodasAkmenė

Joniškis

Pakruojis

KelmėRadviliškis

Šiauliai

Šilalė

Jurbarkas

Šakiai

VilkaviškisMarijampolė

Kaunas

RaseiniaiKėdainiai

Panevėžys

Pasvalys

Biržai

Rokiškis

Zarasai

Kupiškis

Anykščiai UtenaIgnalina

Ukm ergė Molėtai Švenčionys

JonavaŠirvintos

Vilnius

Kaišiadorys

Trakai

Šalčininkai

Prienai

A lytus

VarėnaLazdijai

Mažeikiai

Kaunas

Viln ius

Klaipėda Panevėžys

Nemunas Nem unas

Minija

Šyša

Jūra

Min

ija

Veiv

irža s

J ūra

Šešuvis

Dubys

a

Šušvė

TatulaŠiauliai

VentaR ekyvo s ež . Lėvuo

Duby

sa

Mūša Mūša

Švento ji

Aisetas Žeimenys

Tauragnų

Siesartis

Šventoj i

Š irv inta

Žeimena

Neris

Ven ta

Mūš

a

Nevėžis

Nev

ėži s

Kėd ain iai

Šušv

ė

Nem

unas

Nem

unasŠešupė

Skr o

blus

M erkys

Šešup ė

Marijampolė

Šilutė

P lungė

Pasvalys

Biržai

Anykščiai

9

:

-

< 1.0

1.0 - 2,0

2,1 - 4,0

4,1 - 5,0

>5,0

Nėra duomenų

Nutrients in milk production

Milk27 kgN; 5 kgP; 7 kgK

Feed135 kgN;17 kgP; 105 kgK

Offspring and weight gain2 kgN ; 0,5 kgP; 0,1 kgK

M anure and slurry111 kgN; 12 kgP; 104 kgK

Litter5 kgN ; 0,5 kgP; 6,0 kgK

5000 kg

111 kgN, 12 kgP and 104 kgK

produce one cow per year

Lithuanian obligations to EU To establish manure storages on large

farms with more than 300 AU as well as on newly established farms having over 150 AU within a 4-year period after entering the EU

All the rest farms with more than 10 AU endangering the environment with nitrates will also have to reconstruct their barns later.

Barn watershed

70 0 70 140 Meters

N

#+480 000

6 23

6 40

0

46

45

45.5

47

46.5

44.5

46

44.5

45

45 45

45

45

46

45

46.5

44 .5

2

1

PastureContourlineDrainCollector

Barn

Road

gManure stora e

Basin

#+ Coordinate

Ground w ater piezom eter

Monitoring post

Monitoring post

Manure storage

Cow barn

Barn territory before manure storageconstruction

Layout of manure handling system

Cow barn

Cow barn

3

1 6

Manure pad2

4

1 - urine reservoir2 - silage pad3 - urine pum ping pit4 - pit for m ilking parlour effluents5 - free flow line for m ilking parlour effluents6 - urine gutter

5

Manure pad

Surry pit

Cow barn

Manure storage, slurry reservoir and rain water management

Filling of slurry spreader

Slurry spreading by trailing hoses

Total N concentration in drainage water from the territory of barns

0

5

10

15

20

2519

9920

00

2001

2002

2003

Con

cent

ratio

n, m

gN l-1

102 39Permitted limit

12mgN/l

Before construction

Filling

Full pit

Total P concentration in drainage water from the territory of barns

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

500019

9920

00

2001

2002

2003

Con

cent

ratio

n m

icro

g l-

1 7600 8100 5800

Permitted limit 1500 micro gP/l

Filling

Full pitBefore

construction

Manure storage capacity and financing need for farms > 10 AU

Number of farms – Ctl 1450 and Pig 49 Manure pads need – Ctl 446.5 thou m2 Slurry reservoirs need – Ctl 472.7 thou

m3 and Pig 39.8 thou m3

Manure pads construction cost– Ctl 22.5 M EUR

Slurry reservoirs cost – Ctl 50.8 M EUR and Pig 4.6 M EUR

Total cost – 78.0 M EUR

NO3-N concentration in 5775 dug wells

10.0

5.0

0

M ai 124 m gN /l

M ed iana 8.7 M gN/l

>10 mgN/l

Max 124 mgN/l

Median 8.7 MgN/l

Water improvement in dug well

0

5

10

15

20

25

3019

96

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

NO

3-N

con

cent

ratio

n, m

g/l Well water

Permittedlimit

Permitted limit