Production methods on agricultural holdings

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The indicator mainly shows the unidentifiable direction of development. The majority of data were available only for a limited period and therefore, reliable estimation of trends is not possible. Cereals are the predominant group of crops in Slovenia. Areas for growing green fodder crops and industrial plants are increasing, while the production of root and tuber crops has stabilized on two percent of arable land. A slow diversification of crop species is observed; particularly favorable is the increase in the share of legumes. The share of arable land covered over the winter is above the EU average; however, still not at the level of some of the more agriculturally developed countries. The share of cover and intermediate crops in Slovenia is also above the average of the EU. However, almost a quarter of all fields are still without winter cover. Slovenia belongs to a group of EU Member State countries where conventional soil tillage dominates. Alternative methods of tillage are increasing very slowly. Slovenia is lagging behind agriculturally more developed countries, which have significantly reduced the share of fields tilled with the plow in a relatively short period. To achieve the goals of reducing erosion, improving soil management, and mitigating the effects of climate change, decrease of the share of land cultivated by plowing would be desirable.

Definition

Farm management practices directly impact maintaining soil fertility and the ability to adapt to changing climatic factors, as well as, among other things, the economics of production. Changes in farming practices can reduce the risk of erosion and loss of organic matter in the soil, reducing the risk of water pollution, and improving the soil's physical, chemical, and biological properties. The types of farms and agricultural land use (fields, permanent grassland, permanent crops) determine the basic management methods. Further insight into the management practices of farms can be found through the implementation of crop rotation, the predominant crops in the crop rotation, the use of soil cover over the winter, and in the methods of soil cultivation.

Charts

Figure KM11-1: Share of different groups of crops on arrable land in Slovenia in the period 1992–2017

Sources:

Eurostat, 2013, 2016; SORS, 1992-2021; calculations by AIS

Show data


	Arable land and gardens in use[ha]	Fallow land[ha]	Cereals[ha]	Dried pulses (grains)[ha]	Root crops[ha]	Industrial crops[ha]	Vegetables and strawberies[ha]	Flowers and ornamental plants[ha]	Fooder from arrable land[ha]	Other crops on arrable land[ha]	Share of cereals[%]	Share of industrial crops[%]	Share of root crops[%]	Share od fooder from arrable land[%]	Share of other crops[%]
1992	190984	1983	110958	613	21588	5784	3765	144	45678	471	58.10	3.03	11.30	23.92	3.65
1993	191351	1975	110690	602	21322	5650	3901	153	46533	525	57.85	2.95	11.14	24.32	3.74
1994	187024	1975	103338	595	21106	6735	3422	153	49157	544	55.25	3.60	11.29	26.28	3.58
1995	184874	1812	100765	699	21337	4535	2842	139	52231	514	54.50	2.45	11.54	28.25	3.25
1996	181404	2171	99276	668	20367	5157	3042	124	50166	433	54.73	2.84	11.23	27.65	3.55
1997	173518	2082	95480	579	18329	4588	2851	132	49026	452	55.03	2.64	10.56	28.25	3.51
1998	172721	1993	95119	445	19663	4482	2743	140	47635	501	55.07	2.59	11.38	27.58	3.37
1999	172082	1904	91122	312	23198	4252	2666	149	48061	418	52.95	2.47	13.48	27.93	3.17
2000	170849	1038	101865	322	18872	4126	2614	157	41423	432	59.62	2.41	11.05	24.25	2.67
2001	172672	816	103871	362	13831	4313	2828	124	45857	670	60.16	2.50	8.01	26.56	2.78
2002	168414	464	98277	512	12675	7633	2575	105	44855	1318	58.35	4.53	7.53	26.63	2.95
2003	172753	320	98286	723	13422	8234	3162	169	47922	515	56.89	4.77	7.77	27.74	2.83
2004	175080	1288	99345	770	12422	7310	2979	169	50219	580	56.74	4.18	7.10	28.68	3.30
2005	176314	2108	94637	2009	12317	8050	2995	169	53665	364	53.68	4.57	6.99	30.44	4.34
2006	177780	872	95951	3905	12941	9034	3273	139	51361	304	53.97	5.08	7.28	28.89	4.78
2007	175035	1887	98586	2337	6263	11255	2861	154	51467	225	56.32	6.43	3.58	29.40	4.26
2008	180303	584	105016	1578	4986	9816	3545	154	54404	220	58.24	5.44	2.77	30.17	3.37
2009	175189	714	100173	1030	4644	10731	3516	154	54007	220	57.18	6.13	2.65	30.83	3.22
2010	170144	349	93941	886	4477	13321	2378	76	54374	342	55.21	7.83	2.63	31.96	2.37
2011	168744	479	94125	1134	3870	12425	3387	78	52992	254	55.78	7.36	2.29	31.40	3.16
2012	171668	487	98378	748	3647	11450	3923	72	52709	254	57.31	6.67	2.12	30.70	3.19
2013	174110	448	97830	686	3555	11547	3987	96	55761	200	56.19	6.63	2.04	32.03	3.11
2014	175069	338	98293	691	3821	11867	4138	73	55649	200	56.15	6.78	2.18	31.79	3.11
2015	171167	1170	96976	847	3494	10419	4115	53	53894	200	56.66	6.09	2.04	31.49	3.73
2016	173787	1109	95508	1258	3311	13272	4630	85	54212	402	54.96	7.64	1.91	31.19	4.31
2017	174363	1313	95193	1306	3389	13180	4559	48	54973	402	54.59	7.56	1.94	31.53	4.37
2017	172341	1254	95003	1077	3133	11222	4416	53	55780	402	55.13	6.51	1.82	32.37	4.18
2017	174202	1501	95723	1029	3060	10445	5319	32	56691	402	54.95	6.00	1.76	32.54	4.75
2017	175563	1194	97634	737	3160	11369	5780	53	55419	219	55.61	6.48	1.80	31.57	4.55
2017	175265	1560	97860	749	2930	11599	5161	35	55150	219	55.84	6.62	1.67	31.47	4.41
EU–28 (2013)											58.90	14.10	3.40	21.40	2.10
EU–28 (2016)											58.70	15.30	3.30	20.30	2.40
Hungary (2013)											66.40	22.20	0.90	8.40	2.10
Hungary (2016)											62	25.20	0.70	9	2.70
Germany (2013)											56	13.80	5.20	23.60	1.40
Germany (2016)											55.20	13.80	5.10	24.40	1.50
Austria (2013)											62	12.70	5.40	18.30	1.60
Austria (2016)											60.70	14.30	4.90	18.50	1.70
Italy (2013)											55.10	8.60	1.30	30.50	4.50
Italy (2016)											52.20	9.70	1	31.80	5.20
Croatia (2013)											67.70	14.10	3.60	13.60	1
Croatia (2016)											61.70	20.50	3	13.50	1.30

Export Table Data

Figure KM11-2: Trends in share of most important crops on arable land in Slovenia in the period 1992–2017

Sources:

SORS, 2021; calculations by AIS

Show data


	Arable land and gardens in use[ha]	Vegetables[ha]	Strawberies[ha]	Other beries[ha]	Fallow land[ha]	CEREALS[ha]	Wheat and spelt[ha]	Rye[ha]	Barley[ha]	Oats[ha]	Triticale[ha]	Maize for grains[ha]	OTHER CEREALS (TOTAL)[ha]	Other cereals - millet[ha]	- as the main crop[ha]	- as the successive crop[ha]	Other cereals - buckwheat[ha]	- as the main crop[ha]	- as the successive crop[ha]	Other[ha]	DRIED PULSES (GRAINS)[ha]	Fodder peas and broad beans[ha]	- Fodder peas[ha]	- Broad beans[ha]	Dry beans[ha]	Dried pulses, other[ha]	ROOT CROPS[ha]	Potato[ha]	Sugar beet[ha]	Fodder roots[ha]	Other fodder roots[ha]	INDUSTRIAL CROPS[ha]	Oil plants[ha]	- Oil turniprape[ha]	- Sunflowers[ha]	- Soya[ha]	- Pumpkins for oil[ha]	Hops[ha]	Other industrial crops[ha]	FODDER FROM ARABLE LAND[ha]	Annual crops[ha]	- Silage maize[ha]	- Other[ha]	- Fodder dried pulses[ha]	Clover and lucerne[ha]	- Clover[ha]	- Lucerne[ha]	Grasses and grass-clover mixtures[ha]	- Grass-clover mixtures[ha]	Other fodder from arable land[ha]	Proportion of legume[%]	Share of winter wheat[%]	Share of maize[%]	Share of crops for oil (without soybean)[%]	Share of grain legumes[%]
1992	190984	3495	270	368	1983	110958	36413	2639	8146	2376	0	61220	713	179	35	144	483	25	458	51	613		39	0	574	0		12928	3153	10789		5784		1978	93	0	1232	2398	44	45678		24571	1892	0	4048			19532	11132	473	8.27	19.07	44.92	1.73	0.32
1993	191351	3626	275	322	1975	110690	37173	2635	9093	2388	0	59253	630	119	48	71	455	44	411	56	602		43	0	559	0		12434	3499	11431		5650		1654	125	42	1295	2466	27	46533		25900	1685	0	3985			19228	10959	485	8.15	19.43	44.50	1.61	0.34
1994	187024	3139	283	248	1975	103338	35876	2101	12652	2590	0	49359	1371	423	212	211	720	320	400	228	595		114	0	481	0		10147	4910	11311		6735		2278	134	10	1961	2292	38	49157		30311	1514	0	3658			17652	10061	492	7.66	19.18	42.60	2.34	0.32
1995	184874	2730	112	54	1812	100765	36779	1925	12719	1866	368	46750	1004	255	96	159	652	165	487	97	699		105	0	594	0		10070	6132	9928		4535		296	123	14	1815	2205	69	52231		30321	1906	0	4237			20442	11651	321	8.98	19.89	41.69	1.21	0.39
1996	181404	2952	90	49	2171	99276	35159	1938	12543	1888	343	47123	822	199	88	111	542	113	429	81	668		73	0	595	0		9382	6341	8647		5157		149	109	4	2596	2233	55	50166		30953	1735	0	3713			17917	10212	307	8.05	19.38	43.04	1.57	0.37
1997	173518	2807	44	46	2082	95480	33431	1345	10828	1817	437	47491	658	160	38	122	445	40	405	53	579		9	0	570	0		9186	6370	6753		4588		54	9	4	2249	2163	97	49026		29953	1482	0	3885			17172	10297	264	8.51	19.27	44.63	1.33	0.34
1998	172721	2707	36	46	1993	95119	35025	1227	10871	1793	478	45592	639	163	41	122	424	40	384	52	445		9	0	436	0		9200	7670	6753		4482		77	24	4	2311	2010	44	47635		29285	1447	0	3584			16785	10063	260	8.16	20.28	43.35	1.40	0.26
1999	172082	2607	59	46	1904	91122	31615	911	10935	2405	634	44401	835	183	80	103	601	90	511	51	312		9	0	303	0		9845	10837	4921		4252		173	24	28	2176	1803	35	48061		30204	1276	0	2997			17860	10407	286	7.99	18.37	43.35	1.38	0.20
2000	170849	2507	107	46	1038	101865	38256	674	11570	2251	835	48009	915	226	105	121	632	108	524	57	322	39	39	0	309	0		8952	8116	4264		4126		122	24	28	2147	1766	39	41423		26851	1243	0	2863			13899	3918	338	4.21	22.39	43.82	1.34	0.20
2001	172672	2731	97	46	816	103871	39335	745	12664	1917	1227	47571	1057	157	36	121	742	218	524	158	362	39	39	0	323	0		7785	4700	3778		4313		398	24	38	2122	1682	53	45857		24491	1168	0	1892			21739	5583	470	4.58	22.78	41.73	1.47	0.23
2002	168414	3228	78	29	464	98277	35729	620	12392	2014	1661	45525	1473	276	67	209	1169	241	928	28	512	204	204	0	308	0		7113	4450	3722		7633		2433	20	67	3232	1817	59	44855		23933	1028	0	2021			22013	6903	1038	5.76	21.21	41.24	3.38	0.34
2003	172753	3982	75	29	320	99305	35585	630	13789	1964	1820	44137	1380	611	115	495	689	166	523	80	723	367	364	3	351	5		6832	5359	4048		8234	6559	2705	107	40	3707	1662	13	55716	31525	30200	1325	0	2168	1214	954	22023	9387	149	7.34	20.60	43.03	3.77	0.44
2004	175080	3631	75	29	1288	99775	32385	1109	15324	1854	2124	45996	983	339	277	62	578	210	368	66	770	419	418	1	351	0		6832	4658	3401		7363	5826	1945	56	78	3693	1524	13	56985	29334	27045	2289	67	2357	1000	1357	25294	12087	160	8.97	18.50	41.72	3.25	0.48
2005	176314	2891	104	29	2108	94637	30059	1320	15451	2731	1986	42369	1631	627	306	321	811	222	589	193	2009	1521	1513	8	451	37		6306	5057	3472		8050	6580	2260	40	172	4108	1453	17	61585	33882	31525	2357	184	3070	1445	1625	24633	12059	222	10.68	17.05	41.91	3.63	1.24
2006	177780	3169	104	29	872	95951	32083	766	17044	2471	2869	39839	1114	168	120	48	547	360	187	399	3905	3434	3342	92	448	23		5900	6684	1834		9034	7500	2809	156	226	4302	1507	27	57869	28359	27008	1351	57	2481	1010	1471	26725	14652	303	13.89	18.05	37.60	4.09	2.32
2007	175035	2752	109	31	1887	98586	32040	820	18532	2332	3091	40906	1554	344	113	231	809	351	458	401	2337	1971	1970	1	355	11		5736	0	1977		11255	9666	5358	246	126	3936	1572	17	59207	28474	26802	1672	0	3090	1312	1778	27133	15841	510	13.35	18.30	38.68	5.45	1.41
2008	180303	3421	124	31	584	105564	35413	714	19229	1887	3241	43698	1382	247	137	110	761	323	438	374	1578	1212	1211	1	355	11	5991	4427	0	1564		9816	8161	4442	256	49	3414	1638	17	61454	27068	26543	525	0	4351	2109	2272	29574	17964	161	13.95	19.64	38.96	4.50	0.90
2009	175189	3406	110	33	714	100173	34534	892	20089	1773	3399	38611	1568	136	84	52	1044	403	641	388	1030		648		355	27	4644	4175		972	939	10731	9041	4424	227	66	4324	1660	13	54007	27252	26125	1127		5860	3415	2445	30624	19239	183	14.95	19.71	36.95	5.12	0.63
2010	170144	2276	102	36	349	93941	31946	796	18730	1773	3477	36433	1605	199	95	104	1198	482	716	208	886		513		289	84	4477	4125		587	727	13321	11756	5303	203	109	6141	1488	31	54374	26851	25868	983		5548	2566	2982	29956	19368	230	15.23	18.78	36.62	6.85	0.58
2011	168744	3288	99	42	479	94125	29665	808	17477	1842	3347	40185	1655	203	58	145	1180	471	709	272	1134		621		289	224	3870	3640		654	726	12425	10969	4770	374	107	5718	1376	52	52992	26885	25970	915		5451	2504	2948	28848	20539	230	16.14	17.58	39.20	6.44	0.74
2012	171668	3843	80	51	487	98378	34586	902	17967	1369	3640	39166	2103	199	62	137	1676	457	1219	228	748		370		289	89	3647	3386		553	797	11450	10160	5141	367	140	4512	1159	82	52709	28499	27437	1062		5337	2183	3154	27626	19123	230	14.77	20.15	38.80	5.84	0.52
2013	174110	3881	106	66	448	97830	31758	1489	17314	1203	3490	41857	1860	169	67	102	1401	362	1039	290	686		224		396	66	3555	3307		476	790	11547	10115	6131	273	278	3433	1166	194	55761	30866	30011	855		5722	2339	3382	28699	20034	187	15.35	18.24	41.28	5.65	0.55
2014	175069	4051	87	103	338	98293	33124	1640	18482	1364	4229	38331	2713	229	105	124	1979	512	1467	506	691		221		396	74	3821	3600		434	761	11867	10162	5563	252	404	3943	1296	364	55649	30147	29485	662		5549	2128	3421	27015	19496	187	14.93	18.92	38.74	5.57	0.63
2015	171167	4008	107	141	1170	96976	30734	1236	20110	1506	4491	37743	3136	491	264	227	2435	682	1753	209	847		447		396	4	3494	3318		325	597	10419	8503	1629	230	1705	4939	1405	436	53894	29395	28734	661		8507	4074	4432	21864	15454	187	15.49	17.96	38.84	3.97	1.49
2016	173787	4519	111	174	1109	95508	31461	970	19184	1332	5288	36388	3731	399	78	321	3127	601	2526	206	1258		611		634	13	3311	3164		266	626	13272	11273	3156	241	2466	5410	1485	425	54212	29513	28690	823		10498	4863	5635	21286	14137	375	16.32	18.10	37.45	5.07	2.14
2017	174363	4451	108	231	1313	95193	28016	1081	20369	1448	5032	38290	4224	347	83	264	3647	643	3004	230	1306		658		634	14	3389	3165		294	678	13180	11142	3435	299	2908	4500	1591	305	54973	29964	29194	770		10158	4795	5364	22324	14403	375	16.50	16.07	38.70	4.72	2.42
2018	172341	4416	117	258	1254	95003	27822	1301	20994	1245	5668	37079	4136	454	155	299	3475	532	2943	207	1077		434		634	9	3133	2812	0	315	601	11222	9091	3397	288	1756	3650	1667		55782		29820	780		9630	4367	5264	24533	15451	402	16.20	16.14	38.82	4.26	1.64
2019	174202	5319	112	277	1501	95723	26727	1178	21139	1207	5804	38883	3686	277	99	178	3187	464	2723	222	1029		386		634	9	3060	2796	184	362	558	10445	8296	3245	334	1433	3284	1616		56692		30150	694		8520	3838	4682	23852	15222	402	15.04	15.34	39.63	3.94	1.41
2020	175563	5780	121	330	1194	97632	27286	839	22207	950	5590	39829	4798	356	122	234	4279	648	3631	163	738		341		387	9	3159	2969	113	464	757	11370	9466	3306	354	1637	4169	1489		55418		30628	826		7706	3421	4285	26542	15848	219	14.77	15.54	40.13	4.46	1.35
2021	175265	5161	119	341	1560	97861	26785	640	21863	1195	5152	41402	5015	418	114	304	4318	430	3888	279	749		346		387	16	2929	2734	127	178	628	11600	9610	2806	420	1893	4491	1535		55150		29663	1019		8035	4086	3949	27928	16234	219	15.35	15.28	40.55	4.40	1.51

Export Table Data

Figure KM11-3: Share of arable land with winter cover in 2010 and 2016

Sources:

Eurostat, 2016; SORS, 2010 and 2016; calculations by AIS

Show data


	Arable land and gardens in use [ha]	Fallow land [ha]	Field included in calculation [ha]	Arable land with normal winter crops [ha]	Arable land with cover and intermediate crops [ha]	Arable land with plant residues [ha]	Arable land with multi-annual plants [ha]	Bare soil [ha]	Share of arrable land with normal winter crops [%]	Share of arrable land with cover or intermediate crops [%]	Share of arable land with plant residues [%]	Share of arable land with multi-annual plants [%]	Share of bare soil in arable land [%]	Share of arable land with winter cover [%]	Share of arable land with no data recorded [%]	Share of normal winter crops in arable land with know data [%]	Share of cover or intermediate crops in arable land with know data [%]	Share of plant residues in arable land with know data [%]	Share of multi-annual plants in arable land with know data	Share of bare soil in arable land [%]
Slovenia (2010)	170144	349	170595	77239	28532	4987		35116	45.28	16.72	2.92	0	20.58	79.42	14.49	52.95	19.56	3.42	0	24.07
Slovenia (2016)	173787	1109	175118	80787	21352	11023	21070	40667	46.13	12.19	6.29	12.03	23.22	76.78	0.13	46.19	12.21	6.30	12.05	23.25
EU–27 (2010)			103404290	45302160	5648220	9165260		26244110	43.81	5.46	8.86	0	25.38	74.62	16.48	52.46	6.54	10.61	0	30.39
EU–27 (2016)			97078750	44876620	7451790	7041980	7553540	22328980	46.23	7.68	7.25	7.78	23.00	77.00	8.06	50.28	8.35	7.89	8.46	25.02
Hungary (2010)			3837230	1506710	44970	217300		1817950	39.27	1.17	5.66	0	47.38	52.62	6.52	42.01	1.25	6.06	0	50.68
Hungary (2010)			3821830	1716950	95220	283480	114730	1608920	44.92	2.49	7.42	3.00	42.10	57.90	0.07	44.95	2.49	7.42	3.00	42.13
Germany (2010)			11896790	7054160	821160	1140750		2201660	59.29	6.90	9.59	0	18.51	81.49	5.71	62.88	7.32	10.17	0	19.63
Germany (2016)			11819330	6739810	1466760	923260	545430	1656630	57.02	12.41	7.81	4.61	14.02	85.98	4.12	59.48	12.94	8.15	4.81	14.62
Austria (2010)			1371290	480590	368210	25130		150510	35.05	26.85	1.83	0	10.98	89.02	25.29	46.91	35.94	2.45	0	14.69
Austria (2016)			1344380	534810	286900	51870	209990	260120	39.78	21.34	3.86	15.62	19.35	80.65	0.05	39.80	21.35	3.86	15.63	19.36
Italy (2010)			7009310	2225390	132890	635800		1451560	31.75	1.90	9.07	0	20.71	79.29	36.58	50.06	2.99	14.30	0	32.65
Italy (2016)			7145040	3020560	113990	666770	583450	1107740	42.27	1.60	9.33	8.17	15.50	84.50	23.13	54.99	2.08	12.14	10.62	20.17
France (2010)			18386080	8573370	1992730	1537160		6272960	46.63	10.84	8.36	0	34.12	65.88	0.05	46.65	10.84	8.36	0	34.14
France (2016)			18249970	9715010	2851640	1095540	3361330	1196540	53.23	15.63	6.00	18.42	6.56	93.44	0.16	53.32	15.65	6.01	18.45	6.57
Croatia (2010)			895220	289000	14660	37160		449820	32.28	1.64	4.15	0	50.25	49.75	11.68	36.55	1.85	4.70	0	56.89
Croatia (2016)			881620	300450	0	40	93340	487170	34.08	0	0.00	10.59	55.26	44.74	0.07	34.10	0	0.00	10.59	55.30

Export Table Data

Figure KM11-4: Share of arable land according to tillage practices in 2010 and 2016

Sources:

Eurostat, 2016; SORS, 2010-2016; calculations by AIS

Show data


	ARABLE LAND AND KITCHEN GARDENS[ha]	Fallow land[ha]	Arable land for calculations[ha]	Conventional tillage[ha]	Conservational tillage[ha]	Zero tillage[ha]	Fallow land and arable land with no data[ha]	Share of arable land with conventional tillage[%]	Share of arable land with conservational tillage[%]	Share of arable land with zero tillage[%]	Share of fallow land[%]
Slovenia (2010)	170144	349	170595	128894	14692	2480	24529	75.56	8.61	1.45	14.38
Slovenia (2016)	173787	1109	175118	142814	19274	918	12112	81.55	11.01	0.52	6.92
EU–28 (2010)			102535310	65458370	19176980	3530940	14369020	63.84	18.70	3.44	14.01
EU–27 (2016)			97078750	64876510	18957550	3591660	9653030	66.83	19.53	3.70	9.94
Hungary (2010)			3837230	3205710	409670	44170	177680	83.54	10.68	1.15	4.63
Hungary (2016)			3821830	3256560	356770	37940	170560	85.21	9.34	0.99	4.46
Germany (2010)			11896790	6610510	4470300	146610	669370	55.57	37.58	1.23	5.63
Germany (2016)			11819330	6316900	4719290	94210	688930	53.45	39.93	0.80	5.83
Austria (2010)			1370290	972960	326720	28330	42280	71.00	23.84	2.07	3.09
Austria (2016)			1344380	732610	395290	23250	193230	54.49	29.40	1.73	14.37
Italy (2010)			7009310	5183060	300970	283920	1241360	73.95	4.29	4.05	17.71
Italy (2016)			7145040	5742750	263410	231420	907460	80.37	3.69	3.24	12.70
France (2010)			18386080	8991900	4619950	530270	4243960	48.91	25.13	2.88	23.08
France (2016)			18249970	8757990	5948190	960120	2583670	47.99	32.59	5.26	14.16
Croatia (2010)			895220	808340	25660	18540	39680	90.30	2.87	2.07	4.43
Croatia (2016)			881620	789640	44320	4880	42780	89.57	5.03	0.55	4.85

Export Table Data

Goals

Ensure the optimal value of agricultural production, which enables stable food security.
Ensuring the implementation of sustainable agricultural practices that will maintain soil fertility, biodiversity, and water safety, and sensible use of resources
Implementation of agricultural practices to mitigate and adapt to climate change
Reducing costs and increasing the value of agricultural production.

Comment

Slovenian crop production is oriented toward feed and fodder production for livestock. In 2021, cereals dominated arable land (56%), followed by the cultivation of green fodder crops (31%) and industrial crops (7%). The share of cereals in crop rotation remains relatively stable over time, despite seasonal fluctuations. The trend of increase is noticeable in the cultivation of fodder crops and industrial plants, while the cultivation of roots and tubers stabilized in the last years on two percent of arable land. Notable differences in the structure of crops between the EU countries are observed, reflecting the variable environmental conditions, demand, and other measures for the cultivation of crops. According to data for the EU-28 in 2016, the share of cereals on arable land in Slovenia is slightly below the EU average of 59% and comparable to the shares in Germany and Austria. Of the neighbouring countries, Hungary (62%), Croatia (62%), and Austria (61 %) have a higher share of cereals on arable land. The share of fodder crops in arable land in Slovenia is above the EU average of 20%. Among neighbouring countries, the share of fodder crops is comparable to Italy (32%) and notably higher than in Austria (19%), Croatia (14%), and Hungary (9%). The share of industrial plants in Slovenia (7%) is significantly below the EU average of 15% and below the shares of comparative countries. Observed is a reflection of adaptation to the environmental conditions and production-economic specifics of Slovenia. From this point of view, the sowing structure of crops in Slovenia has both positive and negative impacts on the environment and the wider community.

Changes in the representation of individual crop species within groups of crops over time are noticeable. Among cereals, maize remains a dominant crop on arable land, despite decreasing from 45% share in 1992 to 39% in 2017 and then increasing again to 41% in 2021. The shares of winter wheat and millet decreased from 19% to 15% in the same period. Contrary to winter wheat, cultivation of triticale, barley, and buckwheat increased in the same period. Among other crops, areas with soybeans, oilseed pumpkins, clovers, and alfalfa also increased in the same period. Compared to the 1992–2008 period, the ratio between maize and grain legumes improved in favour of grain legumes. The increase in the share of grain legumes in the rotation is attributed to agricultural policy measures that support their cultivation.

Winter cowering of arable land reduces the soil degradation processes, leaching of nitrates, and increases the biodiversity of soil fauna and flora. Data on the percentage of arable land with winter cower plants is not collected regularly and is available for the years 2010 and 2016 for Slovenia and EU countries. In Slovenia, data for winter cower plants on arable land were collected for 86% of arable land in 2010 and 99.9% of arable land in 2016. In 2010, conventional winter crops cowered the most arable land (53%), followed by dedicated greening for improved soil fertility (20%) and arable land covered with crop residues (3%). A fifth of the fields (24%) were bare over the winter in 2010. In 2016, the total share of covered land decreased by 2% compared to 2010. In 2016, the share of arable land covered with standard winter crops (46%) and with crops for improved fertility (12%) decreased, while the shares of fields covered with harvest residues (6%) increased. A new category of perennial crops (12%) (introduced in 2016), and an increase in the available data on most of the arable land partly explain the decrease in soil cover of other categories. Also, the transition to a new program period of the Rural Development Program reduced the share of agricultural land included in the greening measures. Differences in the types of soil winter cover and proportions of covered arable land between EU countries reflect the specifics of EU member states. According to the EU-28 average for the year 2016 (69%), the soil cover of arable land over the winter in Slovenia was above average. Germany (86%), Austria (81%), Italy (84%) and France (93%) have more land cover than Slovenia, while Hungary (58%) and Croatia (45%) have less. In the EU 28 and comparison countries, the largest share of coverage over the winter represents conventional winter crops. Germany has the largest share of arable land covered by this category of crops (57%), while Croatia has the smallest (34%). Differences occur due to specifics in the crop rotation of the EU countries. For example, Germany dedicates a significantly larger share of fields to rapeseed cultivation than Slovenia, while the share of winter wheat is similar between the countries. The share of arable land with cover and intermediate crops in Slovenia is higher than the EU-28 average of 8%, higher than in Hungary (2%), Italy (2%), and Croatia (0%), comparable to the share in Germany (12%) and lower from shares in Austria (21%) and France (16%). The share of bare surface in Slovenia in 2016 is comparable to the EU-28 average of 23%. Among the comparison countries, France has the smallest share of bare land (7%), while Croatia (55%) and Hungary (42%) have the largest shares. The share of arable land without data in Slovenia decreased between 2010 and 2016 and is below the EU-28 average of 8% in 2016. Among the comparative countries, France, Hungary, Austria, and Croatia have similar shares of arable land without data as Slovenia, while Italy has the most areas without data (23%). In Slovenia, more than 75% of arable land is covered over the winter. Nevertheless, it is recommended to encourage the increase of this share and the reduction of bare land below 10%.

Soil cultivation methods have an important role in maintaining soil fertility and in the economics of crop production. Data on cultivation methods are not collected regularly; data for Slovenia and the EU are available for the years 2010 and 2016. The majority of arable land in Slovenia is plowed, followed by conservation tillage. The share of fields with direct seeding (no tillage) is negligible. In Slovenia, the share of arable land cultivated with plowing increased from 77% to 82% between 2010 and 2016. The share of fields under conservation tillage increased from 9% to 11% in the same period. The share of arable land under no-till cultivation decreased during this period from 1.5% to 0.5%. The share of uncultivated arable land and fields without data on cultivation decreased from 14% to 7% in the same period. The increase in the percentage of arable land cultivated with the plow is partly related to the higher reliability of the data obtained in 2016. Data collected in 2016 is therefore considered a more reliable indicator of the situation in Slovenia. According to the EU-27 average of 67% of plowed fields in 2016, the share in Slovenia is above average. Among the comparative countries, Germany (53%), Austria (54%), and France (48%) have smaller shares of plowed fields than Slovenia, while Hungary (85%) and Croatia (90%) have larger shares than Slovenia. The share of arable land under conservation tillage in Slovenia is similar to Hungary (9%) and higher than in Italy (4%) and Croatia (5%) but significantly lower than in Germany (40%), France (33%) and Austria (29%). The share of fields under no-till is generally minor in all EU countries. France has the largest share among comparative countries (5%). Significant differences in soil cultivation between EU countries reflect the differences in soil and climate conditions, average sizes of agricultural holdings, and socio-economic dimensions of farming systems. Additionally, each method has advantages and disadvantages, making general statements and recommendations difficult. Nevertheless, the share of fields cultivated with plowing should decrease in Slovenia.

Methodology

Last modified: 26.10.2022

Author(s): Aleš Kolmanič, Agricultural Institute of Slovenia

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[KM11] Production methods on agricultural holdings

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