ZAGOSPODAROWANIE SŁOMY A BILANS GLEBOWEJ MATERII ORGANICZNEJ

The analysis showed that recently annual production of straw in Poland (cereals, rape and maize) is about 30 million tons. Straw is used mostly as litter, fodder and substrate for the production of fungi, but also it is used as fertilizer. The amount of straw needed to balance the organic matter balance was estimated at about 10 million tons, which is about 1/3 of total straw production. Such high use of straw for fertilization needs is caused by the very low number of animals kept in farms, which is, on average, of about 0.45 LU∙ha-1 of agricultural land. As a result, insufficient quantities of manure are produced. The surplus in straw production, which can be used for alternative purposes, including the production of renewable energy, has been estimated at around 5 million tons of straw annually in the country. In practice, the surplus will be less, as in many farms or in whole regions the stocking densities are so high that natural fertilizers alone provide a distinctly positive balance of soil organic matter. Therefore, in other regions, more straw should be allocated as fertilizer. As a consequence, the decision to sell straw should be preceded by the farm’s soil organic matter balance analysis. The sale of straw should only take place in case of positive SOM balance. Not following this recommendation may lead to a permanent decrease in soil fertility.