Design, Development and Use of a National Survey of Fertiliser Applications

Keywords: Fertiliser survey, fertiliser practice, fertiliser application rates.

The British Survey of Fertiliser Practice has its origins in surveys begun during wartime in 1942, conducted thereafter as the Survey of Fertiliser Practice for England and Wales. The survey was re-designed in 1969 as an annual survey to monitor trends in fertiliser use and the methodology was extended to Scotland in 1983. This nationally representative survey is based on the annual selection of a random stratified sample of farms in mainland Britain. The Survey is the principal source of estimates for fertiliser use in Great Britain and the data are widely used by the British fertiliser industry and by Government, who jointly fund the Survey. Data are also collected on lime and organic manure usage.

A G Chalmers, ADAS Bridgets, Martyr Worthy, Winchester, Hampshire UK

A Renwick, Department of Land Econonmy, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK

A E Johnston, IACR-Rothamsted, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, UK

C J Dawson, Chris Dawson & Associates, Strensall, York, UK

42 pages, 13 tables, 9 figures, 51 refs.