Topics | Umweltbundesamt

In addition to sufficient water, plants need nutrients (e.g., nitrogen, phosphate, potassium) and trace elements (e.g., copper and zinc) to develop and grow. Only then can they achieve high yields of good quality. Plants absorb nutrients and trace elements from the soil through their root system. The humus content of the soil plays a central role in this process. Humus is rich in plant nutrients a... read more

Nitrogen is an essential nutrient for all living organisms. The use of mineral and organic nitrogen fertilizers to increase yields is therefore common practice in agriculture. Careful and needs-based application is crucial. Excess nitrogen can pollute water and land ecosystems and adversely affect the climate, air quality, and biodiversity. read more