Miljø- og Fødevareudvalget 2020-21
MOF Alm.del Bilag 735
Offentligt
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Derogation Report 2020
Danish Report
in accordance with the
Commission Decisions
2005/294/EC, 2008/664/EC,
2012/659/EU, 2017/847/EU,
2018/1928/EU and
2020/1074/EU
July 2021
 MOF, Alm.del - 2020-21 - Bilag 735: Orientering til udvalget - EU-Kommissionen om den danske undtagelse fra nitratdirektivet
Ministry of Environment of Denmark
Department
Slotsholmsgade 12
DK-1216 Copenhagen K
2
Ministry of Environment of Denmark / Nitrates Directive / Derogation Report 2020
 MOF, Alm.del - 2020-21 - Bilag 735: Orientering til udvalget - EU-Kommissionen om den danske undtagelse fra nitratdirektivet
Table of contents
1.
2.
2.1
2.2
2.3
2.4
2.5
3.
3.1
3.2
3.3
3.4
3.5
3.6
4.
4.1
4.2
4.3
4.4
4.5
4.6
5.
5.1
5.2
5.3
5.4
6.
6.1
6.2
6.3
7.
7.1
8.
8.1
8.2
8.3
8.4
8.5
Introduction
Maps of cattle holdings, arable land and livestock in kg N in 2018/2019
Map of derogation holdings 2018/2019
Map of arable land 2018/2019
Map of livestock in kg N in 2018/2019
Use of the derogation
Trends in livestock
Controls at farm level
Control of compliance with the Danish derogation
Summary of inspection results 2020
Inspection of compliance within the derogation year
Results
General inspection of the harmony rules
Control of fertilizer accounts
Water quality
Introduction
Development in agricultural practices at the national level from 2005 to 2019
Modelled nitrate leaching for farm types and geographical areas and the
impact of derogation farms at the national level – 2019 data
Development in modelled nitrate leaching in the Agricultural Catchment
Monitoring Programme 1990-2018
Measurements of nitrate in water leaving the root zone
The nitrogen flow to surface water in agricultural catchments
Reinforced monitoring in areas characterized by sandy soils
Introduction
Method
Characterization of monitoring stations and data analysis
Results and Discussion
Indicator and monitoring system for application of phosphorus in
Denmark
Introduction
Results from the P monitoring system
Results from P indicator system
Targeted catch crops scheme and targeted nitrogen regulation
Results from 2017 to 2020
Conclusions
Cattle holdings and controls on farm level
Water quality
Targeted catch crops and targeted nitrogen regulation
The reinforced monitoring
The phosphorus indicator and monitoring system
4
5
5
5
5
6
10
12
12
12
12
13
14
17
19
20
23
26
34
36
40
45
45
45
48
49
55
55
55
56
59
60
61
61
61
62
62
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 MOF, Alm.del - 2020-21 - Bilag 735: Orientering til udvalget - EU-Kommissionen om den danske undtagelse fra nitratdirektivet
1.
Introduction
With Commission Decisions 2005/294/EC, 2008/664/EC, 2012/659/EU,
2017/847/EU, 2018/1928/EU, and 2020/1074/EU Danish cattle holdings are al-
lowed to derogate from the general rules in the Nitrates Directive (91/676/EEC).
The relevant decisions for the data reported in this report are 2018/1928/EU and
2020/1074/EU. According to these decisions, cattle holdings could apply for authori-
sations to apply livestock manure corresponding to up to 230 kg N per hectare per
year if more than 80 per cent of the area available for manure application was culti-
vated with beets, grass or grass catch crops. Furthermore, derogation holdings have
to comply with several other conditions laid down in the decision.
The aim of this report is to present maps showing the percentage of farms and per-
centage of agricultural land encompassed by the derogation in each Danish munici-
pality for the planning period 2018/2019.
According to the decisions 2018/1928/EU and 2020/1074/EU, the Danish authori-
ties shall submit the following information to the Commission for the derogation pe-
riod 2018/2019:
•
According to Article 10 (1) and 12 (a): maps, showing the percentage of cattle
farms, percentage of livestock and percentage of agricultural land covered by
the derogation for each municipality of Denmark.
According to Article 12 (g), an evaluation of the implementation of the dero-
gation conditions, on the basis of controls at farm level and information on
non-compliant farms, based on the results of the administrative and field in-
spections.
According to Article 12 (b, c, e), the results on ground and surface water
monitoring as regards nitrate and phosphate, including information on water
quality trends as well as the impact of derogation on water quality. Further
results of model-based calculations from farms benefiting from an individual
derogation.
According to Article 12 (d and f), the results of the surveys on local land use,
crop rotations and agricultural practices including tables showing the per-
centage of agricultural land under derogation covered by clover or alfalfa in
grassland and by barley/pea, undersown with grass.
According to article 12 (h), trends in livestock numbers and manure produc-
tion for each livestock category in Denmark and in derogation farms.
•
•
•
•
The derogation decision 2018/1928/EU and 2020/1074/EU requires according to
Articles 10 (2) and 12 (b), reporting of water quality data from reinforced monitoring
on sandy soils and in an area, where at least 3% of all derogation farms are located.
The monitoring data is updated with data from 2019 in this report.
Various Danish authorities and institutions have contributed to this report, edited by
the Ministry of Environment of Denmark. The respective authors, and hence respon-
sible institutions for the different chapters, can be found under the heading to the re-
spective chapters.
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Ministry of Environment of Denmark / Nitrates Directive / Derogation Report 2020
 MOF, Alm.del - 2020-21 - Bilag 735: Orientering til udvalget - EU-Kommissionen om den danske undtagelse fra nitratdirektivet
2.
Maps of cattle holdings, arable land and livestock in kg N in
2018/2019
Lars Paulsen & Lene Kragh Møller, the Danish Agricultural Agency, Ministry of
Food, Agriculture and Fisheries of Denmark, November 2020
For the planning period 2018/2019, the Danish Agricultural Agency received 33,056
fertilizer accounts containing key figures on the use of nitrogen (commercial fertilizer
and livestock manure). The accounts were registered and reviewed. The maps (Figure
2.1 - Figure 2.3) are based on the number of agricultural holdings, kg N per hectare
per year and arable land used by derogation farms in 2018/2019. The fertilizer ac-
counting year runs from 1
st
of August to 31
st
of July. Accounts for 2018/2019 were to
be submitted to the Danish Agricultural Agency no later than 31
st
of March 2020.
In the fertilizer account, the farmer states whether the derogation was used. This
means that the individual farmer needs to apply for the use of the derogation when
the farmer submits the fertilizer quota and catch crops plan (at the latest 21
st
of April
each year). The information about the application is automatically transferred to the
fertilizer accounting system. The maps of cattle holdings, arable land and kg N from
organic fertilisers per hectare per year are based on the data reported by the farmers.
In reports before 2019, a map with livestock units per year was presented. This has
from 2019 been replaced by a map showing kg N from organic fertilisers, including
livestock manure per hectare and year at municipal level. In Danish regulation, it has
generally from 2019 been changed to limit livestock density at farm level via a maxi-
mum allowable N application from organic fertilisers (instead of number of live-
stock). However, since one livestock unit corresponds to 100 kg N (ex storage), the
data is directly convertible and hence does not present any change in the limitation
per area.
2.1
Map of derogation holdings 2018/2019
The map (Figure 2.1) shows derogation holdings in percentage of the total number of
agricultural holdings registered in each respective Danish municipality.
In 2018/2019, 1,284 derogation holdings were encompassed by the derogation. This
corresponds to 3.9 % of all registered fertilizer accounts. The applied amount of ma-
nure on these farms ranged from 170 to 230 kg N per hectare per year. If the produc-
tion of manure on a derogation farm corresponds to more than 230 kg N per hectare,
the farmer is obliged to deliver the excess manure to one or more contractual part-
ner-farmers.
2.2
Map of arable land 2018/2019
The map (Figure 2.2) shows the share of arable land on derogation holdings in rela-
tion to the total agricultural area in each Danish municipality.
In 2018/2019, the arable land on cattle holdings encompassed by the derogation was
195,804 hectare at national scale. This corresponded to 8.1 % of the registered area
used for agriculture in Denmark.
2.3
Map of livestock in kg N in 2018/2019
The map (Figure 2.3) shows the share of kg N distributed from cattle holdings en-
compassed by the derogation holdings in relation to the total kg N from organic ferti-
lisers in each Danish municipality.
In 2018/2019, the kg N from organic fertilisers distributed from cattle holdings en-
compassed by the derogation was 39.1 million kg N in total. This corresponded to
Ministry of Environment of Denmark / Nitrates Directive / Derogation Report 2020
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 MOF, Alm.del - 2020-21 - Bilag 735: Orientering til udvalget - EU-Kommissionen om den danske undtagelse fra nitratdirektivet
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17.8 % of all kg N in organic fertilisers distributed on the agricultural area in Den-
mark.
2.4
Use of the derogation
Over the first three planning periods in which the derogation was used, i.e.
2002/2003, 2003/2004 and 2004/2005, an increase in the use of the derogation
was registered both regarding the number of farms, the number of hectares and the
number of livestock units (
Table 2.1
). This tendency was broken in 2005/2006,
where a decrease was observed for all three measured parameters and the decreasing
trend continued until the period 2008/2009. Between 2009/2010 and 2015/2016,
an overall increase in the agricultural area using the derogation was observed,
whereas the number of farms remained at a more constant level. The general trend of
Danish farms becoming bigger is reflected in these numbers and from 2016/2017
there has been a decrease in the number of farms and the number of hectares encom-
passed by the derogation. From 2017/2018, the number of livestock unit was re-
placed by produced kg N per year in the Danish legislation.
Table 2.1: Development in use of the derogation for number of farms, agricultural
area and kg N in organic fertilisers per year (livestock units (LU) until 2016/2017)
from 2002/2003 until 2018/2019 (One LU=100 kg N (ex storage)).
Year
Number of
derogation
farms
1,845
1,927
2,331
1,779
1,610
1,296
1,115
1,507
1,607
1,652
1,481
1,482
1,500
1,466
1,378
Share of
total
farms (%)
4.0
4.0
5.0
3.4
3.2
2.8
2.4
3.3
3.9
4.0
3.7
3.8
4.0
4.2
3.9
Area of
derogation
(hectare)
123,068
128,523
134,780
115,336
111,845
92,282
90,647
134,698
164,353
175,783
162,176
189,495
205,165
210,061
205,874
Share of
total
Area (%)
5.0
5.0
5.0
4.2
4.0
3.9
3.6
6.1
7.4
7.1
6.7
7.7
8.2
8.6
8.4
Number of
LUs
Share of
total LUs
(%)
10.6
10.6
12.9
10.3
9.5
8.3
8.2
11.9
14.1
15.5
14.5
17.1
18.6
19.4
19.3
Share of
total kg N
(%)
18.1
17.8
2002/2003
2003/2004
2004/2005
2005/2006
2006/2007
2007/2008
2008/2009
2009/2010
2010/2011
2011/2012
2012/2013
2013/2014
2014/2015
2015/2016
2016/2017
213,617
225,586
277,330
220,839
211,765
186,313
176,588
276,765
341,781
365,887
334,508
397,014
425,102
443,134
439,114
Mill. kg N
(org. fert.)
2017/2018
2018/2019
1,312
1,284
3.9
3.9
198,195
195,804
8.2
8.1
39.6
39.1
The livestock density on derogation farms has remained at an approximately con-
stant level, compared to the periods 2009/2010-2016/2017 and the average number
of livestock units per farm has increased over the same period. From 2017/2018, the
average livestock size and the average livestock density were measured in kg N (from
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Ministry of Environment of Denmark / Nitrates Directive / Derogation Report 2020
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organic fertilisers) per holding and in kg N (from organic fertilisers) per hectare per
year.
By comparison, a total number of 10,236 Danish agricultural holdings had cattle as
livestock in 2018/2019. These holdings housed in total 116.4 million kg N from or-
ganic fertilisers and covered an agricultural area of 853,899 hectare. This gave an av-
erage of 11,372 kg N from organic fertilisers per cattle holding and an average live-
stock density of 136 kg N from organic fertilisers per hectare on all cattle Danish
farms. Consequently, approximately 12.5 % of all cattle farms were derogation farms
in 2018/2019, and the derogation (cattle) farms housed 33.6 % of all cattle-kg N in
Denmark, covering 22.9 % of the total Danish cattle farm area.
Table 2.2: Average number of spread livestock units
1
(LU) per holding and per
hectare under the derogation until 2016/2017. From 2017/2018 the number of
livestock is expressed by kg N from organic fertilisers (One LU = 100 kg N (ex
storage)).
Year
2002/2003
2003/2004
2004/2005
2005/2006
2006/2007
2007/2008
2008/2009
2009/2010
2010/2011
2011/2012
2012/2013
2013/2014
2014/2015
2015/2016
2016/2017
Average livestock size
(LU/holding)
115.78
117.07
118.97
124.14
131.53
143.76
158.37
183.65
212.68
221.48
225.86
267.89
283.40
302.27
318.66
Average livestock size
(kg N/holding)
2017/2018
2018/2019
2
Average livestock den-
sity (LU/ha)
1.74
1.76
2.06
1.91
1.89
2.02
1.95
2.05
2.08
2.08
2.06
2.10
2.07
2.11
2.13
Average livestock den-
sity
(kg N/ha)
199
200
30,171
30,475
1
“Spread LU” is the term used to describe the amount of livestock manure, which is being applied to agri-
cultural land within the farm, as this amount can be different from the amount of livestock manure pro-
duced at farm level due to import or export of livestock manure from/to other farms. One LU corresponds
to 100 kg manure-N (ex storage) in the Danish system.
From 2017/2018, the number of livestock units (LU) is replaced by produced kg N from organic fertilisers
per year in the Danish legislation (One LU = 100 kg N).
2
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Figure 2.1: Derogation holdings in percent of total number of agricultural hold-
ings in Denmark in 2018/2019. The location of each holding is determined by ad-
dress of the owner.
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Ministry of Environment of Denmark / Nitrates Directive / Derogation Report 2020
 MOF, Alm.del - 2020-21 - Bilag 735: Orientering til udvalget - EU-Kommissionen om den danske undtagelse fra nitratdirektivet
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Figure 2.2: Agricultural land encompassed by the derogation in 2018/2019 in per-
cent of the total agricultural area in Denmark. The location of each holding is de-
termined by address of the owner.
The maps (
Figure 2.1 - Figure 2.3
) illustrate that derogation cattle holdings are con-
centrated in the western parts of Jutland. A few holdings are located on Zealand and
even fewer on Funen and the island of Bornholm.
Ministry of Environment of Denmark / Nitrates Directive / Derogation Report 2020
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Figure 2.3: Kg N from organic fertilisers per hectare per year spread on deroga-
tion farms in percent of total kg N from organic fertilisers in 2018/2019 in Den-
mark. The location of each holding is determined by address of the owner.
2.5
Trends in livestock
According to decision 2018/1928/EU, and 2020/1074/EU the Danish authorities
shall submit information about trends in livestock numbers and manure production
for each livestock category in Denmark and in derogation farms according to Article
10
Ministry of Environment of Denmark / Nitrates Directive / Derogation Report 2020
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12 (h). All numbers have been brought to a round number in order to have a clearer
picture.
The trends in livestock numbers (i.e. number of herds
3
) and manure production in kg
N (until 2016/2017 in number of LUs
4
) for each livestock category and in derogation
farms can be derived from the data shown in table 2.3. Over the planning periods
from 2014/2015 to 2018/2019, the number of herds have decreased for each livestock
category. The total number of Danish herds of livestock has decreased by ca. 16 % in
between the planning periods of 2014/2015 and 2018/2019. From 2017/2018 the
LUs is replaced by kg N.
Table 2.3: Number of Danish herds of livestock and production of manure in LUs
or in kg N per livestock category, rounded to the closest unit of 100 (1 LU=100 kg
N (ex storage))
Livestock
category
Year
2014/2015
No. herds
No. LUs
2015/2016
No. herds
No. LUs
2016/2017
No. herds
No. LUs
2017/2018
No. herds
Kg N, mill.
2018/2019
No. herds
Kg N, mill.
10,200
116.4
1,300
39.1
3,300
78.5
1,900
18.6
2,000
1.0
5,300
2.2
22,700
216.7
10,800
115.2
1,300
39.6
3,400
80.0
2,000
20.2
2,000
1.0
5,500
2.2
23,700
218.6
11,500
1,186,800
1,400
439,100
3,600
883,700
2,100
183,000
2,200
10,600
5,600
18,100
25,000
2,282,200
11,800
1,193,400
1,500
443,100
3,900
881,300
2,000
178,000
2,300
10,500
5,800
18,800
25,800
2,282,000
12,300
1,164,700
1,500
425,100
4,100
905,300
2,000
190,500
2,400
12,200
6,100
19,100
26,900
2,291,800
Cattle
total
Dero-
gation
cattle
5
Pigs
Fur and
poultry
Sheep
and
goats
Others
Total
3
The total number of herds does not coincide with total number of holdings in Denmark. A herd in-
cludes only one type of livestock and some holdings keep more than one herd, e.g. cattle and pigs.
4
5
One livestock unit is defined as 100 kg nitrogen in the livestock manure ex storage.
The amount of derogation cattle herds and LUs/kg N (organic fertiliser) are a part of “cattle total” and,
thus, is not included in the summarization of herds and LUs/kg N (organic fertiliser) in “total”.
Ministry of Environment of Denmark / Nitrates Directive / Derogation Report 2020
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3.
Controls at farm level
Lars Paulsen & Lene Kragh Møller, the Danish Agricultural Agency, Ministry of
Food, Agriculture and Fisheries of Denmark, November 2020
3.1
Control of compliance with the Danish derogation
According to Article 12 of Commission Decisions 2018/1928/EU, and 2020/1074/EU
Denmark must submit a concise report on the evaluation practice, i.e. control at farm
level, to the Commission every year.
The control of compliance with the Commission Decisions 2018/1928/EU and
2020/1074/EU follows two strategies:
1.
Inspection of compliance with farm management, which is carried out during
the year the farmer uses the derogation. This includes field inspections.
2. Control of the amount of livestock manure applied per hectare per year (con-
trol of compliance with the harmony rules), which is carried out after the
derogation year has ended. This control is carried out as an administrative
control of submitted fertilizer accounts.
3.2
Summary of inspection results 2020
Compliance with management conditions:
•
Inspection at the farm in January and February 2020: 85 inspections were
carried out. 85 holdings complied with the derogation management condi-
tions, zero holdings got a remark in 2020 (
Table 3.1
).
Compliance with the harmony rules for holdings using the derogation:
•
Administrative inspections of the submitted fertilizer accounts for 86 in-
spected farms in January and February 2019: 60 holdings complied with the
specific rules for derogation holdings. Three holdings had minor violations
and they received a warning. 21 holdings are still under investigation. Two
holdings have gone bankrupt (
Table 3.2
).
Administrative control of the submitted fertilizer accounts: 55 inspections
were carried out, out of which 29 holdings complied with the rules and 26
holdings are still under investigation (
Table 3.5
).
•
3.3
Inspection of compliance within the derogation year
The farmers are required to fulfil certain conditions in order to use the derogation.
The Danish Agricultural Agency has inspected the fulfilment of the Danish deroga-
tion conditions on derogation holdings from 2002/2003 through 2019/2020. Some
conditions have to be checked on site at the farm (physical inspection), for example
certain ploughing conditions, which are checked in January and February.
During the inspection at the farm, the inspector asks the following questions:
1.
Does the farm have a yearly production of nitrogen in livestock manure
above 300 kg of which at least 2/3 are from cattle (2/3 of the livestock units),
i.e. is the farm mainly a cattle holding?
2. Has a plan been made for crops grown in the actual planning period?
3. Has the manager stated that the farm intends to comply with the 230 kg ni-
trogen per hectare per year derogation in the crop rotation plan?
4. Does the plan contain leguminous crops, e.g. red and white clover?
5. Has a declaration about (omitted) manure application been made?
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6. Does the plan include ploughing grassland or grass catch crops in the plan-
ning period?
7. If the answer is “yes” in question 6: Have the fields already been ploughed by
the time of inspection?
8. Does 80 % or more of the acreage available for manure application cultivated
with crops with high nitrogen uptake and long growing season?
The inspection is based on 1) an interview with the farmer, 2) an inspection of the
farms crop rotation plan for the previous and coming growing season and 3) a visual
inspection of fields designated for ploughing.
At the inspection, the inspector draws up a report, which includes answers to the
abovementioned questions. At the end of the inspection, the farmer is informed
whether the holding is allowed to apply manure corresponding to 230 kg N/ha/year,
i.e. whether the derogation can be used or not. If the holding is not complying with
the derogation conditions, the holding is only allowed to apply livestock manure up
to 170 kg N/ha/year. In this case, the farmer has to find other legal means of dispos-
ing the surplus manure produced on the farm.
If a farmer informs the inspector that the derogation will not be used, the field in-
spection is not carried out. An administrative control of the farm is carried out in-
stead by the time the fertilizer account has been submitted. This control is carried out
to secure that no more than 170 kg N/ha/year was applied.
The inspection report is submitted by the inspector to the headquarters of the Danish
Agricultural Agency for possible further administrative inspection. The Danish Agri-
cultural Agency verifies the data. Additional remarks made by the inspector, if any,
are examined. This includes a process where the parties of interest are allowed to
make statements on the case if an infringement is discovered.
3.4
Results
From 1 January until 1 March 2020, the Danish Agricultural Agency carried out 85
inspections on derogation holdings to inspect whether the conditions requirements
were met. The control refers to the fertilizer accounts for the planning year
2018/2019 where some conditions are controlled in the next planning period
2019/2020.
Table 3.1
shows the results of the inspection for the last 17 years. Only
very few remarks have been given and in general a good compliance with the rules
has been noted.
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Table 3.1: Results of on-site inspection of compliance within the derogation years
during winter.
Control
planning-
period
6
2003/2004
2004/2005
2005/2006
2006/2007
2007/2008
2008/2009
2009/2010
2010/2011
2011/2012
2012/2013
2013/2014
2014/2015
2015/2016
2016/2017
2017/2018
2018/2019
2019/2020
Total number of
inspections
35
46
50
50
54
47
51
50
54
49
47
49
48
49
90
86
85
Inspections
without re-
marks
29
46
49
49
54
46
49
50
52
49
46
49
48
48
87
86
85
Inspections
with remarks
6
0
1
1
0
1
2
0
2
0
1
0
0
1
3
0
0
3.5
General inspection of the harmony rules
Harmony rules
Control of the harmony rules (i.e. the amount of livestock manure applied per hectare
per year) on derogation farms is carried out after the derogation year has ended
7
.
This control is carried out within the general inspection of the Danish harmony rules.
The inspector visits the farm to inspect the production based on various production
and fertilizer account documents. Violation of the harmony rules is sanctioned. For
minor violations, the farmer receives a notification and recommendation or a warn-
ing. For more severe violations, the farmer is reports to the police and receives a fine.
Farmers that receive a warning or a fine are reported for not complying with the
cross compliance criteria.
Concerning the year 2017/2018, 84 derogation farms have been inspected for viola-
tion of the harmony rules. Holdings were automatically selected for inspection, based
on a previously agreed set of “risk criteria”. The Danish Agricultural Agency has
therefore no direct influence on how many derogation holdings ware selected for
“harmony rules inspection”. Out of these derogation controls, 71.4 % (60 holdings)
6
The respective controls during the planning period 2019/2020, which have been performed in January
and February 2020 are related to the fact that the farmer has made use of the derogation in the previous
planning period, i.e. 2018/2019. This applies also to all previous control years.
This control population includes all holdings and not just cattle farms using the derogation. In this sample
check, 55 cattle farms using the derogation have been selected. As consequence, further 55 cattle farms
using the derogation have been controlled in relation to harmony rules in addition to the cattle farms con-
trolled in accordance with Article 11.
7
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were closed without remarks. Three holdings (3.6 %) had minor violations and they
received a warning. 21 holdings (25.0 %) are still under investigation (
Table 3.2
).
Table 3.2 Results of inspection of compliance with the harmony rules for farms
using the derogation.
Control
planning-
period
Total
number
of in-
spec-
tions
65
27
32
27
37
52
43
29
30
28
86
Inspec-
tions
without
re-
marks
59
22
26
24
35
50
40
27
29
24
85
Inspec-
tions
with
minor
viola-
tions
0
2
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Inspec-
tions
with
fines
Inspec-
tions
still un-
der in-
vestiga-
tion
8
1
1
0
0
2
0
0
1
1
2
1
2006/2007
2007/2008
2008/2009
2009/2010
2010/2011
2011/2012
2012/2013
2013/2014
2014/2015
2015/2016
2016/2017
5
2
5
2
0
2
3
1
0
2
0
2017/2018
1
84
60
3
0
21
1
From 2017/2018 this is an administrative inspections of the submitted fertilizer accounts for
the 86 inspected farms in January and February 2019. Two holdings have gone bankrupt.
Soil analysis
If the derogation is used for four consecutive years, the farmer must provide a soil
analysis where phosphorous and nitrogen levels in the soil are examined. One sample
per five hectares must be provided.
In Denmark, the soil analysis for phosphorus (the ”P-tal”) indicates the soil’s phos-
phorus status and hence approximates the level of phosphorus in the soil available
for uptake by the crop. Internationally, the soil analysis is referred to as “Olsen-P”.
Olsen-P is often expressed in mg P per kg soil. In Denmark, however, the “P-tal” is
expressed in mg P per 100 g soil. Olsen-P in Danish agricultural soil is in average
around 40 mg P per kg soil (P-tal = 4.0). Only a part of the inorganic phosphorus
available for the crop is extracted from the soil sample, when the phosphorus status
is determined. This extractable part accounts for approximately 5 to 10 per cent of
the total phosphorous content of the soil. A P-tal between 2 and 4 is generally ac-
cepted as a sufficient level for most crops and 2-2.5 is the lower critical soil P level. A
P-tal above 6 is considered very high.
The N-total analysis is used to determine the amount of extra fertilizer to be added to
meet the nutrient demand of the crop. The total soil N content (N-total) describes the
N pool in the soil, which potentially is available to the crops as a result of slow miner-
alization. In Denmark, depending on the C/N ratio in the soil, the standard N-total is
0.13 %. The farmer cannot expect any N-supply from mineralization, if the level of
0.13 % N-total is found. If the value is above 0.22 %, the level is high and expected
8
I.e. inspections still under investigation at time of reporting. Numbers of inspections still under investiga-
tion prior to 2017/2018 are not updated. Thus, these inspections may have been finalized.
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mineralization is (accounted for with) 40 kg N in maize and cereals per hectare. The
N-total standard for grass fields is 0.18-0.22 %, and if the value is above 0.22 %, the
expected mineralization is (accounted for with) 10 kg N per hectare.
Results of soil analyses from derogation farms
The sampling and analyses must be carried out at least once every four years (prior to
2012/2013, the requirement was at least once every three years). The results of the
development of compliance with the requirement of soil analysis are shown in Table
3.3.
The inspection of derogation farms for 2017/2018 showed that 45.3 % provided soil
analysis. No holdings got a remark regarding soil analysis.
Table 3.3: Results of inspection of compliance with the soil analysis requirement.
Control
planning-
period
2004/2005
2005/2006
2006/2007
2007/2008
2008/2009
2009/2010
2010/2011
2011/2012
2012/2013
2013/2014
2014/2015
2015/2016
2016/2017
2017/2018
Number of in-
spections for
soil analysis
74
18
39
16
22
11
14
35
30
15
22
11
41
39
Inspections
without remarks
Inspections
with remarks/still
under investiga-
tion
3
2
5
4
4
2
1
0
3
1
1
0
0
0
71
16
34
12
18
9
13
35
27
14
21
11
41
39
The results of the soil analyses for phosphorus and nitrogen on derogation farms are
shown in
Table 3.4
.
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Table 3.4: Phosphorus (“P-tal” after Olsen-P-extraction) and nitrogen
levels in soil analyses, given as average of all inspected holdings (n=39 in
2017/2018) and with the lowest and highest average values at holding
scale, respectively.
Control planning-
period
P tal
(mg
P/100 g
soil)
Aver-
age
Mini-
mum
Maxi-
mum
N-total
(%)
Aver-
age
Mini-
mum
Maxi-
mum
N in
grass
(%)
Aver-
age
Mini-
mum
Maxi-
mum
2011/
2012
4.36
2012/
2013
4.60
2013/
2014
4.33
2014/
2015
4.60
2015/
2016
4.62
2016/
2017
4.29
2017/
2018
4.22
2.20
2.00
2.90
2.90
2.87
3.10
2.39
7.05
0.20
0.12
0.34
No soil
analy-
ses
6.40
0.60
0.11
2.39
6.10
0.33
0.12
1.71
8.40
0.25
0.15
0.41
6.08
0.25
0.13
0.58
6.14
0.23
0.13
0.41
6.95
0.21
0.11
0.59
0.36
0.24
0.48
0.24
0.24
0.22
0.01
1.10
0.17
0.35
0.16
2.00
0.16
0.51
0.17
0.33
0.13
0.36
3.6
Control of fertilizer accounts
Each year, the farmers submit their fertilizer accounts to the Danish Agricultural
Agency. The accounts include key data on:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
total arable land on the farm
arable land available for application of livestock manure
data on catch crops
type and number of livestock
production of livestock manure (kg N and P)
usage of livestock manure including manure from contractors
usage of fertilizers and organic matter other than livestock manure
the farms nitrogen quota and the average phosphorus ceilings for differ-
ent livestock manure, fertilizers and organic matter other than livestock
manure
information on whether the farmer has used the derogation or not
•
For the year 2017/2018, 1,461 (4.4 %) of the submitted fertilizer accounts were sub-
ject to administrative inspection. 365 fertilizer accounts remain to be investigated.
The data was verified and the parties of interest were allowed to comment on their
cases. The accounts were selected based on different risk criteria. In 2017/2018, 55
(3.8 %) derogation holdings were selected for control. The holdings were asked to
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submit their updated and valid fertilization plan and to state their manure applica-
tion. It was checked whether the crop rotation plan included at least 80 % crops with
high N-uptake and long growing season as well as whether leguminous plants were
included. If the derogation had been used for four consecutive years, the farmer also
had to submit the results of the soil analysis. The share of cattle- and other animal kg
N on the farm was also controlled.
Results
Out of the 55 harmony controls, 29 holdings (52.7 %) were closed without remarks
and 26 (47.3 %) inspections are still under investigation (
Table 3.5
).
Table 3.5: Results of administrative inspection of compliance with the harmony
rules of farms using the derogation.
Control plan-
ning-
period
2009/2010
2010/2011
2011/2012
2012/2013
2013/2014
2014/2015
2015/2016
2016/2017
2017/2018
Number of
inspections
38
68
40
62
34
62
61
46
55
Inspections
without remarks
34
68
39
58
24
30
46
31
29
Inspections
with remarks
0
0
1
1
4
4
6
3
0
Inspections
still under
investigation
-
-
-
3
6
28
9
12
26
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4.
Water quality
Jonas Rolighed, Gitte Blicher-Mathiesen, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus Univer-
sity, June 2021
With Commission Decisions 2005/294/EC, 2008/664/EC, 2012/659/EU,
2017/847/EU, and 2018/1928/EU Danish cattle holdings are permitted to derogate
from the general rules in the Nitrates Directive (91/676/EEC). Cattle holdings en-
compassed by derogation shall cover 80% or more of the acreage available for ma-
nure application by cultivated crops having high nitrogen uptake and a long growing
season.
According to Article 10(1), Article 10(2), Article 10(3), and Article 10(4) of Commis-
sion Decision 2018/1928/EU, Denmark shall each year:
•
Deliver maps at municipality level, showing the percentage of farms, the
percentage of the livestock and the percentage of agricultural land with
derogation.
Provide continuous data about crop rotations and agricultural practices from
farms with derogation.
Provide continuous analysis of level and trends in nitrate and phosphorus
concentrations in root zone water, surface waters and groundwater within
the framework of the agricultural national monitoring programme on sandy
and loamy soils for farms under both derogation and non-derogation
conditions.
Quantify the percentages of the land under derogation covered by: (a) clover or
alfalfa in grassland; (b) barley and pea under sown with grass.
•
•
•
According to Article 10(2), the monitoring sites shall be representative of the main
soil types, the prevalent fertilization practices and the main crops. Reinforced moni-
toring shall be conducted in agricultural catchments on sandy soils. In addition, ni-
trate concentrations in surface and groundwater shall be monitored for at least 3% of
all farms benefiting from authorisation of derogation.
The competent authorities shall carry out surveys and continuous nutrient analyses
in the agricultural catchment national monitoring programme and shall provide data
on local land use, crop rotations and agricultural practices on cattle farms benefiting
from an authorisation.
In Article 10(3), it is stated that competent authorities shall carry out surveys and
continuous nutrient analyses in the agricultural catchment within the framework of
the national monitoring programme and provide data on local land use, crop rota-
tions and agricultural practices on cattle farms benefiting from an authorisation of
derogation.
Moreover, information and data collected from nutrient analyses and from monitor-
ing shall be used for model-based calculations of nitrogen and phosphorus losses
from cattle farms benefitting from an authorisation of derogation.
In Article 10(4), it is stated, as mentioned before, that competent authorities shall
quantify the percentages of the land under derogation covered by: (a) clover or alfalfa
in grassland and (b) barley and pea under sown with grass.
This chapter covers the requested reporting in Article 12 (b-f) on:
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•
•
•
•
•
Results of ground and surface water monitoring as regards nitrate and
phosphorus concentrations, including information on water quality trends,
for farms under both derogation and non-derogation conditions, as well as
the impact of derogation on water quality, as referred to in Article 10(2).
The results of soil monitoring as regards nitrogen and phosphorus
concentrations in the root zone water for farms under both derogation and
non-derogation conditions, as referred to in Article 10(2).
Results of the surveys on local land use, crop rotations and agricultural
practices, as referred to in Article 10(3).
Results of model-based calculations of the magnitude of nitrogen and
phosphorus losses from farms benefitting from an authorisation of
derogation, as referred to in Article 10(3).
Tables showing the percentage of agricultural land under derogation covered
by clover or alfalfa in grassland and by barley/pea under sown with grass, as
referred to in Article 10(4).
So far, model-based calculations of phosphorus losses from farms benefitting from an
authorisation of derogation are not available, but measured phosphorus concentra-
tions in root zone water on fields with average application of less and more than 170
kg organic N ha
-1
are presented.
As data in this chapter are from the year 2019, the Commission Decision
2018/1928/EU covers this period.
4.1
Introduction
Since the late 1980s, Denmark has yielded a comprehensive and efficient effort to im-
prove the environmental state of groundwater and surface water by lowering nitrate
concentrations, especially through reductions in nitrate leaching from agricultural
sources. The first Action Plan on the Aquatic Environment was adopted in 1987 and
has since then been followed by subsequent action programmes to ensure efforts are
made to reduce the loss of nitrogen and phosphorus to the aquatic environment.
In 1998, the Action Plan on the Aquatic Environment (APAE) II was accepted by the
EU Commission as the Danish Nitrate Action Plan implementing the Nitrates Di-
rective (1998-2003). In 2003, a final evaluation of Action Plan II was performed. The
results showed a 48% reduction of the nitrate leaching from the agricultural sector,
thus fulfilling the reduction target set in 1987. In the 5-year period 2001-2005, the
total flow-normalised nitrogen load to marine waters ranged within the interval
62,000 to 70,000 t N.
In the subsequent action plans, the Green Growth Agreement from 2009, the first
and the second River Basin Management Plan from 2014 and 2016 as well as the
Food and Agricultural Agreement in December 2015, further mitigation measures
were suggested in order to fulfil reduction targets for the N load to marine areas and
the targets of the Water Framework Directive.
In 2015, Denmark implemented the EU Greening component under CAP direct pay-
ments (REG EU 1307/2013), implying that at least 5% of the arable land of farm
holdings shall be appointed an ecological focus area with a greening element such as
set aside, catch crops etc.
Establishment of 50,000 ha of obligatory buffer zone placed approximately 10 m
from the edge of open streams and lakes larger than 100 m
2
was decided to be imple-
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mented from the autumn 2012. In these buffer zones, application of fertilizer is pro-
hibited and soil cultivation must not take place. The area with buffer zones was ad-
justed from 50,000 to 25,000 ha later in 2014, and from the beginning of 2016 the
additional buffer zones are no longer mandatory and restricted to the former require-
ments of 2 m buffer zones along target streams and lakes larger than 100 m
2
,
amounting to approximately 6,000 ha.
The Political Agreement on Food and Agricultural Package from December 2015 in-
cludes a diverse package of measures aimed to change the environmental regulation
of the agricultural sector. The first part of this political agreement was implemented
from 2016.
In 2016, farmers were allowed to use more fertilizer. According to the APAE II agree-
ment, farmers were restricted in the application of fertilizer at a level that was lower
than the economic optimum. This measure in APAE II was set to reduce the fertilizer
application of nitrogen to 10% below this optimum. This rule was regulated so that
the total national nitrogen quota was set to a fixed level but with the possibility of an
adjustment relative to changes in crop cover. This adjustment made sense as crops
having a high application standard also have a higher nitrogen uptake. If crops such
as grass increase in cover, then the fertilizer application and N quota will increase as
well. However, due to the suspension of set aside in 2008, higher yields and increases
in prices of cereals and proteins, the gap between the economic optimum and the na-
tional N quota increased, especially after 2008, amounting to 18% in 2015.
According to the Political Agreement on Food and Agricultural Package implemented
in 2016, extra fertilizer application, amounting to 2/3 of the gap between the eco-
nomic optimum and the reduced N quota, were allowed. From 2017, famers were al-
lowed to apply nitrogen up to the economic optimum. Additional cover of catch crops
and the greening element, for instance more catch crops and set-aside, were, among
other measures, introduced to counteract the potential increase in leaching due to the
extra application of fertilizer from 2016 and onwards.
Additionally, targeted catch crops of 145,000 ha were implemented in 2017 to coun-
teract the potential increase in leaching due to the extra application of fertilizer in
2017. In 2018 and 2019, the need for targeted catch crops was approximately 114,000
and 139,000 ha, respectively. The targeted catch crops scheme was introduced to en-
sure that the status of coastal waters and groundwater does not deteriorate. There-
fore, targeted catch crops are established in catchments where reduction of the nitro-
gen load is needed. Applicants for targeted catch crops could be all farmers who ei-
ther own or lease fields in such small catchments for cultivation.
The second River Basin Management Plans (RBMPII) was adopted in June 2016,
proposing schemes for implementation of mitigation measures, such as re-establish-
ment of riparian areas, construction of wetlands, set aside of organic soils, afforesta-
tion and adjustment of greening elements, to obtain an annual reduction in the ma-
rine N load of 6,900 t N in the period 2015-2021 (SVANA 2016). However, the actual
decision on which measures to initiate to reach an annual reduction in the nitrogen
load of 6,200 t N has been postponed to after 2021.
The N load to marine waters has been reduced incrementally along with the success-
ful implementation of measures from point sources and agriculture. Approximately
half of the Danish land area is located within catchments equipped with stream water
gauging stations where the N load to marine areas is regularly measured (Kronvang
et al., 2008). The nitrogen load for ungauged catchments has been modelled using an
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2435232_0022.png
empirical model (Windolf et al., 2011) and shows that the annual load to marine wa-
ters varied between 55,000 and 59,000 t N, yielding an average of 57,000 t N for the
five years (2010-2014) used as reference level in the RBMPII (SVANA (2016), Wi-
berg-Larsen (2015)). However, the calculation of this total nitrogen load to coastal ar-
eas has been updated and now includes a higher proportion of gauged catchments as
well as an improved and more detailed calculation of discharge in ungauged catch-
ments (Thodsen et al., 2020). The updated calculation yields an annual flow-normal-
ized nitrogen load ranging between 51,900 and 57,700 t N, with an average of 53,500
t N for the period 2010-2014. For the period 2015-2019, the flow-normalized total ni-
trogen load has varied between 53,400 and 61,000 t N with the lowest level in 2015
and highest value in 2019 following a year with drought related low crop harvest.
The regulation and effects described in this chapter cover the period until and includ-
ing 2019. Additional agricultural regulation, such as requirement to increase the uti-
lization efficiency of nitrogen in manure and reduced fertilizer application norm on
soil with high content of organic matter, are implemented from 2020 and 2021.
The remaining part of this chapter is divided into three parts:
First, the general development in agricultural practices at national level is presented
for the period 2005-2019. This analysis is based on national register datasets from
the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries (until November 2020 part of the
Ministry of Environment and Food), i.e. the single payment register and the fertilizer
accounts.
Second, modelled nitrate leaching, including crop distribution and nitrogen balances,
is presented for various farm types and geographical areas, and the impact of deroga-
tion farms is analysed based on a dataset derived by linking data from the single pay-
ment register, including data on the crops on each field comprised by the holdings,
and the fertilizer accounts. Both datasets cover agriculture in the year 2019.
Third, measurements of water quality from the National Monitoring Programme are
presented for the period 1990/91-2018/19, with particular reference to the Agricul-
tural Catchment Monitoring Programme (Blicher-Mathiesen et al., 2021). This sec-
tion includes:
•
•
•
Modelling of nitrate leaching in the agricultural monitoring catchments.
Measurements of nitrate in water leaving the root zone, including fields re-
ceiving more than 170 kg N ha
-1
in organic manure.
Nitrogen in surface water, draining from agricultural catchments.
Modelling of nitrate leaching in this report is carried out by means of the empirical
model N-LES (version 4) from 2008 (Kristensen et al., 2008). This model is partly
based on data from the Agricultural Catchment Monitoring Programme. The model
requires input data for agricultural practises (N fertilization, cropping system), soil
data and water percolation from the root zone. Percolation is calculated using the
Daisy model and a standard climate from a 10 km grid net (Danish Meteorological
Institute), representing weather measurements from the period 1990-2010. The cli-
mate dataset contains dynamic correction factors for rainfall (Refsgaard et al., 2011).
Thus, modelled nitrate leaching represents the leaching in a standardised climate
(water percolation). In contrast, all measurements from the Agricultural Catchment
Monitoring represent nitrate leaching under the actual climatic conditions.
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4.2
Development in agricultural practices at the national level from
2005 to 2019
Crop distribution
The development in crop distribution for 2005-2019 was analysed on the basis of the single payment registra-
tion.
Figure 4.1
presents the results for cash crops, fodder crops and non-cultivated areas. The year 2005 was
the first year with single payment, and it was anticipated that the reporting of areas for this first year would be
overestimated. Hereafter, the total reported agricultural area, including set aside, decreased from approxi-
mately 2,757,000 ha in 2006 to 2,600,000 ha in 2019.
The decrease in agricultural area of about 12,000 ha per year is due to road construction, afforestation, urban-
isation etc. During the years 2006-07, set-aside comprised about 160,000 ha. As from 2008, the set aside ob-
ligation was suspended, and in 2008 and 2009 set aside areas were converted to cash crop, fodder crops and
nature-like areas. Set aside covered between 23,000 and 32,000 ha in the period 2015-2019 as set aside is an
element in the Danish implementation of the EU Greening. The area with cash crops and fodder crops has de-
creased slightly since 2012.
Catch crops
In Action Plan III, the requirement for growing catch crops was carried over from the former Action Plan,
stipulating that farmers in 2005-2009 should grow catch crops on at least 6% of the potential catch crop area
if they applied less than 80 kg organic manure N ha
-1
and on 10% of the area if they applied more than 80 kg
organic manure N ha
-1
. In 2008, the requirement for growing catch crops was raised to counterbalance the
effects of the set aside suspension. From autumn 2009, an additional catch crop area, equivalent to an extra
4% of the potential catch crop area, was implemented, yielding a total requirement for the growing of catch
crops of 10% or 14%, respectively. Hence adjusted to 10.7 and 14.7% from 2020.
During this period (2005-2010), farmers growing winter crops (wheat, rye, winter barley, oilseed rape) pre-
venting fulfilment of catch crop requirements, were granted a reduction in the required catch crop area. From
2011, this possibility ceased.
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2435232_0024.png
Figure 4.1 Development in crop distribution at the national level from 2005 to 2019, data from
the single payment register.
At the same time, voluntary alternatives to catch crops were introduced such as:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Reduction of the farm nitrogen quota
Growing of special crops between harvest and sowing of winter crops
Growing catch crops on other farms
Establishment of perennial energy crops
Separation and treatment of animal manure (biogas and burning of the solid
fraction of manure)
From 2015, substitution of one ha of catch crop by four ha of set aside near
open streams and lakes above 100 m
2
and located next to agricultural areas
in rotation
From 2014, substitution of one ha of catch crop by four ha of winter cereals,
if sown earlier than September 7
•
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2435232_0025.png
•
From 2017, substitution of one ha of catch crop by one ha of set aside
Data from the fertilizer accounts show that establishment of catch crops increased
from about 118,600-138,000 ha in 2005/06-2007/08 to about 355,600 ha of catch
crop equivalents in 2019/20 (
Table 4.1
). The introduction and use of catch crop al-
ternatives were equivalent to the effect of 13,900-43,000 ha catch crops in the period
2011/12-2019/20.
Table 4.1 Area with catch crops and catch crop alternatives (1,000 ha of catch
crop equivalents) reported by the farmers in the annual fertilizer account in the
period 2005/06-2019/20.
05/06 06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 11/12 12/13 13/14 14/15 15/16 16/17 17/18 18/19 19/20
Catch crops
Catch crop
alternatives
138.0
0
118.6
0
127.2
0
196.6 183.0 211.0 211.0 224.0 295.7 321.1 390.0 353.1 415.2 366.5 355.6
0
0
0 28.6
44.0
13.9
43.3
37.6
36.1
28.5
42.8
16.2
In 2017, a new regulation of animal husbandry was implemented. With this regula-
tion, additional catch crops were to be established in certain areas on certain farms
using organic fertilizers, including livestock manure. The regulation applies only to
farms cropping more than 10 ha and with the use of organic fertilizer of > 30 kg N ha
-
1
. In addition, the cropped area must be located in catchments with an increasing use
of organic fertilizers that drains into nitrate sensitive types of nature habitats of
Natura 2000 area or to specific voluntary areas in near coastal waters with a need for
N load reduction according to the River Basin Management Plans. The additional
catch crops in certain areas on certain farms using organic fertilizer can replace all or
a part of the need for 80% fodder crops on derogation farms and catch crops grown
to fulfil the EU greening requirements.
Consumption of nitrogen fertiliser and nitrogen in manure
Data on the annual use of inorganic fertilizers and the use of nitrogen in animal ma-
nure are obtained from the fertilizer accounts (
Table 4.2
). In previous derogation re-
ports, data on animal manure were based on the manure production for different cat-
egories of livestock. As these data are no longer recorded, the manure application
data are instead based on the data from the fertilizer account.
The application of animal manure variated between 216,000 and 227,000 t N from
2005 to 2019. The use of inorganic fertilizers amounted to about 181,000-
202,000 t N year
-1
in 2005-2007 and increased to 205,000 and 209,300 t N year
-1
in
2008 and 2009, probably due to the cultivation of previous set aside areas. This was
expected to be a temporary effect as the procedure for setting the crop nitrogen
standards implies that an increase in agricultural area with fertilizer requirements
must be followed by an equivalent reduction in nitrogen standards. Administratively,
however, this reduction is based on statistical data on the cultivated area, resulting in
a delay of two years. Thus, in 2010-2014, the use of inorganic fertilizers decreased
again, reaching the same level as in 2005-2007. The use of inorganic fertilizer in-
creased from 210,000 t N in 2015 to 242,000, 237,000 and 224,000 t N in 2016,
2017 and 2018, respectively, after the implementation of the Food and Agricultural
Package, according to which farmers were allowed to use more fertilizer after 2015.
The lower use of inorganic fertilizer in 2018 compared to the two former years is
caused by an increase in organic farming, farms that do not use inorganic fertilizer,
as well as a decrease in the cultivated area. A change in the crop distribution with
Ministry of Environment of Denmark / Nitrates Directive / Derogation Report 2020
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higher cover of spring cereal on the cost of winter cereals also contribute to a lower
use of inorganic fertilizer of approximately 20,000 t N in 2018, as winter cereal have
a higher N uptake, higher harvest yield and therefore a higher economic optimal
standard than spring cereal. The use of inorganic fertilizer amounted to 223,000 t N
in 2019 as almost the same level as in 2018, hence taking into consideration that
farmers were recommended to apply app. 4 kg N ha
-1
lower amount of fertilizer as a
relevant amount of nitrogen was still remained in the soil in spring due a very dry au-
tumn and winter.
Table 4.2 Development in the use of inorganic nitrogen fertilizer and of nitrogen
in animal manure as reported by the farmers in the annual fertilizer status ac-
counts for the period 2005-2019 (1,000 t N a
-1
).
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
Ferti-
lizer
Animal
ma-
nure
191
181
202
205
209
198
203
198
199
203
210
242
237
224
223
227
218
236
230
226
224
223
220
215
212
216
219
218
224
219
Modelled nitrate leaching for farm types and geographical areas
and the impact of derogation farms at the national level – 2019
data
Modelled nitrate leaching demonstrates the effect of crop distribution, nitrogen in-
put, soil type and water percolation through the soil. This section includes a presen-
tation of all of these parameters. The analyses are based on the national datasets
from the single payment register and the fertilizer accounts. However, before data
can be used for this purpose, a detailed compilation of the two datasets must be made
(Børgesen et al., 2009). The single payment register contains information on crops at
field-block level, and the fertilizer accounts contain information on the use of nitro-
gen (inorganic fertilizer and organic manure) at farm level. The two datasets are
linked by means of the common farm identity number or a common farm address,
and the reported amounts of fertilizer and manure from the individual accounts are
distributed on the fields of each farm according to the crop nitrogen standards.
Hereby, we obtain a dataset with coherent data on crops and nitrogen application at
field level. We have no information on grass-ley from either dataset. Therefore, we
estimate this parameter based on the area with rotation grass, assuming a conversion
rate of three years. If there is not sufficient space in the crop rotation, the area with
grass-ley is reduced accordingly. Data on catch crops is derived from the fertilizer ac-
counts.
The field-blocks are geographically mapped, implying that each field can be linked to
soil maps and to the meteorological grid net. Having established the soil type for each
field-block, the standard harvest yield may be estimated. Furthermore, nitrogen fixa-
tion is included using standard values for each crop. This final dataset now contains
all information necessary for geographically distributed computation of crop cover-
age and field nitrogen balances and for modelling nitrate leaching.
Farm type
4.3
The data is divided into three main groups of farm type – arable farms, pig farms and
cattle farms. A pig farm is defined as a farm where more than 2/3 of the used organic
26
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N including manure originate from pigs, and a cattle farm is defined as a farm where
at least 2/3 of the used organic N including manure originate from cattle. An arable
farm is a farm with a production of organic N including manure of less than 20 kg N.
The farm may import animal manure, which will appear in the fertilizer account and
is therefore included in this analysis. Other farm types are not included in this analy-
sis.
Figure 4.2
:
Crop distribution for three main farm types in 2019. Combined da-
taset from the single payment register and the fertilizer status accounts.
Figure 4.2 shows that arable farms and pig farms grew cereals, particularly winter
wheat, on the majority of the agricultural area (48 and 64%) in 2019. Other major
cash crops were oilseed rape, peas, root crops (potatoes and sugar beet) and grass for
seeds (17-18%). Cereal silage, grass and maize constituted a minor part of the area (4-
10%). Catch crops were grown on 9-13% and grass-ley on 2-3% of the agricultural
area on arable and pig farms.
Cattle farms have a different crop rotation. Cereals and other cash crops were grown
on 39% of the area, whereas cereal silage, grass and maize were grown on 60% of the
area. Fodder beet was grown on 1.2% of the area. In addition, grass-ley was found on
10% and catch crops on 15% of the area.
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On arable farms, an average amount of about 47 kg N ha
-1
from animal manure was
applied. For pig and cattle farms, the amounts were, respectively, 100 kg N ha
-1
and
124 kg N ha
-1
(
Table 4.3
).
Table 4.3 N inputs, N balances and nitrate leaching and nitrate concentration at
the bottom of the root zone for three main farm types in 2019. Combined dataset.
Comm.
ferti-
lizer
Ani-
mal
ma-
nure
47
100
124
Other
org.
N balance
Root zone water
N
N
Seeds Total Har- N bal- Percol. Nitrate NO
3-
fix. depos.
input vest ance
leach- conc.
ing
(kg N ha
-1
a
-1
)
(mm a
-1
)
(kg N ha
-1
) (mg l
-1
)
Arable
Pigs
Cattle
104
85
72
5.6
1.8
1.4
8.7
5.5
29
12
12
12
2.0
2.2
1.5
179
207
240
115
120
147
64
87
93
335
376
408
54
65
64
71
76
70
The use of inorganic fertilizers decreased with increasing application of animal ma-
nure. Total inputs of nitrogen from inorganic fertilizer, manure, other organic
sources, N fixation and atmospheric deposition amounted to 179, 207 and
240 kg N ha
-1
for arable farms, pig farms and cattle farms, respectively. N balances,
calculated as the difference between the total input of nitrogen and removal by har-
vested crops, were 64, 87 and 93 kg N ha
-1
for arable farms, pig farms and cattle
farms, respectively. As expected, modelled nitrate leaching was lower from arable
farms (on average 54 kg N ha
-1
) than from animal husbandry farms (65 kg N ha
-1
from
pig farms and 64 kg N ha
-1
from cattle farms). N leaching was, on average, 1 kg N ha
-1
lower for cattle farms compared with pig farms despite a larger N input and similar N
balances for cattle farms than for pig farms. A major reason for this is that cattle
farms grow a high proportion of fodder crops that have a long growing season and
therefore a larger N uptake.
On arable farms, the modelled nitrate leaching amounted to 84% of the N balance,
which is high relative to the 75% recorded for pig farms and the 69% observed for
cattle farms. An explanation may be that leaching on these soils with low input of or-
ganic manure is affected by mineralisation of the organic pool, i.e. depletion of the to-
tal soil N content. However, the high leaching fraction may also be caused by the un-
certainties associated with the two separate calculations of the N leaching and N bal-
ance.
Water percolation through the soil is considerably higher on cattle farms than on ara-
ble and pig farms. However, this is not due to the differences in farm type but the fact
that the cattle farms are located mainly in the western part of the country with more
sandy soil and higher rainfall and a consequently higher percolation. The higher per-
colation on cattle farms leads to dilution of the nitrate concentration in the soil water.
Thus, the modelled average nitrate concentrations in soil water were 71 and 76 mg
NO
3
l
-1
on arable and pig farms, respectively, and 70 mg NO
3
l
-1
on cattle farms for the
year 2019.
28
Ministry of Environment of Denmark / Nitrates Directive / Derogation Report 2020
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2435232_0029.png
Geographical areas
Farm types are not evenly distributed throughout the country because of variations in
farming conditions. For the following analysis, Denmark has therefore been divided
into five farming regions (
Figure 4.3
).
Figure 4.3 Farming regions in Denmark with different soil types, farming prac-
tices and rainfall and the location of the six monitored agricultural catchments.
Table 4.4
shows that Zealand is dominated by arable farming, whereas Eastern (E)
Jutland and Funen are dominated by arable farming and pig production. Finally,
North (N), North-West (NW) and West (W) Jutland have the highest density of cattle
farming. Thus, arable and pig farms are located mainly in the eastern part of Den-
mark on loamy soils and with low rainfall, whereas cattle farms are located mainly in
the northern and western parts of Denmark on sandy soils and with higher rainfall,
the rainfall increasing from north to south.
Table 4.4 Distribution of farm types and soil types and water percolation through
the soils in Denmark divided into five main geographical areas – 2019.
Arable
Pig
Cattle
Other
Sand
Zealand
Jutland E +
Funen
Jutland N
Jutland NW
Jutland W
61
38
31
25
29
% of agricultural area
14
15
26
24
18
22
16
35
38
40
10
13
16
15
15
Organic
soils
% of agricultural area
4
93
3
25
71
4
79
61
75
10
33
19
11
6
6
Loam
Percol.
mm/year
199
334
363
449
540
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2435232_0030.png
Figure 4.4 Crop distribution for five farming regions in Denmark in 2019. Com-
bined dataset from the single payment register and the fertilizer accounts.
The crop distribution within the five farming regions of Denmark follows the same
pattern as for farm types, i.e. mainly cereals and other cash crops on the islands and
in Eastern Jutland and cereals and fodder crops in West and North Jutland (
Figure
4.4
).
The input of nitrogen with animal manure, the total nitrogen input and the field ni-
trogen balances are lowest on Zealand, higher in E Jutland and on Funen and highest
in W, NW and N Jutland (
Table 4.
5).
In the latter three areas, the average nitrogen
input varied between 204 and 214 kg N ha
-1
. The average modelled nitrate leaching
generally increased from east to west due to increases in nitrogen input and percola-
tion. Within the three western and northern parts of Jutland, the nitrate leaching in-
creased from northern to southern Jutland, mainly due to increased water percola-
tion through the root zone. Higher water percolation led to dilution of the nitrate
concentrations of the soil water, resulting in an average nitrate concentration in soil
water of 79, 72, 75, 70 and 62 mg NO
3
l
-1
on Zealand, Funen + E and N Jutland, and
NW and W Jutland, respectively.
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2435232_0031.png
Table 4.5 N inputs and N balances, nitrate leaching and nitrate concentration at
the bottom of the root zone calculated for five geographical areas in Denmark in
2019. Combined dataset from the single payment register and the fertilizer ac-
counts
N balance
Comm. Animal Other N-fix.
N-
Seeds
fertiliser manure org. N
depos.
Total
input
Har-
vest
N bal-
ance
Root zone water
Percol.
Nitrate
leaching
NO
3-
conc
kg N ha
-1
a
-1
Zealand
Jutland E
+Funen
Jutland N
Jutland
NW
Jutland W
107
35
5.1
9.3
10
1.8
168
119
49
mm a
-1
kg N ha
-1
mg l
-1
199
35
79
90
71
2.8
12.0
12
1.9
189
122
67
334
54
72
71
97
1.8
20.4
12
1.6
204
125
79
363
61
75
70
105
0.8
17.7
12
1.7
207
127
80
449
71
70
68
107
3.5
19.8
14
1.9
214
133
81
541
76
62
Derogation farms
Derogation farms are mainly located in N, NW and W Jutland where cattle farming is
dominant. The effect of the derogation was evaluated for these three geographical ar-
eas. The cattle farms were grouped into four livestock density groups depending on
the application of organic N including manure: 0-100, 100-140, 140-170 kg N ha
-
1
and derogation farms with the use of organic N including manure of 170-230 kg N
ha
-1
.
The crop distributions for the three geographical areas were found to be almost iden-
tical, with some differences in cover between spring and winter cereals as well as
larger proportion of maize and catch crops in W Jutland (
Figure 4.5
). There is a clear
trend indicating a decrease in areas with cereals and increase in the areas with cash
crops with increasing livestock density. In addition, the area with fodder crops in-
creases with increasing livestock density. The area with roughage amounted to 54, 65
and 73% for the three groups, 0-100, 100-140, 140-170 use of organic N including
manure ha
-1
, respectively, whereas derogation farms grew roughage on an average of
90% of the area.
The effect of derogation on nitrate leaching was evaluated separately for the three ge-
ographical areas. The nitrogen input as well as the field nitrogen balances increased
with increasing livestock density (
Table 4.6
). Modelled nitrate leaching is generally a
combined effect of two opposing mechanisms – an increase in leaching due to in-
creased nitrogen input and a decrease in leaching due to an increased area with
roughage and catch crops.
Table 4.6
shows that the modelled nitrate leaching gener-
ally increased with increasing livestock density and hence with increasing nitrogen
input. Thus, differences occurred in the modelled annual nitrogen leaching of 8, 6
and 9 kg N ha
-1
, respectively, between derogation farms and farms using 140-
170 kg N ha
-1
of organic N in the three Jutland regions. Similarly, modelled nitrate
concentrations in the soil water leaving the root zone were 10, 10, and 6 mg NO
3
l
-1
higher for derogations farms than for cattle farms using 140-170 kg organic N ha
-1
in
W, NW and N of Jutland, respectively.
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2435232_0032.png
Figure 4.5 Average crop distribution for four groups of livestock density calcu-
lated for the total use of organic nitrogen including manure (kg N ha
-
1) in N, NW
and W Jutland in 2019. Combined dataset from the single payment register and
the fertilizer accounts.
The use of legumes (clover, alfalfa, peas) in grass and cereal silage is shown in
Table
4.7
. The general trend is that derogation farms grow less legumes than non-deroga-
tion farms (
Table 4.7
). Thus, clover or alfalfa (max. 50% share) in rotation grass was
used on 76% of the rotation grass area for derogation farms and on 81-90% for non-
derogation farms. For permanent grass, the equivalent values were 20% for deroga-
tion farms and 27-39% for non-derogation farms. Cereal silage with peas amounted
to 6% of the silage area for derogation farms and 13-18% for non-derogation farms.
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Ministry of Environment of Denmark / Nitrates Directive / Derogation Report 2020
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2435232_0033.png
Table 4.6 N inputs, N balances and nitrate leaching and nitrate concentration at
the bottom of the root zone calculated for four groups of livestock density at cat-
tle farms and for three geographical areas in Jutland, Denmark, 2019. Combined
dataset from the single payment register and the fertilizer accounts.
N balance
Re-
gion
Annual
Ani-
To-
Comm.
use of
mal Other N
N
tal
ferti-
Seeds
organic
in-
ma- org. N fix. depos.
lizer
N
nure
put
kg N ha
-1
a
-1
kg N ha
-1
Root zone water
Har- Bal-
vest ance Percol.
Nitrate
NO
3-
leach-
conc
ing
mm a
-1
kg N ha
-1
mg l
-1
Jut-
land
N
0-100
100-140
140-170
170-230
81
61
58
72
83
58
59
70
73
51
57
77
57
119
153
199
63
122
151
193
60
123
153
201
1.6
0.5
0.3
0.0
2.5
0.2
0.2
0.0
6.4
2.5
0.5
0.2
22
34
44
39
20
31
37
35
21
36
37
29
12
12
12
12
12
12
12
12
14
14
14
14
1.2
1.3
1.2
1.4
1.4
1.3
1.3
1.5
1.6
1.3
1.5
1.6
175
228
268
323
183
224
261
312
176
228
263
323
115
138
159
187
116
133
155
180
118
142
158
187
60
89
109
136
66
91
106
132
59
86
105
137
359
366
354
348
423
445
449
425
521
541
543
548
54
60
63
71
57
65
74
80
58
71
81
90
67
72
79
89
60
65
73
83
49
58
66
72
Jut-
land
NW
0-100
100-140
140-170
170-230
Jut-
land
W
0-100
100-140
140-170
170-230
Table 4.7 Use of legumes in grass and cereal silage at cattle farms for derogation
and non-derogation farms 2019.
Use of organic N, including manure (kg N ha
-1
a
-1
)
0-100
100-140
140-170
170-230
share of agricultural area (%)
Rotation grass
13.8
23.8
28.0
32.6
share of rotation grass (%)
No clover/alfalfa
< 50% clover/alfalfa
> 50% clover/alfalfa
17
81
2
9
90
1
10
90
0
24
76
0
share of agricultural area (%)
Permanent grass
16.1
11.3
8.7
5.9
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share of permanent grass (%)
No clover/alfalfa
< 50% clover/alfalfa
> 50% clover/alfalfa
60
39
0
71
29
0
72
27
0
80
20
0
share of agricultural area (%)
Cereal silage
1.9
5.6
6.8
9.0
share of cereal silage (%)
No legumes
< 50% legumes
100% legumes
82
13
5
63
18
18
68
15
17
94
6
0
Development in modelled nitrate leaching in the Agricultural
Catchment Monitoring Programme 1990-2018
This section deals with the general development in nitrate leaching from 1990/91 to
2018/2019. Information on agricultural practises is derived from the Agricultural
Catchment Monitoring Programme. This programme includes six small agricultural
catchments situated in various parts of the country in order to cover the variation in
soil type and rainfall and hence in agricultural practises (
Figure 4.3
). The farmers are
interviewed every year about livestock, crops and fertilization and cultivation prac-
tises. Nitrate leaching is modelled for all fields in the catchments based on the infor-
mation on agricultural practises and standard percolation values that are calculated
on the basis of the climate for 1990-2010.
In 2019, 129 farmers participated in the investigation. Of all the investigated farms,
24 were cattle holdings, and five of these were registered as derogation farms. These
derogation farms covered 15% of the total area in the Agricultural Monitoring catch-
ments in 2018/19.
The modelled nitrate leaching from the agricultural area in the catchments was calcu-
lated for the period 1990 to 2019 (representing the hydrological years 1990/91 to
2019/20). The modelled leaching is shown in
Figure 4.6
as an average for sandy and
loamy catchments, respectively.
4.4
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2435232_0035.png
Figure 4.6 Modelled nitrate leaching in a standard climate for the fields of the Ag-
ricultural Catchment Monitoring Programme 1990/91-2019/20.
Seen relative to the distribution of the main soil types in Denmark, the modelled ni-
trate leaching decreased by 43% during the period 1991 to 2003 due to the general
improvement in agriculture and fertilization practises (Action Plan I+II). After 2003,
there was a small increase in nitrate leaching, particularly on sandy soils, probably
caused by suspension of the set aside obligation. At the national level, about 120,000
ha of set aside were cultivated in 2008 and 2009, leading to a change in crop rotation
towards a higher leaching potential and a temporary increase in fertilizer application.
For the loamy catchments, modelled annual nitrate leaching was relatively stable
around 50 kg N ha
-1
during 2003-2013, after which it decreased by approximately 8
kg N ha
-1
in 2014 and 2015 and increased again to the level of 2003-2013 in 2016-
2019. For the sandy catchments, the annual leaching of 81 kg N ha
-1
in 2003 was rela-
tively low. After this year, the leaching increased to an interval of 81-93 kg N ha
-1
in
the period 2004-2014. In 2015-2019 the annual leaching decreased to a lower level
than in 2003 (77-81 kg N ha
-1
). The lower leaching in these five years is mainly due to
a higher share of catch crops after cereals and maize.
After 2003, the average annual modelled leaching for both loamy and sandy catch-
ments varied between 63 and 67 kg N ha
-1
. Nitrate leaching was lower in 2014 and
2015 (58 kg N ha
-1
) due to a large area of catch crops, but increased to 60-62 kg N ha
-1
in the years 2016-2019, which is similar to the values for 2013 and 2014. The higher
leaching in 2019 is due to a higher proportion of bare soil in the autumn especially in
sandy dominated catchments. The extreme drought in the summer and autumn in
2018 caused unfavourable conditions for sowing and plant growth leaving bare soils
as a higher proportion of the cropped area. No significant trend in leaching for the in-
dividual LOOP catchments was detected after the year 2003, except for a slight de-
creasing trend in the sandy catchment in Northern Jutland.
The purpose of the root zone modelling is to show the effects of measures introduced
to mitigate nutrient losses from agriculture. The modelling is therefore carried out
for normalised growth conditions, i.e. averaging the model output for a 20-year pe-
riod: The model is run for each year in the 20-year period and model outputs are
then averaged for the period. The climatic data used cover the period 1990-2010. Ac-
tual measurements of nitrate leaching will show higher annual variations than the cli-
matic average of the modelled values as the measurements depend on the actual cli-
mate.
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Certain forms of soil cultivation and ploughing of grass fields in autumn were prohib-
ited as from autumn 2011. This circumstance is not considered in the leaching model
due to lack of actual measurements that could otherwise have been applied in the
model development. It is estimated that postponed soil tillage will reduce root zone
leaching by 2,400 t N at the national level, corresponding to an average effect of
about 1 kg N ha
-1
(Børgesen et al., 2013).
4.5
Measurements of nitrate in water leaving the root zone
In five of the six Agricultural Monitoring Catchments, soil water samples are col-
lected regularly at 30 sites. One of the sites is covered by forest and is therefore not
included in the data on nitrate concentrations measured in agricultural areas. Meas-
urements were ceased on a sandy site in 2011 as the farmers did not want to partici-
pate in the monitoring. Two sites on a loamy catchment are located very close to the
edge of the field, and tractor transport in and out of the fields and results in high
damage to crops, possible uneven fertilizer application and very high values of meas-
ured nitrate leaching in some of the monitored years. Out of the remaining 27 sites
on agricultural areas, 14 are located on loamy soils and 13 on sandy soils and the data
on these are considered valid for use in the trend analysis of the loamy and sandy
catchments. The samples represent the root zone water (approx. 1 m depth – 30 sam-
ples per year) and the upper oxic groundwater (1.5-5 m depth – 6 samples per year).
To give an annual representative values for the nitrate leaching, the measured nitrate
concentration is multiplied with the percolation in the sampling period. Samples are
taken weekly in periods with percolation (autumn, winter and spring) and monthly in
summer time when percolation is scarce or zero. Percolation values are modelled, as
measurements of soil water content and flow in soil, covering soil variability at field
level, are difficult to perform (Blicher-Mathiesen et al., 2014). The annual flow-
weighted nitrate concentration is calculated by dividing the annual percolation into
the nitrate leaching.
Since the previous publication of the annual derogation report, inconsistencies in the
precipitation time series has been detected. These inconsistencies affect the reported
flow-weighted concentrations, as the precipitation time series are used for the calcu-
lation of percolation. Specifically, it was found that the relation between precipitation
and stream runoff in the monitoring catchments was inconsistent before and after
2010, respectively. The precipitation is measured at several rain gauge stations and
distributed to cover 10 x 10 km
2
grids by the Danish Meteorological Institute (DMI).
The type of rain gauge station was changed from 2011 and also the number of sta-
tions decreased significantly. This explains some of the inconsistency related to
measured discharge. DMI has delivered new precipitation data for the period after
2010, but all inconsistency in the data has not yet been resolved. In order to address
the possible bias or inconsistency in the precipitation time series, we included an un-
certainty in the precipitation data, which is reflected in the calculated percolation and
flow-weighted nitrate concentration. This uncertainty was derived from an analysis
of radar detected precipitation in five subplots within ten precipitation grids of 10x10
km
2
. The error bars on the flow-weighted nitrate concentration in figure 0.6 and fig-
ure 0.10 represent this uncertainty from variation in precipitation on field level, but
tabulated as an average uncertainty from ten precipitation grids (Blicher-Mathiesen
et al., 2021).
The flow-weighted nitrate concentrations are shown as annual average values for
loamy and sandy soils, respectively, for the period 1990/91-2018/19 (
Figure 4.7
).
36
Ministry of Environment of Denmark / Nitrates Directive / Derogation Report 2020
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Figure 4.7 Annual flow-weighted nitrate concentrations measured in root zone water (1 m below
ground level) and annual average nitrate concentrations measured in upper oxic groundwater (1.5-
5 m below ground level), the Agricultural Catchment Monitoring Programme 1990/91-2018/19. Er-
ror bars indicate variation in percolation as precipitation variated on local scale within a DMI 10 x
10 km
2
precipitation grid.
Generally, measured data on nitrate leaching from the root zone on only 27 sites can-
not be used directly for estimating the effect of a single variable as the input of ferti-
lizer or manure because of the high variability in actual fertilizer and manure practice
between the monitoring fields and the measured years.
Instead, the data were used for the development of the nitrate leaching model, N-
LES4, which was subsequently used for calculating the leaching from all the fields in
the catchments relative to agricultural practises (
Figure 4.6
). The calculation of sta-
tistical trends for the monitoring period is done using flow-weighted nitrate concen-
trations.
General trend for nitrate concentrations in water leaving the root zone
There is strong inter-annual variation in the measured nitrate concentrations due to
differences in rainfall and temperature. Therefore, a long time series and a large
number of measuring points are needed to detect any statistically significant trend.
Such data series are available from the Danish Monitoring Programme. A statistical
trend analysis – a Mann-Kendall test, incorporating annual variations in the mean
annual flow-weighted nitrate concentrations for water leaving the root zone –
showed that concentrations decreased significantly by 1.2 and 2.6 mg NO
3
l
-1
a
-1
for
the measured sites on loamy and sandy soils, respectively, and for the whole 26-year
monitoring period from 1990/91 to 2015/16.
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In loamy catchments, the measured nitrate concentrations in root zone water de-
creased from 61-155 mg NO
3
l
-1
in the 5-year period 1990/91-1994/95 to 37-66
mg NO
3
l
-1
in the 5-year period 2011/12-2015/16 and increased to 72, 48 and 108
mg NO
3
l
-1
in the three years 2016/17, 2017/18 and 2018/19, respectively. The high
nitrate concentrations are seen in years with low percolation as observed on loamy
soils in 2004/05, 2010/11, in 2016/17 and in 2018/19. In sandy catchments, the ni-
trate concentration decreased from 73-207 mg NO
3
l
-1
in the 5-year period 1990/91-
1994/95 to 54-73 mg NO
3
l
-1
in the 5-year period 2011/12-2015/16 and increased to
93, 84 and 99 mg NO
3
l
-1
the three years 2016/17, 2017/18 and 2018/19, respectively
(
Figure 4.6
).
After 2003/04 (Action Plan III + Green Growth), no statistically significant change in
measured nitrate concentrations in soil water leaving the root zone has been rec-
orded. However, before 2011/12, high concentrations were temporarily observed for
sandy soils. This is most likely due to growth of crops with high leaching potential on
these fields, such as turnover of grassland followed by cereals with no catch crops the
following years, growing of maize and winter rape etc.
It should be noted that the measurements of nitrate leaching originate from a small
number of sampling stations (27 stations). Furthermore, the measurements are af-
fected by high crop yields, in particular in 2009, and effects of crop rotation, espe-
cially of grass in rotation. These conditions induce higher inter-annual variations
than seen in the modelled nitrate leaching, which covers a larger area including ap-
prox. 129 farms (
Figure 4.6
).
In the upper groundwater (1.5-5.0 m below ground level), nitrate concentrations
were lower than in the root zone water, indicating nitrate reduction in the aquifer
sediment between the bottom of the root zone and the uppermost groundwater (
Fig-
ure 4.7
).
In loamy catchments, the measured nitrate concentrations in the upper oxic ground-
water decreased from 41-46 mg NO
3
l
-1
in the 5-year period 1990/91-1994/95 to 29-
37 mg NO
3
l
-1
in the 5-year period 2014/15-2018/19. In sandy catchments, the nitrate
concentration decreased from 87-110 mg NO
3
l
-1
in the 5-year period 1990/91-
1994/95 to 59-77 mg NO
3
l
-1
in the 5-year period 2014/15-2018/19.
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2435232_0039.png
Nitrate concentrations in water leaving the root zone from cattle holdings
Two to three of the monitoring sites belong to cattle holdings that, on average, used between 130 and 170 kg
organic manure N ha
-1
in the period 2000/01 -2018/19 and four to five sites belong to holdings that, on aver-
age, used more than 170 kg organic manure N ha
-1
at the monitoring sites. Measurements of nitrate in water
leaving the root zone are shown annually for each site for the period 2000/01-2018/19. At one of the sites,
station “st 604”, the manure input changed from a high annual input (>170 kg N ha
-1
) until 2008 (data shown
in
Figure 4.8
B and D), to a lower input (<170 kg N ha
-1
) in the following years (data shown in
Figure 4.8
A
and C). Suction cups at site “st 203” were re-established in 2012, which entails that no measurements for this
site were available for 2012/13 and 2013/14. On this site, the input of manure increased to >170 kg N ha
-1
on
average for a five year period monitored from 2012 and onwards. The annual manure input at site “st 202”
changed to a much lower level from 2014, and the nitrate concentration in the root zone water is therefore
included in
Figure 4.9
A and C from 2014 and onwards. For the site “st 206” the average five-year manure
input increased from <130 kg N ha
-1
to >170 kg N ha
-1
in 2013 and is included in
Figure 4.8
B and D.
Figure 4.8 Measured nitrate concentrations in root zone water (1 m depth) with average application of
130-170 (A) and more than 170 kg organic N ha
-1
(B) at the sites (average application of organic manure
N is shown in brackets). Figures for annual averages for the measured stations, average application of
130-170 (C) and more than 170 kg organic N ha
-1
(D). All data from the period 2000/01-2018/19 are
shown.
The manure input at site “st 201” increased from 2013 and was included in
Figure
4.8
B and D and
Figure 4.8
B from this year. One site “st 406” stopped livestock pro-
duction from 2017 and therefore this site is not included in the data from this year
and onwards in
Figure 4.7
and
Figure 4.8
.
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2435232_0040.png
Annual variations in measured concentrations at the individual monitoring stations
were expected, partly due to crop rotation and variations in yield and meteorological
conditions.
The sites that annually received an average of 130-170 kg N in manure ha
-1
in the pe-
riod 2000/01-2018/19 had high average nitrate concentrations in the six years
2005/06, 2008/09-2010/11, 2013/14 and 2015/16-2018/19 (
Figure 4.7A
). At some
of the sites with an annual average manure application of more than 170 kg N ha
-1
, ni-
trate concentrations were very high. For instance, this is seen at “st 604” in five out of
six years between 2004/05 and 2009/10. However, other sites receiving high manure
input had relatively lower soil water concentrations (
Figure 4.8
B).
The average flow-
weighted nitrate concentrations in root zone water at four specific sites with an aver-
age manure application of 170-230 kg N ha
-1
varied between 64 and 110 mg NO
3
l
-1
for
the recent five hydrological years (2014/15-2018/19).
High nitrate concentrations are most likely a result of crop rotation, especially turno-
ver of clover grass in rotation, followed by cereals without catch crops or high N input
to maize, and they cannot be linked to the level of manure input alone.
Phosphorus concentrations in the water leaving the root zone are shown in
Figure
4.9
. Generally, the concentrations varied between 0.005 and 0.050 mg PO
4
-P l
-1
, irre-
spective of the use of organic manure. However, in one field receiving an average of
148 kg organic N ha
-1
(“st 608”), P concentrations were much more variable. The soil
texture in this field is coarse sand and it is located in an area with high rainfall.
Figure 4.9 Measured phosphorus concentrations as dissolved orthophosphate (PO4-P) at soil water sta-
tions (1 m depth) with average application of 130-170 (A) and more than 170 kg organic N ha
-1
(B) at the
sites (average application of organic manure N is shown in brackets). All data for the period 2000/01-
2018/19 are shown.
4.6
The nitrogen flow to surface water in agricultural catchments
When percolating water leaves the root zone, it is partitioned into a component that
discharges to surface water and a component that discharges to groundwater from
where it will eventually – often some years later – drain into the streams. The path-
ways for water and nutrients in agricultural catchments are analysed in the Agricul-
tural Catchment Monitoring Programme. Nitrate concentrations are measured in soil
water and in water from tile drains from three loamy catchments and two sandy
catchments.
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2435232_0041.png
The monitoring programme does not allow a specific evaluation of the effect of dero-
gation farms on the nitrate transport in the streams since measurements at the catch-
ment outlet integrate the effects of all activities in the catchment. However, the moni-
toring programme will provide an overview of the general trend for surface water, in-
cluding the effect of any derogation farms in the catchment.
This chapter gives an overview of the nitrogen pathways in the hydrological cycle and
describes the trends for nitrate in water for the period 1990-2019. Continued moni-
toring within the framework of the Agricultural Catchment Programme and the
Stream Programme will provide indicators for the future development.
The hydrological pathways
An analysis of the water flow in the streams of the five agricultural catchments has
shown that it can be conceptually divided into three components – rapid, intermedi-
ate and slow response to precipitation (
Table 4.8
). These components may be re-
garded as flow from the upper soil layers (including tile drainage), from the upper
oxic groundwater and from deep groundwater.
Table 4.8 Partitioning of water flow in streams into three components – rapid, in-
termediate and slow responding water. The analysis included three loamy catch-
ments and two sandy catchments (1989/90-2002/03).
Flow response
Rapid
Loamy catchments
Sandy catchments
41 %
20 %
Intermediate
16 %
23 %
Slow
43 %
57 %
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2435232_0042.png
Figure 4.10 Measured mean of nitrate concentrations in the hydrological cycle in
three loamy catchments and two sandy catchments in the Agricultural Catchment
Monitoring Programme. Stream values for the two sandy catchments are for the
two individual stream outlet. The values are calculated as an annual mean for the
period 2014/15-2018/19.
In loamy catchments, the flow path is characterised by relatively rapidly responding
water (from upper soil layers), whereas there is a larger proportion of slowly re-
sponding water (from deeper groundwater) in sandy catchments.
Figure 4.10
illustrates measurements of nitrate concentrations (mg NO3 l
-1
) in soil
root zone water, upper oxic groundwater (1.5-5 m below ground level) and in
streams. When water percolates from the root zone to the upper groundwater, deni-
trification processes take place. Thus, nitrate concentrations in the upper groundwa-
ter are lower than in the root zone water. When the water passes through the deeper
aquifers, it will usually reach the redox cline where the remaining nitrate will be re-
moved by biological and geo-chemical reduction processes.
As sandy catchments are dominated by slow groundwater flow, the water discharging
to the streams has been exposed to reduction processes. Thus, nitrate concentrations
in the stream water are relatively low. In loamy catchments, the discharging water
has mainly passed through the upper soil layers and through the drainage system
where there is less nitrate reduction. Hence, nitrate concentrations in the streams are
higher than in sandy catchments.
In this context, it should be noted that cattle farms, i.e. the derogations farms, are
mainly located in the western and northern parts of Jutland characterised by sandy
soils and deep groundwater flow, leading to high nitrate removal and low nitrogen
concentrations in the streams.
Trends in nitrate concentrations in the hydrological cycle
The development in nitrate concentrations in root zone water, upper oxic groundwa-
ter and stream water is shown in
Figure
4.11.
Statistical analyses incorporating the
annual variations showed that the nitrate concentration in water leaving the root
42
Ministry of Environment of Denmark / Nitrates Directive / Derogation Report 2020
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2435232_0043.png
zone decreased significantly by 1.2 and 2.6 mg NO
3
l
-1
a
-1
at the measured sites on
loamy and sandy soils, respectively, for the 26-year monitoring period from 1990/91
to 2015/16. However, as mentioned before, nitrate concentrations increased to 72, 48
and 108 mg NO
3
l
-1
in the three years 2016/17, 2017/18 and 2018/19, respectively, on
loamy soils and to 93, 84 and 99 mg NO
3
l
-1
in the corresponding three years, respec-
tively, on sandy soils (see section 4.5). In the Stream Monitoring Programme, the de-
velopment is analysed for a larger number of streams. This programme reported that
during the period 1989-2019, in 51 agriculturally dominated catchments representing
both loamy and sandy soils, there was an average reduction of 35 % (confidence in-
terval: 27-39 %) of the total nitrogen transport (Thodsen et al., 2021).
Figure 4.11 Nitrate concentrations in root zone water, upper groundwater and in
streams for three loamy catchments and two sandy catchments according to the
Agricultural Catchment Monitoring Programme, 1990/91-2018/19.
References
Blicher-Mathiesen, G., Petersen, R.J., Holm, H., Houlborg, T., Rolighed, J., Ander-
sen, H.E., Carstensen, M.V., Jensen, P.G., Wienke, J., Hansen, B. & Thorling, L. 2021.
Landovervågningsoplande 2019. NOVANA. Aarhus Universitet, DCE – Nationalt
Center for Miljø og Energi, 255 s. - Videnskabelig rapport nr. xxx
Blicher-Mathiesen, G., Andersen, H.E. & Larsen, S.E. (2014). Nitrogen field balances
and suction cup-measured N leaching in Danish catchments. Agriculture, Ecos. Envi-
ronm. 196, 69-75.
Kristensen, K., Waagepetersen, J., Børgesen, C.D., Vinther, F.P., Grant, R. & Blicher-
Mathiesen, G. (2008).
Reestimation and further development in the model N-
LES - N-LES
3
to N-LES
4
. DJF Plant Science No. 139.
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43
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2435232_0044.png
Kronvang, B., Andersen, H.E., Børgesen, C., Dalgaard, T., Larsen, S.E., Bøgestrand, J.
& Blicher-Mathiasen, G., (2008). Effects of policy measures implemented in
Denmark on nitrogen pollution of the aquatic environment. Environmental Science &
Policy 11, 144-152.
Thodsen, H., Tornbjerg, H., Rasmussen, J.J., Bøgestrand, J., Larsen, S.E., Ovesen,
N.B., Blicher-Mathiesen, G., Kjeldgaard, A. & Windolf, J. (2019). Vandløb 2018.
NOVANA. Aarhus Universitet, DCE – Nationalt Center for Miljø og Energi, 70 s. -
Videnskabelig rapport nr. 353
http://dce2.au.dk/pub/SR353.pdf
Thodsen, H., Tornbjerg, H., Bøgestrand, J., Larsen, S.E., Ovesen, N.B., Blicher-
Mathiesen, G., Rolighed, J., Holm, H. & Kjeldgaard, A. 2021. Vandløb 2019 - Kemisk
vandkvalitet og stoftransport. NOVANA. Aarhus Universitet, DCE – Nationalt Center
for Miljø og Energi, xx s. - Videnskabelig rapport nr. 416
SVANA (2016). Vandområdeplaner 2015-2021. Styrelsen for Vand og
Naturforvaltning. Miljø- og Fødevareministeriet. https://mst.dk/natur-
vand/vandmiljoe/vandomraadeplaner/vandomraadeplaner-2015-
2021/vandomraadeplaner-2015-2021/
Wiberg-Larsen, P., Windolf, J., Bøgestrand, J., Larsen, S.E., Thodsen, H., Ovesen,
N.B., Bjerring, R., Kronvang, B. & Kjeldgaard, A. (2015). Vandløb 2013. NOVANA.
Aarhus Universitet, DCE – Nationalt Center for Miljø og Energi, 50 s. - Videnskabelig
rapport fra DCE - Nationalt Center for Miljø og Energi nr. 121
http://dce2.au.dk/pub/SR121.pdf
Windolf, J., Larsen, S.E., Thodsen, H., Bøgestrand, J., Ovesen, N. & Kronvang, B.
(2011). A distributed modelling system for simulation of monthly runoff and nitrogen
sources, loads and sinks for ungauged catchments in Denmark. J. Environmental
Monitoring 13, 2645-2658.
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5.
Reinforced monitoring in areas characterized by sandy
soils
This chapter is based on selected data from the National Monitoring Programme of
Water and Nature (NOVANA), provided by the Danish Environmental Protection
Agency, and data on derogation farm location, provided by the Danish Agricultural
Agency.
5.1
Introduction
Prior to 2018, data on water quality in the derogation report was based on data from
the national agricultural catchment monitoring programme. This programme com-
bines detailed information on both agricultural practice and crop rotation as well as
data on water quality in root zone water, uppermost groundwater and small local
streams. Monitoring takes place in five agricultural catchments throughout the coun-
try, of which three are located in parts of Denmark characterized by loamy soils and
two in the western part, where sandy soils predominate. The latest, relevant results
from the programme are reported in chapter 4 of this report.
Due to the limited size of the area monitored within the national agricultural catch-
ment monitoring programme, only very few derogation farms are located in the five
catchments. The majority of derogation farms are found in the western part of Den-
mark, especially in the western part of middle and southern Jutland, as shown on the
maps in chapter 2 of this report. This part of Denmark is also characterized by pre-
dominantly sandy soils.
The derogation decision from 2017 (2017/847/EU) introduced the requirement that
water quality should be reported using data from reinforced monitoring. The rein-
forced monitoring is carried out on sandy soils and in an area that comprises fields
belonging to at least 3% of all derogation farms. The derogation decision from 2018
(2018/1928/EU) and the latest derogation decision from 2020 (2020/1074/EU)
specifies in Article 10 (2) that, in addition to the monitoring obligations in prior dero-
gation decisions, "[...]
Reinforced monitoring of water quality shall be carried out in
areas with sandy soils. In addition, nitrates concentrations in surface and ground-
water shall be monitored in at least 3 % of all holdings covered by an authorisa-
tion."
5.2
Method
Selection of relevant monitoring stations
Besides the results from the national agricultural catchment monitoring programme
(see chapter 4), which previously has formed the basis for annual reporting according
to the derogation decision, Danish authorities also collect data through a number of
other national monitoring programmes. As part of the “National Monitoring Pro-
gramme of Water and Nature” (NOVANA), data from approximately 500 water qual-
ity stations in streams and rivers are collected on a regular basis. The primary pur-
pose is to determine nutrient loads to sensitive recipients, i.e., coastal waters and
lakes. Water samples from more than 1,000 groundwater monitoring stations are
also analysed on a regular basis; the sampling frequency varies from several times
annually to once during a multi-year period, according to the monitoring and report-
ing requirements of the Nitrates Directive and the Water Framework Directive. One
of the usual parameters that both groundwater and surface water samples are ana-
lysed for is nitrate concentration.
Simultaneously, the Danish Agricultural Agency registers which fields belong to dero-
gation farms.
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The approach is based on the identification of either surface water or groundwater
monitoring stations located in close proximity to a field belonging to a derogation
farm. More precisely, the GIS-analysis is based on the coordinates of the surface wa-
ter or groundwater monitoring station as well as the surrounding area within a fixed
15-metre radius. This circle allows for an overlap between the position of the moni-
toring station and any fields in close proximity.
Only water course and groundwater monitoring stations located within 15 metres of a
field registered to a derogation farm are selected. To determine whether this criterion
is met, the latest registry data from the Danish Agricultural Agency is used.
If a groundwater monitoring well fulfils the location criterion but contains several
monitoring stations at different depth (“multi-filter wells”), only one of these stations
is selected; typically, the station that has the largest number of prior nitrate concen-
tration samples.
Groundwater monitoring stations at a depth of 80 metres or more have been ex-
cluded from the data set, as data from the national groundwater monitoring
(“GRUMO”) programme shows that nitrate levels are no longer quantifiable (<1
mg/L) at these depths.
Only surface water monitoring stations that are part of the national programme mon-
itoring “Transport of nutrients in streams” have been considered for the reinforced
monitoring. A few mobile stations used for lake monitoring that would have fulfilled
the proximity criterion have been excluded from the data set, as their locations typi-
cally change every year, making it impossible to create time series. Monitoring sta-
tions that have been installed in water courses to monitor the outflow from con-
structed wetlands have also been excluded.
In all, this selection method has identified a total of 46 monitoring stations. 28 sta-
tions of these (61 %) are groundwater monitoring stations, while 18 stations (39 %)
are located in water courses (
Figure 5.1
). The distribution between station types is a
direct consequence of the higher density of groundwater as opposed to surface water
monitoring stations throughout Denmark.
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2435232_0047.png
Figure 5.1: Map showing the locations of the 46 monitoring stations selected as
the reporting basis for the reinforced monitoring. The squares show the location
of in total 28 groundwater monitoring stations at different depths – these may
overlap due to the scale of the map. The circles show the location of the 18 water
course monitoring stations. Grey shading indicates all fields belonging to Danish
derogation farms.
The majority of derogation farms are located in the western part of Denmark, espe-
cially the western, northern and southern parts of the peninsula of Jutland, also illus-
trated in chapter 2 of this report. These parts of the country are characterized by
sandy soils, whereas loamier soils dominate the more eastern parts of the country.
Consequently, the described approach of linking the locations of monitoring stations
to fields belonging to derogation farms results in a considerable enlargement of the
data basis for reporting of water quality in sandy areas.
The geological map in
Figure 5.2
below illustrates the soil substrates throughout
Denmark.
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2435232_0048.png
Figure 5.2 Geological map of Denmark showing the substrates that are the basis
for soil development. Modified from a map produced by GEUS. The legend is only
available in Danish, but the four main soil substrate types that can be categorized
as “sand” have been marked with an “S” in the legend.
Coverage of Danish derogation farms
The locations of the 46 monitoring stations have been linked to 60 fields, which in
turn belong to 40 different derogation farms. The number of stations exceeds the
number of derogation farms, as some farms own several fields in proximity to a mon-
itoring station, and as there may be more than one monitoring station located very
close to a given field. Out of the 40 farms, 20 are subject to the reinforced monitoring
due to the proximity of their fields to a water course monitoring station, while 21
farms (one both water course and groundwater) are included owing to proximity to
groundwater monitoring stations. The total number of farms encompassed by the re-
inforced monitoring corresponds to approximately 3.1 % of all holdings that make
use of the derogation.
5.3
Characterization of monitoring stations and data analysis
Groundwater
The selected groundwater monitoring stations are located at depths below the surface
ranging from 1.75 m to 72 m
9
. The majority of the stations monitor water quality in
comparatively shallow groundwater, at an average depth of 21.4 m and a median
9
Based on data available up until 2018, the deepest selected monitoring station was located at 62 m be-
low the surface. Data from the deeper groundwater is expected to be included in future reports, when wa-
ter from these selected stations will be sampled and analysed for nitrate again.
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depth of 13.45 m. Of the selected groundwater monitoring stations, 35.7 % the sam-
ples are of very shallow groundwater from a depth of less than 10 m. 28.6% are lo-
cated from 10-20 metre below surface and the rest 35.7 % of the stations are located
from 20-80 metres.
All of the groundwater monitoring stations will be sampled at least once per year.
Historic data since 2002 – the year Denmark obtained a derogation from the Nitrates
Directive for the first time – have been included to the extent that they are available.
If groundwater has been sampled more than once per year, the average annual ni-
trate concentration has been calculated for this station for each respective sampling
year.
For the purpose of presenting the data in the results section below, the stations have
been grouped into three different categories, stations at a depth of less than 10 m be-
low surface, stations at 10 to almost 20 m depth and stations at 20 m depth or
deeper. Annual average nitrate concentrations have been calculated for each depth
category for each year since 2002, based on the actual number of stations sampled in
the respective year.
Surface water
The monitored water courses vary considerably in size and flow rate. The widths of
the water courses at the monitoring station vary from 2 m to 23 m. The average water
course width at the monitoring station is 7 metres, while 5 out of the 18 stations are
located in small streams of less than 5 metres’ width.
Samples from water courses are generally analysed for Nitrite- and Nitrate-Nitrogen
(N). Nitrite-N-concentrations are typically negligible, and under this assumption, ni-
trate concentrations in the water samples could be calculated by multiplying the Ni-
trate-N concentration by a factor of 4.4268. In this chapter, the surface water concen-
tration is generally given in Nitrite- and Nitrate-Nitrogen. Historic data since 2002 is
included to the extent that it is available. Only data from monitoring stations that
have been sampled at least 9 times annually in the period before 2017 are displayed
in the results. In 2019, each water course monitoring station has been sampled more
frequently, from 12 to 18 times annually.
For the purpose of presenting the data in the results section, stations have been
grouped based on the approximate width of the water course at the sampling station
site into three different categories, as also displayed in figure 5.1: less than 5 m, 5 to
10 m and more than 10 m width. Average nitrate concentrations have been calculated
for each category for each year since 2002, based on the actual number of stations
sampled in the respective year.
As a consequence of the political agreement on the Food and Agricultural Package
from December 2015, the number of water course monitoring stations has been sig-
nificantly increased. 8 out of the 18 water course stations selected for the reinforced
monitoring were established in 2016 as a consequence of the agreement, and now, it
is decided to continue the monitoring.
5.4
Results and Discussion
Groundwater
Figure 5.3 shows the nitrate concentration of each groundwater monitoring station
selected for reinforced monitoring, as well as the average nitrate concentrations per
sampling year for the period 2002 to 2019 for each of the depth categories. The qual-
ity limit value of 50 mg nitrate per litre is also shown.
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2435232_0050.png
The data generally shows great variability in nitrate concentrations from one year to
another in water samples from individual monitoring stations. Especially in the shal-
lowest groundwater (Figure 5.3A), absolute concentration changes of up to more
than 80 mg nitrate per litre can be observed from one sampling year to the other.
The average nitrate concentration remains below the quality limit value for each
depth category throughout the whole period 2002 until 2019, with the exception of
2010 for the deepest category. However, this value is only based on a single monitor-
ing station, as none of the others was sampled in 2010.
Figure 5.3: Nitrate concentration of the individual groundwater monitoring sta-
tions selected for the reinforced monitoring, as well as the average nitrate con-
centrations per sampling year for the period 2002 to 2019 for each of the three
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depth categories of groundwater stations: (A) stations at less than 10 m depth;
(B) stations at 10-20 m depth and (C) stations at 20 m depth and deeper below the
surface. A red dashed line at 50 mg nitrate per litre is inserted in each figure.
No clear trend in the average nitrate concentration can be observed over time for any
of the three depth categories. Due to the limited number of stations and samples per
year, the annual average values are highly influenced by the variability in nitrate con-
centration in the water sampled from some individual stations.
Table 5.1
shows the average nitrate concentration of all stations for each year in the
period 2002 to 2019, irrespective of their depth and the number of stations sampled
(n) in the respective year that form the basis of this calculation. The annual average
nitrate concentration varies between 20.9 mg/L, as sampled in 2003 (n=11), and
41.9 mg/L in the groundwater samples from 2009 (n=13).
Table 5.1: Annual average nitrate concentration of all stations in reinforced mon-
itoring in the period 2002-2019 and number of stations sampled
Sampling
year
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
Average nitrate
concentration
[mg/L]
29.2
20.9
27.0
37.0
38.1
37.8
32.1
41.9
40.7
28.7
28.8
29.2
28.8
35.1
35.2
31.9
30.5
26.9
Number of sampled
stations (n)
11
11
10
18
18
18
16
13
13
18
23
18
23
21
22
26
29
28
When calculated across the entire period from 2002 to 2019, the (non-weighted)
mean value of the annual average concentrations is 30.0 mg/L. The 2019 average is
lower than the mean value for the whole 2002-19 period.
Surface water
Figure 5.4
shows the Nitrite- and Nitrate-Nitrogen concentration of the individual
water course monitoring stations selected for reinforced monitoring, as well as the
average nitrate concentrations per sampling year for the period 2002 to 2019 for
each of the width categories. The quality limit value for groundwater of 50 mg nitrate
per litre, which corresponds to approximately 11.3 mg Nitrate-N per litre, is also
shown.
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2435232_0052.png
Figure 5.4: Nitrite- +Nitrate-Nitrogen (N) concentration of the individual surface
water monitoring stations selected for reinforced monitoring, as well as the aver-
age nitrate concentrations per sampling year for the period 2002 to 2019 for each
of the three width categories (determined at sampling site): (A) less than 5 m
wide; (B) 5 to 10 m wide and (C) wider than 10 m. A red dashed line is inserted in
each figure at 11.3 mg Nitrate-N/L, corresponding to approx. 50 mg nitrate per li-
tre.
At the level of the individual monitoring station, nitrite- + nitrate-nitrogen concen-
trations can vary significantly from year to year mainly due to variation in amount
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and timing of precipitation. The standard deviation in absolute concentration are
1.45 mg/l, corresponding to 6.4 mg nitrate per litre. Nevertheless the year-to-year
variations are not as pronounced as those seen in groundwater samples.
For all water course categories it is, however, important to underline that the N
transport is not determined by the nitrogen concentration alone, but also by the wa-
ter flow in the water course, which can significantly vary due to the specific and local
weather conditions of a given year. In low flow rate situations, nitrogen levels may be
relatively high while total N transport remains unchanged, and vice versa. As smaller
water courses typically have a smaller catchment area than rivers, variations in local
weather conditions are expected to have a greater impact on the nitrogen concentra-
tion in water sampled from small water courses.
For all individual water course monitoring stations, nitrate-N concentrations remain
well below the quality limit for groundwater and drinking water throughout the
whole period from 2002 to 2019. Absolute concentrations tend to be higher in the
smaller water courses than in the larger ones, which is likely to be a result of nitrate
being removed through natural processes along the course of the water. Overall, the
annual average for each category has been steadily decreasing over the last 10 years
of the period shown.
Table 5.2 shows the annual average nitrite- and nitrate-N concentration in water
sampled at all water course stations – irrespective of their width – and the number of
stations sampled in the respective year (n).
Table 5.2: Annual average nitrite- + nitrate-N concentration in water sampled at
all stations selected for reinforced monitoring, as well as the number of stations
sampled in each year
Sam-
pling
year
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
Average nitrite- +ni-
trate-N concentration
[mg/L]
4.1
3.8
4.4
4.0
4.4
4.1
3.9
3.9
3.8
3.3
3.4
3.4
3.3
3.3
3.3
3.0
3.0
2.9
Number of sam-
pled stations (n)
5
5
7
7
10
10
10
10
10
11
11
11
11
11
11
20
20
18
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The annual average nitrite- + nitrate-N concentration has decreased from 4.4 mg/L
in the early years of the reported period (e.g. 2006, n=10) down to 3.3 mg/L in 2016
(n=11). Since 2017, 8 additional water course monitoring stations have been estab-
lished, improving the data basis significantly. Hence, it is now possible to follow the
development in water courses, which have been equipped with new monitoring sta-
tions as a consequence of the political agreement on the Food and Agricultural Pack-
age from December 2015. Despite the significant increase in number of monitoring
stations, which are considered in the reinforced monitoring, the average nitrite- + ni-
trate-nitrogen concentrations for the different water course categories remains fairly
constant. The average concentration in 2019 for all water course stations was
2.9 mg/L, i.e. at the same level as in 2018.
General discussion
It is important to highlight that the reinforced monitoring does not provide data that
can be used to examine any potential effect on water quality that might be the result
of the use of the derogation. A range of other fluctuating factors influence nutrient
concentrations in the aquatic environment, and as such, it would not be possible to
identify or isolate such an effect.
Because the reinforced monitoring method is based on linking the locations of moni-
toring stations to fields belonging to derogation farms in a two-dimensional way: The
approach does not account for the actual catchment area and subsurface water paths
for the respective monitoring stations. Hence, it is only to a very limited degree possi-
ble to get a picture of the effects of land use on surface water and groundwater qual-
ity. A clearer picture would require a catchment-based approach, which takes into ac-
count that water quality in the recipient water is affected by land use in the whole
catchment area.
The present method does not include a reference group of monitoring stations that
are not located in proximity to fields belonging to derogation farms. However, by in-
cluding the data from this selected set of the surface water and groundwater monitor-
ing stations, the data basis for water quality in sandy areas has been considerably en-
larged from the two sandy catchments within the national agricultural catchment
monitoring programme (see chapter 4), which formed the basis for reporting prior to
2018 and still provides comprehensive data on land use at farm-level.
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6.
Indicator and monitoring system for application of
phosphorus in Denmark
Ministry of Environment of Denmark
6.1
Introduction
In consultation with the European Commission, the Ministry of the Environment and
Food (since November 2020 the Ministry of Environment) has agreed that Denmark
must monitor the use of phosphorus (P) in organic fertilizer and commercial ferti-
lizer, so that it is ensured that the average use does not exceed the national phospho-
rus ceiling. The monitoring is based on data from the fertilizer accounts, which is
available approximately one year after a planning period is completed, when the
farmers submit their fertilizer accounts to the Danish Agricultural Agency. The first
planning period with limiting phosphorus use by specific ceilings at farm level was
2017/2018. Deadline for fertilizer accounting for this first period was 1 April 2019.
Hence, the current report contains data for two planning periods with phosphorus
ceilings.
As a supplement to monitoring, it has been agreed that an "indicator system" must be
established, where data from the NOVANA monitoring program in Agricultural
Catchments (LOOP) in combination with available data on livestock production and
sales of fertilizer and other phosphorus sources can provide an updated overview of
the average amount of phosphorus used in Danish agriculture.
These results from the P monitoring and indicator system, respectively, should be
compared with the phosphorus ceilings. In this connection, it was agreed, that the to-
tal amount of phosphorus used should be divided by the total agricultural area in or-
der to calculate the average fertilizer rate per year per ha on agricultural land. No re-
quirement has been set for the first planning period 2017/2018, but in 2018 (plan-
ning period 2018/2019) the average use should be below 34.7 kg P/ha. In 2019 (plan-
ning period 2019/2020) the average use must be below 34.1 kg P/ha. If the average
use exceeds 34.1 kg P/ha in 2019, the phosphorus ceilings must be lowered.
6.2
Results from the P monitoring system
The Danish Agricultural Agency compiled data from the fertilizer accounts with data
from the planning period 2018/2019. The compiled data has not been processed or
checked thoroughly for exorbitant values and other "noise", e.g. typos. If there are ex-
orbitant values, it is estimated that only extremely high values in a few fertilizer ac-
counts can have an important influence on the overall results, so the results represent
a “worst case” scenario of phosphorus use.
Table 6.1: Compiled data from fertilizer accounts 2018/2019 (rounded numbers)
Produced P
(tons)
Poultry/fur
Finishers
Sows and piglets
Cattle (non-derogation)
Cattle (derogation)
Manure – Total
5,200
10,900
8,600
10,700
7,400
42,800
44,400
Used P
(tons)
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Waste and other P
Manure + waste
Chemical fertilizers
Used P – Total
3,600
3,200
47,600
14,800
62,300
Mio. ha
Agricultural area
Harmony area
Average P-ceiling in 2018/2019
kg P/ha agricultural area
kg P/ha harmony area
2,600
2,500
34.7
23.8
25.2
6.3
Results from P indicator system
The following table shows the phosphorus inputs as reported in the NOVANA report
"Land Surveillance Survival 2019" from July 2021
10
. The table shows an increase as
expected in the use of phosphorous in 2017 due to the increase in the P-ceiling from
2016 to 2017. In the coming years the P-ceiling will be decreased back to a lower
level, so the increase in the use of phosphorous is not expected to continue.
Table 6.2: The use of P-input in Danish agriculture in 2012-2019
10
2012
Use of P (1,000 tons)
in different inputs:
- Chemical fertilizer
- Livestock manure
- Seed
- Sludge
- Waste from industry
- Other organic ferti-
lizer
11
- Deposition
Total use of P
Agricultural area
(1,000 ha)
12
kg P/ha in average
kg P/ha P-ceiling
0.3
64.4
2,679
24.0
11.8
45.8
1.0
2.4
3.1
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
11.3
45.3
1.0
2.4
3.1
13.0
46.1
1.0
2.4
3.1
13.3
46.1
1.0
2.4
3.1
13.3
44.3
1.0
2.4
3.1
20.8
43.0
1.0
2.4
3.1
14.8
44.3
1.0
14.6
44.9
1,0
2.8
0.3
63.4
2,671
23.7
0.3
65.9
2,661
24.7
0.3
66.2
2,633
25.1
0.3
64.4
2,625
24.4
[32.2]
13
0.3
70.5
2,610
27.0
35.2
0.3
63.2
2,602
24.3
34.7
3.1
0.3
63.9
2,613
24.4
34.1
10
Source: Blicher-Mathiesen
et al.
(2021):
Landovervågningsoplande 2019.
Aarhus University.
http://dce2.au.dk/pub/SR451.pdf
11
From 2018 onwards, amount of other organic waste, such as sludge and waste from industry, is derived
from the fertilizer accounts.
Agricultural area for the years 2016, 2017 and 2018 has been updated after submission of the Deroga-
tion Report 2019.
This figure indicates the average phosphorus protection level in 2016 expressed as a theoretical P-ceil-
ing, before the P-ceilings were introduced, and is included for comparison.
12
13
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In the dialogue with the EU Commission, it was expected that the development in
livestock production should be monitored via data from the CHR register, since Den-
mark previously prepared an annual status on the size of livestock production in vari-
ous catchments. This annual status is now done instead on the basis of the fertilizer
accounts, which is why the best data material on the development in livestock pro-
duction is the annual status of the livestock population, which is made by Statistics
Denmark. Statistics Denmark's information on livestock in 2017-2019 can be seen in
Table 6.3
.
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Table 6.3: The development in the livestock production according to Statistics
Denmark in 2017, 2018 and 2019
14
Number of
animals 2017
Number of all kinds of cattle and
dairy cows on all farms
Number of all kinds of pigs on all
farms
Number of all kinds of poultry on
all farms
Number of all kinds of mink on
all farms
1,545,417
12,307,667
21,483,698
3,429,472
Number of
animals 2018
1,540,446
12,781,247
19,973,164
3,379,931
Number of
animals 2019
1,491,433
12,298,993
23,059,881
2,489,751
% change in total
number of ani-
mals 2017-2019
-3.50 %
-0.07 %
7.89 %
-27.80 %
The manure production based on
data from the fertilizer accounts
shows that 12 % of
the total manure production comes from mink and poultry, 46 % from pigs and 42 %
from cattle. There are no signs that indicate that a considerably larger amount of live-
stock manure will be produced in 2020, and that the average phosphorus application
in Denmark will exceed 25-28 kg P/ha, as the phosphorus ceiling from 2018 onwards
will be reduced continuously. This level will be well below the average phosphorus
ceilings of 35.2 kg P/ha in 2017, 34.7 kg P/ha in 2018, 34.1 kg P/ha in 2019, 33.2 kg
P/ha in 2020 and further reductions set for 30-31 kg P/ha in 2025.
14
Data from Statistics Denmark: for cattle, pigs, poulty and mink:
https://www.statistikbanken.dk/10472
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7.
Targeted catch crops scheme and targeted nitrogen
regulation
Kari Lundsager and Marie Dam, The Danish Agricultural Agency, Ministry of
Food, Agriculture and Fisheries of Denmark, October 2020
As part of the political agreement on the Food and Agricultural Package of December
2015, the reduction of the nitrogen application standards was removed. It was also
agreed to develop a new nitrogen regulation, the “targeted nitrogen regulation”,
which was to be implemented in 2019.
The Danish government introduced an intermediate initiative, the “targeted catch
crops scheme”, to reduce N-losses through promoting the establishment of additional
catch crops in 2017 and 2018. The scheme was designed to protect both groundwater
bodies and coastal waters. The scheme consisted of a voluntary phase, where farmers
applied for participation in the scheme, and a subsequent mandatory requirement for
catch crops if the voluntary scheme did not reach the predefined targets. The latter
requirement was uncompensated whereas the voluntary part was compensated with
de minimis support.
In November 2017, a political agreement for targeted nitrogen regulation was
reached and would be implemented from 2019. The targeted nitrogen regulation is
similar to the targeted catch crops scheme in many ways. The most significant differ-
ence is the introduction of the possibility to use alternative measures to catch crops.
Conversion factors are used to secure that the alternatives have the same effect as
catch crop. Like the targeted catch crops scheme, the targeted nitrogen regulation is
divided into a voluntary and a mandatory part. The targeted nitrogen regulation was
subsidised by de minimis in 2019 and by RDP funds in 2020.
After the application deadline in the voluntary crop scheme, the farmer is bound by
any commitment made, either through catch crops or alternatives, as well as by any
additional catch crop requirement imposed through the mandatory round. The
farmer will not be able to opt out of any of these requirements without consequences.
The voluntary and obligatory targeted catch crops or alternatives must be additional
to the national mandatory requirement for catch crops on 10.7 or 14.7% of the farm’s
crop base area, and they cannot be established on the area used for catch crops to
meet the EFA requirement under direct payments.
If the farmer opts out afterwards or non-compliance is detected during control, the
nitrogen quota for the farm (calculated on the basis of the composition and distribu-
tion of crops and the soil and crop-specific nitrogen standards) is reduced corre-
sponding to the non-compliance with the voluntary and/or mandatory requirement
and according to a conversion factor between the nitrogen reduction effect of catch
crops and the nitrogen quota reduction for the planning period. This quota reduction
will contribute to meeting the objectives of the Nitrates Directive. Furthermore, if the
reduced nitrogen quota is exceeded, the farmer will be in breach of the Fertilizer Act
and will be sanctioned accordingly cf. Annex III point 1.3 of the Nitrates Directive.
This is similar to the current practice for the general catch crop requirements and ad-
ditional catch crop requirements for holdings using organic manure.
In 2019, the targeted nitrogen regulation contributed to a nitrogen reduction of 1,174
tons in coastal waters, including reductions of nitrogen leaching to the groundwater.
Further, in 2019, it was decided by political agreement to increase the effort of the
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targeted nitrogen regulation in 2020 for additional contribution to meet the objec-
tives of The Water Framework Directive. In 2020, the targeted nitrogen regulation
will thus contribute to a nitrogen reduction of 3,514 tons in coastal waters.
7.1
Results from 2017 to 2020
Prior to 2017 and 2018, respectively, the ministry calculated the need for further ni-
trates efforts for each of the years, which can be expressed as the amount of addi-
tional catch crops required in the individual water catchment areas, in terms of hec-
tares and as a percentage of the crop base area. The calculation is based on the esti-
mated need for reductions in the nitrates contents of groundwater bodies and coastal
waters, adjusted by the estimated soil nitrates retention in the water catchment area.
In 2019 and 2020, the targeted nitrogen regulation was dimensioned to comply with
the Danish implementation of The Water Framework Directive.
In 2017, the need for further nitrogen efforts was calculated to 137,560 ha. By the ap-
plication deadline, the farmers had applied for a total of 144,220 ha of catch crops.
However, the geographical distribution of the catch crops was not optimal in relation
to the efforts needed. Calculations revealed that an additional
3,253
ha catch crops
were needed in order to reach the target. It was decided politically to postpone the re-
sidual effort until 2018.
In 2018, the need for further nitrogen effort was calculated to 114,300 ha catch crops
(including the postponed 3,253 ha). By the application deadline, the farmers had ap-
plied for a total of 105,000 ha of catch crops. It was furthermore decided to postpone
the effort related to aquaculture (fish farming, mariculture, etc.), as extensions of ex-
isting aquaculture facilities had not been approved. Calculations revealed that an ad-
ditional
3,000
ha catch crops were nevertheless needed in order to reach the target.
This has been implemented as a mandatory uncompensated requirement in 2018.
In 2019, the need for nitrogen efforts in targeted nitrogen regulation was calculated
to 138,200 ha of catch crops. By the application deadline, the farmers had applied for
139,350 ha of catch crops (and alternatives). Calculation revealed that an additional
275 ha were needed to reach the set effort. The reason was the geographical distribu-
tion of the catch crops, which was not optimal. It was decided politically to postpone
this insignificant residual effort to 2020
In 2020 the need for nitrogen efforts in targeted nitrogen regulation was calculated
to 373,000 ha of catch crops and included the residual effort from 2019. By the appli-
cation deadline, the farmers had applied for 370,000 ha of catch crops (and alterna-
tives). Some applications had to be dismissed, as the set effort for the individual wa-
ter catchment areas was already reached. Calculations of the geographically specific
retention disclosed that an additional 12,493 ha were needed to reach the set national
nitrogen reduction effort. Consequently, this was implemented as a mandatory un-
compensated requirement in 2020. Excluding a minor residual effort of 350 ha of
catch crops, which was decided politically to postpone.
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8.
Conclusions
8.1
Cattle holdings and controls on farm level
In the planning period 2018/2019, a total of 1,284 cattle holdings made use of the
derogation. This corresponds to 3.9 % of the total number of agricultural holdings in
Denmark. These holdings produced 39.1 million kg N corresponding to 17.8 % of the
total kg N produced. The arable land encompassed by the derogation in year
2018/2019 was 195,804 hectares corresponding to around 8.1 % of the total arable
area. Compared to the previous reporting period, in 2018/2019 there has been a de-
crease in the number of farms and the number of hectares encompassed by the dero-
gation. The average livestock size was 30,475 kg N/holding in 2018/2019.
In January – February 2020, 85 inspections of compliance with the derogation man-
agement conditions were carried out. All of these inspections were closed without re-
marks.
For the year 2017/2018, 84 inspections (0.3 % of all Danish holdings) at the holding
were made concerning compliance with the harmony rules (amount of livestock ma-
nure applied per hectare). 84 of the inspected farms used the derogation. 60 of these
inspections were closed without remarks. Three holdings had minor violations and
they received a warning. 21 holdings are still under investigation.
All 33,056 fertilizer accounts submitted in 2017/2018 (100 %) were automatically
screened by the IT-system according to normal procedure. Of these, 1,461 (4.4 %)
were subject to administrative control. In all, 139 of these holdings used the deroga-
tion. Of the inspections of derogation farms, 89 (64.0 %) were closed without re-
marks, 3 (2.2 %) were closed with remarks and 47 (33.8 %) are still under investiga-
tion.
In total, approximately 7.0% of derogation farms were selected for physical inspec-
tions. In total, more derogation farms have been subject to controls due to the afore-
mentioned administrative controls. As holdings are automatically selected - based on
a previously agreed set of risk criteria - for both physical inspections and administra-
tive control, the Danish Agricultural Agency has no direct influence on the share of
holdings using the derogation that are inspected each year. Therefore, the share of
derogation farms that in some way has been subject to controls varies from year to
year.
8.2
Water quality
General conclusions from the Agricultural Catchment Monitoring Programme
Measured nitrate concentrations in root zone soil water (1.0 m below ground level)
decreased steadily from 1990/91 to 2015/16, albeit with annual variations. From
2016/17, the concentration generally increased, except on loamy soil in 2017/18. In
loamy catchments, the measured nitrate concentrations in the root zone soil water
decreased from 61-155 mg NO3 l
-1
in the 5-year period 1990/91-1994/95 to 37-66 mg
NO3 l
-1
in the 5-year period 2011/12-2015/16. However, the concentration changed to
72, 48 and 108 mg NO3 l
-1
in the three years 2016/17,2017/18 and 2018/19, respec-
tively. High nitrate concentrations are seen in years with low percolation as observed
on loamy soils in 2004/05, 2010/11, 2016/17 and in 2018/19. In sandy catchments,
the nitrate concentrations were 73-207 mg NO3 l
-1
in the 5-year period 1990/91-
1994/95 and decreased to 54-73 mg NO3 l
-1
in the 5-year period 2011/12-2015/16,
but increased to 93, 84 and 99 mg NO3 l
-1
in the three years 2016/17, 2017/18 and
2018/19, respectively.
Ministry of Environment of Denmark / Nitrates Directive / Derogation Report 2020
61
 MOF, Alm.del - 2020-21 - Bilag 735: Orientering til udvalget - EU-Kommissionen om den danske undtagelse fra nitratdirektivet
Measured nitrate concentrations in the upper oxic groundwater (1.5-5.0 m below
ground level) decreased to a level below the limit of 50 mg NO3 l
-1
for loamy
catchments and to a level between 59-77 mg NO3 l
-1
for the two sandy catchments in
the period 2014/15-2018/19.
Measured average flow-weighted nitrate concentrations in root zone water at three to
four specific sites receiving, on average, 170-230 kg organic manure N ha
-1
varied
between 24-110 mg NO3 l
-1
in the hydrological years in the period 2014/15-2018/19.
Modelling of nitrate leaching for three loamy and two sandy catchments:
•
For the loamy catchments, modelled annual nitrate leaching was relatively
stable around 50 kg N ha
-1
during 2003-2013, after which it decreased by app. 8
kg N ha
-1
in 2014 and 2015 and increased again to the level of 2003-2013 in
2016-2019.
•
For the sandy catchments, the modelled annual leaching of 81 kg N ha
-1
in 2003
was relatively low. After this year, the leaching increased to an interval of 81-93
kg N ha
-1
in the period 2004-2014, but decreased a level of 77-81 kg N ha
-1
in
2015-2019. The lower leaching in these five years is mainly due to a higher share
of catch crops after cereals and maize.
•
The higher leaching in 2019 is due to a higher proportion of bare soil in the
autumn, especially in sandy dominated catchments. The extreme drought in the
summer and autumn in 2018 caused unfavourable conditions for sowing and
plant growth leaving a higher proportion of the cropped area as bare soils. No
significant trend in leaching for the individual LOOP catchments was detected
after the year 2003, except for a slight decreasing trend in the sandy catchment
in Northern Jutland.
8.3
Targeted catch crops and targeted nitrogen regulation
For the year 2017, a total of app. 144,000 ha voluntary targeted catch crops were es-
tablished, and a further effort of 3,250 ha were postponed to 2018. In 2018, a total of
app. 105,000 ha voluntary catch crops were established, and in addition a mandatory
effort of app. 3,000 ha has been applied (uncompensated). In 2019, first year of tar-
geted nitrogen regulation, a total of 139,350 ha voluntary catch crops (or alternatives)
were established, a further effort of 275 ha was postponed. In 2020, the targeted ni-
trogen regulation continued with a total of app. 370,000 ha voluntary catch crops es-
tablished, and an additional mandatory effort of app. 12,500 ha applied (uncompen-
sated). A further effort of 350 ha was postponed.
8.4
The reinforced monitoring
The reinforced monitoring does not provide data that can be used to examine any po-
tential effect on water quality that might be the result of the use of the derogation. A
range of other fluctuating factors than proximity to a derogation farm influence nu-
trient concentrations in the aquatic environment. However, by including the data
from the selected set of the surface water and groundwater monitoring stations, the
data basis for water quality in sandy areas is considerably enlarged. The total number
of farms encompassed by the reinforced monitoring corresponds to approximately
3.1% of all holdings that make use of the derogation.
8.5
The phosphorus indicator and monitoring system
Neither the phosphorus indicator nor the P monitoring system indicate that the aver-
age phosphorus application in Denmark exceeds the average phosphorus ceilings of
34.7 kg P/ha in 2018 and 34.1 kg P/ha in 2019, respectively. There is currently also
no risk for exceeding future P-ceilings, which are reduced compared to current level.
62
Ministry of Environment of Denmark / Nitrates Directive / Derogation Report 2020
 MOF, Alm.del - 2020-21 - Bilag 735: Orientering til udvalget - EU-Kommissionen om den danske undtagelse fra nitratdirektivet MOF, Alm.del - 2020-21 - Bilag 735: Orientering til udvalget - EU-Kommissionen om den danske undtagelse fra nitratdirektivet
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Ministry of Environment
of Denmark - Departement
Slotsholmsgade 12
DK - 1216 Copenhagen K
www.mim.dk