National statistics

Fertiliser usage on farm, England 2021/22 - Statistics Notice

Updated 30 March 2023

Applies to England

This is the final year the Farm Business Survey (FBS) will report on fertiliser application rates in its current form. The British Survey of Fertiliser Practice will continue to be the primary source of fertiliser application data. If you have found FBS fertiliser data and this publication useful, we would like to hear from you at fbs.queries@defra.gov.uk

This release presents estimates of fertiliser application rates at farm level in England, the use of precision farming techniques, soil nutrient software, clover or other legumes in grass swards, green manures, and sources of nutrient planning advice.

Results here are presented for the farm as a whole and can be compared to the financial data published in other Farm Business Survey (FBS) releases. The British Survey of Fertiliser Practice (BSFP) remains the primary source of data on fertiliser use in Great Britain, collecting data at the field/crop level and providing detailed breakdowns of the crops that fertilisers are applied too. See survey details for further information on the differences between the BSFP and the fertiliser data collected by FBS. Comparisons between the two surveys are made throughout this publication.

The full breakdown of results, including machine readable data sets, can be found on the landing page.

These points apply throughout:

1. All figures relate to England unless otherwise stated and cover a March to February year with the most recent year shown ending in February 2022. To ensure consistency in harvest/crop year and commonality of subsidies within any one Farm Business Survey year, only farms which have accounting years ending between 31 December and 30 April inclusive are allowed into the survey. Aggregate results are presented in terms of an accounting year ending at end-February, the approximate average of all farms in the Farm Business Survey. Thus the results relate, on average, to March - February years.
2. The Farm Business Survey is the source for all data presented in tables and charts unless otherwise stated.
3. Due to the small sample sizes, pig and poultry farms have been combined into one farm type, and the lowland and Less Favoured Areas (LFA) livestock farms are presented as Grazing livestock.

1. Key results

Fertiliser Practices

• 25% of farm businesses carried out precision farming techniques to guide fertiliser application. Usage was more likely on cereal and general cropping farms and on farms with at least some of their land within a Nitrate Vulnerable Zone.
• 28% of farms used soil nutrient software packages to help determine fertiliser applications. Usage was most common on cereal and general cropping farms and on farms with at least some of their land within a Nitrate Vulnerable Zone.
• Just over half (53%) of farms with grass included clover or legumes in their grass swards. This practice was most common on mixed and dairy farms, and on farms in the South West.
• 18% of farms businesses used green manures in their arable rotations. Usage was most common on cereal, general cropping and mixed farms.
• For those farms using either clover or legumes, or green manures, 77% made adjustments to their fertiliser application rates. This practice was most common on general cropping.
• 46% of farm businesses relied on their own non-FACTS^(a) qualified advice for nutrient planning, 27% relied on independently supplied FACTS advice, and 22% received advice from their FACTS-qualified fertiliser supplier.

^(a) FACTS = Fertiliser Advisers Certification and Training Scheme.

Fertiliser Application Rates

Table 1.1 Overall fertiliser application rates per hectare of farmed area (kg/ha) recorded by the Farm Business Survey, England 2021/22

Nutrient Type	Nitrogen	Phosphate	Potash
Inorganic	97	18	22
Organic	10	11	29

• Overall, cereal, general cropping and horticulture farms had the highest application rates of inorganic fertilisers, whilst grazing livestock generally had the lowest.
• Compared to other farm types, dairy and pig & poultry farms had by far the highest application rates for all organic nutrient types.

2 General Questions

This section details the results of the six questions on fertiliser practices included in the Farm Business Survey.

Farmers were asked:

1. If they carry out precision farming techniques.
2. If they use soil nutrient software packages to help determine fertiliser applications.
3. If they include clover or legumes in grass swards.
4. If they use green manures in their arable rotation.
5. If they include clover or legumes in grass sward or use green manures, do they make any adjustment to fertiliser application rates.
6. Where they source their nutrient planning advice.

Generalised linear regression modelling was used to determine which key factors were related to a positive response for each question. For further detail see section 5.4.

2.1 Precision farming techniques

Precision farming techniques can make processes such as fertiliser application more efficient. Growers must balance the cost of inputs with a demand for higher yields and the pressure of increased environmental awareness and compliance. Precision technology can help to improve the efficiency of farm operations, including cultivation and better targeted fertiliser and agrochemical applications. This can reduce input use (and cost) and improve soil structure.

View and download the data for this chapter

In 2021/22, 25% of farms used these techniques (Table 2.1), decreasing from 27% in the previous year. The use of these techniques was dependent on farm type and farm size.

Table 2.1: Percentage of farm businesses using precision farming techniques, England 2020/21 to 2021/22

	2020/21	2021/22	95% Confidence interval 2021/22 (+/-)
Precision farming techniques used	27	25	2
No precision farming techniques used	69	70	3
Not applicable (a)	4	4	1

Percentages may not add to 100% due to rounding.
^(a) This includes farms who do not use any fertilisers and those that do not grow arable crops.

When broken down by farm type the main arable farm types, cereal and general cropping, were the most likely to use these techniques (47% and 49% respectively, Figure 2.1). Grazing livestock, horticulture and pig & poultry farms had the lowest uptake of these techniques.

In general, usage increased with farm size. Larger farms were more likely to use these techniques, with both large and very large farms showing a similar usage of 35% and 38% respectively (Figure 2.2).

Additionally, when broken down by Nitrate Vulnerable Zone (NVZ) status, farms which were wholly or partially within a NVZ were more likely to use precision farming techniques than those outside a NVZ.

Figure 2.1: Percentage of farm businesses using precision farming techniques by farm type, England 2020/21 to 2021/22

Figure 2.2: Percentage of farm businesses using precision farming techniques by farm size, England 2020/21 to 2021/22

2.2 Soil nutrient software

Effective nutrient management provides sufficient nutrients to meet the growth requirements of crops and grassland whilst managing environmental impacts. It can help minimise greenhouse gas emissions, reduce the incidence of diffuse water pollution and increase productivity by reducing input costs. There are a variety of tools and sources of advice that farmers can use to assess soil nutrient requirements; bespoke software packages provide one such means.

View and download the data for this chapter

In 2021/22, 28% of farms used soil nutrient software packages to help determine fertiliser applications (Table 2.2). In comparison, the British Survey of Fertiliser Practice (BSFP) shows that 34% of farms in England used a computer program to record manufactured fertiliser application rates and 24% for organic manures.

The use of soil nutrient software was dependent on farm type, farm size, farm economic performance and having land in a Nitrate Vulnerable Zone (NVZ).

Table 2.2: Percentage of farm businesses using soil nutrient software packages to help determine fertiliser applications, England 2020/21 to 2021/22

	2020/21	2021/22	95% Confidence interval 2021/22 (+/-)
Soil nutrient software used	30	28	3
No soil nutrient software used	66	68	3
Not applicable(a)	5	5	1

Percentages may not add to 100% due to rounding.
^(a) This includes farms that do not use any fertilisers and those that do not grow arable crops.

Uptake of this practice by farm type showed a very similar pattern to that of precision farming techniques. Both cereal and general cropping farms had the highest uptake at 54% and 63% respectively (Figure 2.3), whilst grazing livestock, horticulture and pig & poultry farms all had the lowest usage of such software.

Again, similar to the use to precision farming techniques, farms with at least some land within a NVZ were more likely to use soil nutrient software. Just 15% farms fully outside of a NVZ used soil nutrient software (Figure 2.4).

Figure 2.3: Percentage of farm businesses using soil nutrient software packages by farm type, England 2020/21 to 2021/22

Figure 2.4: Percentage of farm businesses using soil nutrient software packages by NVZ status, England 2020/21 to 2021/22

2.3 Clover or other legumes in grass swards

In many situations, sowing grassland with a clover mix or other legumes can be a cost-effective method of increasing production and improving environmental protection. For example, clover’s nitrogen-fixing properties, although not suitable for all soil types, can reduce the amount of nitrogen required and improve grassland yields.

View and download the data for this chapter

Of those farms with permanent or temporary grass, just over half included clover or other legumes in their grass swards in 2021/22 (Table 2.3), with the use of this practice being dependent on farm type, farm tenancy, region and the age of the farmer.

Table 2.3: Percentage of farm businesses with temporary and/or permanent grass (excluding rough grazing) that include clover or other legumes in grass swards, England 2020/21 to 2021/22

	2020/21	2021/22	95% Confidence interval 2021/22 (+/-)
Includes clover or legumes	51	53	3
Does not include clover or legumes	40	37	3
Not applicable	9	10	2

Percentages may not add to 100% due to rounding.

Usage was most common on dairy and mixed farms (68% and 70% respectively, Figure 2.5) and least likely on horticulture farms at 19% in 2021/22. Usage of clover and legumes in grass swards varied greatly by region, ranging from just 26% of farms in the East of England to 74% of farms in the South West (Figure 2.6).

Figure 2.5: Percentage of farm businesses with permanent or temporary grass using clover or other legumes in grass swards by farm type, England 2020/21 to 2021/22

Figure 2.6: Percentage of farm businesses with permanent or temporary grass using clover or other legumes in grass swards by region, England 2020/21 to 2021/22

2.4 Green manures

Green manures are crops grown specifically for building and maintaining soil fertility and structure, although they may also have other functions such as weed control and preventing leaching of soluble nutrients. They are normally incorporated back into the soil, either directly or after removal and composting.

View and download the data for this chapter

Around one in five (18%) farmers used green manures in their arable rotations in 2021/22 (Table 2.4). The use of green manures in 2021/22 was found to be dependent on farm type, farm size and organic status.

Table 2.4: Percentage of farm businesses employing green manures in arable rotation, England 2020/21 to 2021/22

	2020/21	2021/22	95% Confidence interval 2021/22 (+/-)
Used green manures	18	18	3
Did not use green manures	67	67	3
Not applicable	15	14	2

Percentages may not add to 100% due to rounding.

General cropping farms remained the most likely farm type to use green manures, increasing from 23% to 29% (Figure 2.7). Grazing livestock, horticulture and pig & poultry farms remain the least likely to use green manures.

Figure 2.7: Percentage of farm businesses using green manures in arable rotation by farm type, England 2020/21 to 2021/22

2.5 Adjustments to fertiliser applications

Including legumes or clover in grass swards and using green manures are alternative methods to increase the quantities of available nitrogen and will reduce the requirement for additional nutrients from fertilisers.

View and download the data for this chapter

In 2021/22, 77% of farmers that had used these crops reported that they had made adjustments to their fertiliser application rates (Table 2.5). This was found to be dependent on farm type, farm size, and region.

Table 2.5: Percentage of farm businesses adjusting fertiliser application after using clover/legumes or green manures, England 2020/21 to 2021/22

	2020/21	2021/22	95% Confidence interval 2021/22 (+/-)
Made adjustments to fertiliser applications	74	77	4
Did not make adjustments to fertiliser applications	26	23	4

Percentages may not add to 100% due to rounding.

Where either clover or legumes or green manures were used, all farm types were highly likely to adjust their fertiliser application rates. With the exception of pigs & poultry farms, all farm types had an uptake of this practice of at least 70% (Figure 2.8). Additionally, all farm types except for grazing livestock saw an increase in the usage of this practice as compared to 2020/21. The two main arable farm types, cereal and general cropping, saw increases with horticulture farms seeing the largest increase of 22 percentage points, however, there is a much greater uncertainty in this result as shown by the overlapping error bar in Figure 2.8.

Figure 2.8: Percentage of farm businesses adjusting fertiliser application after using clover/legumes or green manures by farm type, England 2020/21 to 2021/22

2.6 Sources of nutrient planning advice

Some farmers and their advisers may pay greater attention to the calculation of fertiliser application rates, sourcing their advice from qualified individuals so that their application rates match crop requirements. The Fertiliser Advisers Certification and Training Scheme (FACTS) provides training in an evidence-based approach to fertiliser applications.

View and download the data for this chapter

There was little change in the overall source of advice from the previous year, with the largest source being farmers’ own non-FACTS qualified advice (46%, Table 2.6). However, the majority of farmers continue to rely on FACTS qualified advice, with nearly half of farm businesses sourcing either independent advice or that of their fertiliser supplier, with the remaining 5% sourcing their own FACTS qualified advice. The source of farmers’ nutrient planning advice was dependent on farm type, farm size, region and the age of the farmer.

Table 2.6: Main source of advice for nutrient planning by farm type, England 2020/21 to 2021/22^(a)

	2020/21	2021/22	95% Confidence interval 2021/22 (+/-)
Own advice (not FACTS)	45	46	3
Own advice (FACTS)	5	5	1
Independent advice (FACTS)	29	27	3
Fertiliser supplier advice (FACTS)	21	22	3

Percentages may not add to 100% due to rounding.
^(a) This question was not applicable to farms without a utilised agricultural area (UAA) or farms letting out their full UAA.

The majority of cereal and general cropping farms sourced their nutrient planning advice from FACTS qualified sources, 80% and 87% respectively (Figure 2.9). Conversely, the majority of grazing livestock, horticulture, and pig & poultry farms relied on their own non-FACTS qualified advice. Very few farms sourced their own FACTS qualified advice, with general cropping farms being the most likely at just 11%.

Very large farms were the most likely to source their nutrient planning advice from FACTS qualified sources at 64% (Figure 2.10). The majority of small farms (53%) relied on the their own non-FACTS qualified advice. For all other farm sizes, there was less variation in the source of nutrient planning advice.

Figure 2.9: Main source of advice used in nutrient planning by farm type, England 2021/22

Percentages may not add to 100% due to rounding.
^(a) For dairy, horticulture and pig & poultry farms, ‘Own advice (FACTS)’ and ‘Independent advice (FACTS)’ have been merged into ‘Independent or Supplier advice (FACTS)’ due to a low sample count.

Figure 2.10: Main source of advice used in nutrient planning by farm size, England 2021/22

Percentages may not add to 100% due to rounding.

3 Fertiliser application rates

This section examines the quantity of nitrogen (N), phosphate (P₂O₅) and potash (K₂O) applied by farms from manufactured and organic fertilisers. The quantities of fertiliser were collected for the farm as a whole, not at the crop level and are presented per hectare of farmed area, excluding rough grazing.

Organic fertilisers applied to agricultural land may be produced on farm or imported from other sources. Types of organic fertilisers include: livestock products (slurries, farmyard manure (FYM) and poultry manures), treated sewage sludges (also called bio-solids) and some industrial ‘wastes’ such as compost, paper waste or brewery effluent. Table 3.1 shows a breakdown of the source of organic fertilisers applied as a proportion of the total application rates recorded in this chapter.

Table 3.1: Proportion of overall organic application rates per hectare of farmed area (excluding rough grazing) by nutrient type, England 2021/22

	Nitrogen	Phosphate	Potash
Farmyard manure (FYM) & slurry(a)	88%	76%	96%
Digestate from on-farm anaerobic digestion	1%	<1%	<1%
Digestate from off-farm anaerobic digestion	5%	1%	2%
Other organic products	5%	22%	2%

Percentages may not add to 100% due to rounding.
^(a) Includes home produce, imported and purchased FYM and Slurry.

Calculation of fertiliser application rates includes those farms which applied no fertiliser that year but were actively farming. Relatively few horticulture farms apply organic fertilisers making these estimates subject to a high degree of uncertainty and so should be treated with caution.

Weather conditions can influence which crops are grown and the application rates of manufactured fertilisers. For a summary of the 2021/22 weather conditions see Chapter 1: Key Events of the Farm Accounts in England publication. For the 2021 crop areas on agricultural holdings see the Agricultural land use in England publication.

Generalised linear regression modelling was used to determine which key factors were related to each application rate. For further detail see section 5.4.

3.1 Nitrogen (N)

The overall application rate of manufactured nitrogen as recorded by the Farm Business Survey fell between 2020/21 and 2021/22 from 109 kg/ha to 97 kg/ha (Table 3.2), as compared to 93 kg/ha reported in the 2021 British Survey of Fertiliser Practice. Application of organic nitrogen saw little change at 10 kg/ha in 2021/22.

The nitrogen application rate year on year trends have previously been similar between the Farm Business Survey and BSFP, although usually with differing actual values. In 2021/22, the year on year change for the Farm Business Survey nitrogen application rate has moved in the opposite direction to that of BSFP. This has been driven by an increase in the farmed area within general cropping farms within the Farm Business Survey population. A fall in the 2021/22 sample size has resulted in larger weights being calculated for this farm type which in turn has increased the average farmed area. The total nitrogen applied has also increased, but not to the same extend as the area, resulting in a significant decrease in the nitrogen application rate.

The application of manufactured nitrogen was dependent on farm type, region and having land in a Nitrate Vulnerable Zone (NVZ). The application of organic nitrogen was also dependent on farm type and region, and additionally dependent on farm size, farm tenancy, farm economic performance and organic status.

View and download the data for this chapter

Table 3.2: Overall nitrogen application rates per hectare of farmed area (excluding rough grazing), England 2020/21 to 2021/22

	2020/21	2021/22	95% Confidence interval 2021/22 (+/-)
Manufactured Fertilisers	109	97	4
Organic Fertilisers	9	10	1

When broken down by farm type, cereal farms had the highest application of manufactured nitrogen at 132 kg/ha (Figure 3.1), with usage on dairy farms falling by 20 kg/ha. Grazing livestock continued to have by far the lowest application rate of manufactured nitrogen at 38 kg/ha. For organic nitrogen, dairy and pig & poultry farms had by far the highest application rates at 40 kg/ha and 21 kg/ha respectively (Figure 3.2), with all other farm types having an application rate no greater than 11 kg/ha.

Application rates of organic nitrogen increased with farm size, ranging from 4 kg/ha for spare/part-time and small farms to 15 kg/ha for very large farms (Figure 3.3). Additionally, organic nitrogen application rates were much higher for medium performing farms than for either low or high performing farms. See data set for full breakdown.

Figure 3.1: Overall manufactured nitrogen application rates per hectare of farmed area (excluding rough grazing) by farm type, England 2020/21 to 2021/22

Figure 3.2: Overall organic nitrogen application rates per hectare of farmed area (excluding rough grazing) by farm type, England 2020/21 to 2021/22

Figure 3.3: Overall organic nitrogen application rates per hectare of farmed area (excluding rough grazing) by farm size, England 2020/21 to 2021/22

3.2 Phosphate (P₂O₅)

There has been little change in the overall quantities of phosphate applied since 2012/13, with only a small decrease from the previous year for manufactured phosphate (Table 3.3). Manufactured phosphate application rates (for total crops and grassland) for England from BSFP were 12 kg per hectare (sown land area) in 2021, lower than the FBS results. Application of manufactured and organic phosphate was dependent on farm type, farm size, region and farm economic performance, with the application of organic phosphate additionally dependent on organic status and having land in a Nitrate Vulnerable Zone (NVZ).

View and download the data for this chapter

Table 3.3: Overall phosphate application rates per hectare of farmed area (excluding rough grazing), England 2020/21 to 2021/22

	2020/21	2021/22	95% Confidence interval 2021/22 (+/-)
Manufactured Fertilisers	21	18	2
Organic Fertilisers	11	11	1

In 2021/22, usage of manufactured phosphate fell across all farm types except for grazing livestock and horticulture farms (Figure 3.4). Cereal farms continued to have the highest application rate at 28 kg/ha. General cropping farms saw the largest decrease; as with the nitrogen application rate, this was driven by the increase in the average farmed area for this farm type.

Dairy and pig & poultry farms remain the largest users of organic phosphate at 31 kg/ha and 33 kg/ha respectively. All other farm types had a usage no higher than 10 kg/ha (Figure 3.5). Application rates of organic phosphate increased with farm size ranging from 5 kg/ha for spare and part-time farms to 14 kg/ha for large and very large farms (Figure 3.6).

Figure 3.4: Overall manufactured phosphate application rates per hectare of farmed area (excluding rough grazing) by farm type, England 2020/21 to 2021/22

Figure 3.5: Overall organic phosphate application rates per hectare of farmed area (excluding rough grazing) by farm type, England 2020/21 to 2021/22

Figure 3.6: Overall organic phosphate application rates per hectare of farmed area (excluding rough grazing) by farm size, England 2020/21 to 2021/22

3.3 Potash (K₂O)

The average amount of manufactured and organic potash applied per hectare in 2021/22 was 22 kg/ha and 29 kg/ha respectively (Table 3.4), little change from previous years. Manufactured potash application rates (for total crops and grassland) for England from the BSFP were 16 kg per hectare (sown land area) in 2021, which is lower than the Farm Business Survey results. Application rates of manufactured and organic fertilisers from the Farm Business Survey were dependent on farm type, farm size and region, with application of organic potash dependent on farm type, region and farms’ economic performance.

View and download the data for this chapter

Table 3.4: Overall potash application rates per hectare of farmed area (excluding rough grazing), England 2020/21 to 2021/22

	2020/21	2021/22	95% Confidence interval 2021/22 (+/-)
Manufactured Fertilisers	24	22	2
Organic Fertilisers	28	29	3

Horticulture had the highest average application rates of manufactured potash in 2021/22 at 50 kg/ha (Figure 3.7). Usage on general cropping farms saw the largest decrease, again due to the increased average farmed area for this farm type. All other farm types had little change in application rates of manufactured potash.

As with other organic nutrients, dairy and pig & poultry farms had the highest usage of organic potash at 107 kg/ha and 69 kg/ha respectively (Figure 3.8). All other farm types had an application rate of no higher than 30 kg/ha.

Figure 3.7: Overall manufactured potash application rates per hectare of farmed area (excluding rough grazing) by farm type, England 2020/21 to 2021/22

Figure 3.8: Overall organic potash application rates per hectare of farmed area (excluding rough grazing) by farm type, England 2020/21 to 2021/22

4. What you need to know about this release

4.1 Contact details

Responsible statistician: Cristobal Rengifo Castillo

Email: fbs.queries@defra.gov.uk

Seacole Building
2 Marsham Street
London
SW1P 4DF

For media queries between 9am and 6pm on weekdays:

Telephone: 0330 041 6560
Email: newsdesk@defra.gov.uk

4.2 National Statistics Status

National Statistics status means that our statistics meet the highest standards of trustworthiness, quality and public value, and it is our responsibility to maintain compliance with these standards.

These statistics last underwent a full assessment against the Code of Practice for Statistics in 2014. Since the last review by the Office for Statistics Regulation, we have continued to comply with the Code of Practice for Statistics across the FBS.

For contractual reasons, the fertiliser module was introduced in 2012/13; 2017/18 was the first year that data became available for all farms in the FBS sample. This has generally resulted in improved data quality with smaller confidence intervals produced across all fertiliser questions and within the various breakdowns that are published.

For general enquiries about National Statistics, contact the National Statistics Public Enquiry Service:

Tel: 0845 601 3034 Email: info@statistics.gov.uk

You can find National Statistics on the internet on the Gov.uk website.

As part of our ongoing commitment to compliance with the Code of Practice for Official Statistics, we wish to strengthen our engagement with users of these statistics and better understand the use made of them and the types of decisions that they inform. Consequently, we invite users to make themselves known, to advise us of the use they do, or might, make of these statistics, and what their wishes are in terms of engagement. Feedback on this notice and enquiries about these statistics are also welcome.

4.3 Key Words

• Fertilisers
• Manufactured fertilisers
• Organic Fertilisers

5. Survey details

5.1 Background

Historically, the Farm Business Survey (FBS) has focused on the collection of financial rather than physical data for agricultural inputs. Over recent years attention has turned to agriculture’s environmental footprint and the need to develop a more sustainable industry. Nutrients, particularly nitrogen, are the biggest determinant of yield and have a major impact on crop/sward structure and the quality of the end product.

Nutrient losses to ground and surface waters can cause pollution, affecting biodiversity (e.g. through eutrophication, increased turbidity, fish kills) and the quality of drinking water. Gaseous losses such as ammonia and oxides of nitrogen also cause air pollution, and can contribute to the eutrophication of sensitive habitats and to climate change. Any measures taken to reduce nutrient losses should also result in better financial returns to the farmer.

In order to better measure a farm’s environmental footprint one of the most important data gaps to address is the quantity of nitrogen (N), phosphate (P<>sub2</sub>O₅) and potash (K₂O) applied as fertiliser. In 2012/13 these quantities were collected for the first time within the FBS. The data collected:

• Provides important data needed to estimate the environmental footprint of farming.
• Enables farms to benchmark their environmental as well as their financial performance.

Data from the Farm Business Survey is widely used by the industry for benchmarking and informing wider research into the economic performance of the agricultural industry, as well as for evaluating and monitoring current policies.

5.2 Survey content and methodology

The Farm Business Survey is an annual survey providing information on the financial position and physical and economic performance of farm businesses in England. The sample of 1,580 farm businesses covers all regions of England and all types of farming, with the data being collected by face-to-face interview with the farmer. Results are weighted to represent the whole population of farm businesses that have at least 25,000 Euros of standard output as recorded in the annual June Survey of Agriculture and Horticulture. In 2021/22, this accounted for approximately 52,500 farm businesses.

Since 2012/13, the FBS has included an additional module to collect information on fertiliser usage. Completion of the fertiliser module was voluntary until 2017/18 when it became compulsory following a planned, phased introduction. See the sample characteristics tab in the main dataset on the landing page for details on the number of farms completing the fertiliser module each year.

The information collected within the fertiliser module covered:

• Use of precision farming techniques.
• Use of soil nutrient software packages.
• Inclusion of clover or legumes in grass swards.
• Use of green manures.
• Adjustments to fertiliser application rates.
• Amount of UAA subjected to restricted fertiliser applications (up until 2015/16).
• Sources of nutrient planning advice (since 2016/17).
• Volumes of nitrogen (N), phosphate (P₂O₅) and potash (K₂O) used.

Where information on fertiliser quantities is not directly available from the farmer, estimates have been made based on available information. These estimates are based on further information available from the farmer or calculated based on their expenditure and known usage on other, similar farms. For both manufactured and organic fertiliser, estimates of usage have been made for 17% farms in the sample. See the sample characteristics tab in the main dataset on the landing page for a full breakdown by farm type.

The organic fertiliser section of the module was first published in 2020. This section was not published previously due to methodological changes in data collection on poultry farms and a small sample size for pig farms. The methodology has remained the same since 2016/17 and there has been an increase in sample size.

In the case of horticulture farms, application rates describe total levels of nutrients being applied to what might be more than one crop being grown during the year on the same parcel of land. The amount of nutrients applied will be correlated with the types of crops that are grown, for example potato crops require high amounts of potassium.

The farmed area includes rough grazing, but this has been excluded from the farmed area when calculating the overall application rate as it does not tend to receive applications.

Full details of the information collected on fertiliser usage and other technical notes can be found here.

5.3 Differences between the BSFP and FBS fertiliser data.

The British Survey of Fertiliser Practice (BSFP) is Defra’s main source of fertiliser data, but fertiliser data are also collected as part of the FBS. It is important to note the differences between the FBS fertiliser estimates presented here with the BSFP, which make both surveys useful for alternative purposes. Table 5.1 provides a summary of some of the key differences between the two surveys along with when each set of figures should be used.

One of the most important differences comes from their data collection strategies. The BSFP collects data at field level and provides detailed information on fertiliser application rates for individual crops. The FBS collects fertiliser quantities for the farm as a whole, which can be linked to the detailed financial information provided by the FBS.

More recently, the FBS release includes breakdowns of organic fertiliser applications. While the BSFP also publish data on organic fertilisers, it is primarily designed to detail the application of manufactured fertiliser.

Table 5.1 Key differences between the FBS and BSFP

	FBS	BSFP
Survey Coverage	England	Great Britain (but the figures presented in this release are for England)
Sample Strategy	Stratified random sampling by combined farm type and farm size groups. Sample size 1,580.	Stratified random sampling by combined farm type, region and crop/grass area groups. Sample size 1,250.
Sample Exclusion	Excludes farms with < 25,000 Euros of standard output.	Excludes farms with < 20 hectares of crops/grass.
Sampling Units	Farm Business	Farm Holding
What is collected	Manufactured and organic fertiliser quantities at the farm business level.	Manufactured fertiliser quantities at the field/crop level.
What is currently published	Fertiliser applications broken down by high level factors including: farm type, size, region, farm tenancy, farm economic performance, NVZ status and organic status.	Fertiliser application rates broken down by major crop groups, grassland, product types, farm types and region.
When to use	Analysing fertiliser quantities by high level factors and linking to financial data in England.	Analysing fertiliser quantities applied to individual crops and for overall figures across Great Britain.

5.4 Data analysis

The results from the FBS relate to farms which have a standard output of at least 25,000 Euros. Initial weights are applied to the FBS records based on the inverse sampling fraction for each design stratum (farm type by farm size). These weights are then adjusted (calibration weighting) so that they can produce unbiased estimators of a number of different target variables.

Generalised linear regression models were fitted to the key results to help determine the main factors associated with each response. In each case seven factors were considered - farm type, farm size, farm tenure, farmer’s age, region, farm economic performance and Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (NVZs). In the case of using green manures and when analysing organic fertiliser application rates, organic status was also considered, whilst the farmer’s age was not considered for fertiliser application rates. Model simplification was conducted using a backwards stepwise approach, with non-significant parameters dropped with each step.

5.5 Accuracy and reliability of the results

We show 95% confidence intervals alongside the averages. These show a plausible range of values for the averages based on our sample. They are calculated as the standard errors multiplied by 1.96 to give the 95% confidence interval (95% CI).

The standard errors only give an indication of the sampling variability. They do not reflect any other sources of survey errors, such as non-response bias. For the Farm Business Survey, the confidence limits shown are appropriate for comparing groups within the same year only; they should not be used for comparing with previous years since they do not allow for the fact that many of the same farms will have contributed to the Farm Business Survey in both years.

We have also shown error bars on the figures in this notice. These error bars represent the 95% confidence intervals (as defined above). Where possible we have provided comparisons with other data sources, particularly the British Survey of Fertiliser Practice.

5.6 Availability of results

This release contains headline results for each section. The full breakdown of results, by farm type, farm size, region, farm tenure, farmer age, farm economic performance, Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (NVZs), and organic status can be found here.

Defra statistical notices can be viewed on the Food and Farming Statistics pages on the Defra website which also provides details of future publications, with pre-announced dates.

6. Definitions

Manufactured fertilisers

These are high concentration essential nutrients required for plant growth immediately available for plant use.

Organic fertilisers

Organic fertilisers are distinguished from manufactured fertilisers by having undergone minimal processing, having remained in their natural form and being generally less concentrated than manufactured fertilisers.

Farm Type

Where reference is made to the type of farm in this document, this refers to the ‘robust type’, which is a standardised farm classification system.

More information on the classifications of farms in the United Kingdom can be found here.

Farm Sizes

Farm sizes are based on the estimated labour requirements for the business, rather than its land area. The farm size bands used within the detailed results tables which accompany this publication are shown in the table below. Standard Labour Requirement (SLR) is defined as the theoretical number of workers required each year to run a business, based on its cropping and livestock activities.

Table 6.1 Standard Labour Requirement (SLR) of each farm size category

Farm.size	Definition
Spare & Part time	Less than 1 SLR
Small	1 to less than 2 SLR
Medium	2 to less than 3 SLR
Large	3 to less than 5 SLR
Very Large	5 or more SLR

Farm Economic performance

Economic performance for each farm is measured as the ratio between economic output (mainly sales revenue) and inputs (costs). The inputs for this calculation include an adjustment for unpaid manual labour. The higher the ratio, the higher the economic efficiency and performance. The farms are then ranked and allocated to performance bands based on economic performance percentiles:

• Low performance band - farms who took part in the fertiliser survey and were in the bottom 25% of economic performers.
• Medium performance band - farms who took part in the fertiliser survey and were in the middle 50% of performers.
• High performance band - farms who took part in the fertiliser survey and were in the top 25% of performers.

Utilised Agricultural Area (UAA)

Utilised Agricultural Area (UAA) is the crop area, including fodder, set-aside land, temporary and permanent grass and rough grazing in sole occupation (but not shared rough grazing) i.e. the agricultural area of the farm. It includes bare land and forage let out for less than one year.

Farmed area

The formula for farmed area is as follows:

Farmed area = Utilised Agricultural Area + bare land rented in + forage area hired in - bare land let out - forage area let out.

Some specialist pig and poultry farms have no farmed area.

Grass swards

Grass swards are land or soil which feature a layer of grass.

Nitrate Vulnerable Zones

Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (NVZs) are areas designated as being at risk from agricultural nitrate pollution. Farmers with land in NVZs must follow rules to tackle nitrate loss from agriculture. The boundaries that apply in England and Wales are reviewed and updated every four years. Click here for map of the most recent NVZ boundaries.