The Current Use and Requirement of Phosphorus Fertilizers for Sustainable Food Production in    Eastern and Central Europe

Pulawy (Poland), 28-30 September, 1998.

This IMPHOS workshop was held in conjunction with the 11th International Scientific Centre of Fertilizers (CIEC) symposium and the International Potash Institute (IPI) workshop. It was attended by about 100 participants coming mainly from Central and Eastern European countries (CEE).

In Central and Eastern Europe, nitrogen fertilization is a main challenge for sustainable agriculture ; nitrogen is definitely not in balance and the excess of this element poses a serious treat to air and water environment. Contrary to nitrogen, the amounts of phosphorus and potassium applied from outer sources (mainly fertilizers) do not meet the crop demands and soil reserves are being increasingly depleted.

The aim of the IMPHOS Workshop is to convey available information and latest findings on phosphorus fertilizer use and its effects on crop yields and soil fertility, during the last four to two decades.

The workshop participants recognized the following:

	there has been a steep decline in fertilizer consumption in Central and Eastern European (CEE) Countries during the economic reform
	the crop production in most of CEE countries increased by 13 to 40 % approximately since the early 1990's
	The prevailing negative nutrient balances will lead in the long term to a dramatic depletion of soil fertility
	There are poor agriculture advisory/extension services
	There is an urgent need to reverse the trend from depleting soil fertility reserves to more balanced fertilization

The proceedings entitled " Codes of Good Fertilizer Practices and Balanced Fertilization " and edited by E. SCHNUG and M. FOTYMA cover papers and posters presented at the 11th CIEC symposium, as well as papers and posters presented at both the IMPHOS Workshop and at the IPI Workshop.

For further information, please contact IMPHOS or:
CIEC's General Secretariat
C/O Research Institute of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry
of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences
Herman Otto ut 15
H-1022 Budapest/Hungary
E-mail:T_NEMETH@rissac.hu