04.04.2023
Nitrate pollution from agriculture is the most common cause of the poor chemical status of groundwater in Germany. Intensive livestock farming in particular, but also specialty crops and rapeseed cultivation, contribute to this. The nitrogen balance must be reduced to meet the requirements of the Water Framework Directive and the Nitrates Directive, but too little has been done in this regard over the past 30 years despite the great need for action. In the new opinion paper, agricultural engineers Prof. Frank Eulenstein and Prof. Jürgen Augustin provide insights into the state of groundwater in Germany, and what needs to happen to reduce nitrate surpluses in agriculture.
A large proportion of nitrogen inputs to groundwater are due to agriculture. However, there are large regional differences in nitrogen pollution. How nitrogen surpluses can be reduced during application, what role fermentation residues from biogas plants play and how global developments affect nitrate pollution in Germany - these and other questions are answered by Prof. Eulenstein and Prof. Augustin in the new opinion paper: "Nitrate in groundwater - an unsolvable problem?".
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