NPK BALANCES OF HUNGARIAN SOILS IN 1990 A ND 1991

The NPK balances of Hungarian agricultural areas in 1990 and 1991 were estimated by the method of Kadar (1987). In the years indicated, dras tic changes happened in the nutrient management of Hungarian agricultu re: the N fertilizer application fell back to the 1/5 of quantity appl ied in the 1980s, while the PK to 1/20 (!). These changes had a strong effect also on the NPK balances of agricultural areas of Hungary. Aft er the positive NPK balances of the previous two decades, in 1990 the Hungarian soils became poorer on the average by 26 kg/ha N + P2O5 + K2 O and in 1991 by 133 kg/ha. Within all nutrients the relative proporti on of N fertilizer, organic manure and by-products increased, while a decline in their absolute quantities has taken place. The results of N , P, K after-effect studies, set up in our country in a fair number, b ecame increasingly important. Their publication and synthesis will, ho wever, remain in many respects the task of the future.