Economic Efficiency of Alternative Systems of Fertilizing in Conditions of Field Crop Rotation

V. MANOLOVA¹ and I. MANOLOV²

¹ Fruit Growing Research Institute, BG-4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria
² Agricultural University, BG-4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria,

Abstract

MANOLOVA, V. and I. MANOLOV, 2000. Economic efficiency of alternative systems of fertilizing in conditions of field crop rotation. Bulg. J. Agric. Sci., 6: 251-256

On the base of four years experiment carried out in the experimental field of Department of agrochemistry and soil science at the Agricultural University, Plovdiv, the economic efficiency of three systems of fertilizing – organic, organic-mineral and mineral in conditions of field crop rotation – maize, wheat, beans, wheat was determined. The indexes: additional yield (kg/ha), additional incomes (lv/ha), additional costs for fertilizing (lv/ha), additional profit (lv*/ha) and profitability of the additional costs (%) for determining of the economical efficiency of the fertilizing systems were used.
The most economically effective was organic-mineral fertilizing system from the three studied systems if manure was not bought by the farmer. The profitability of each additional invested lev for fertilizing was the highest – 35.79%, although the obtained profit from unit area was not the highest for this variant – 250.90 lv/ha. The mineral system was economically effective, too. The rate of profitability of additional costs was 20.36%, and obtained profit was 224.30 lv/ha. The organic system ensures the highest profit – 303.30 lv/ha, when own production manure was used, but the profitability of the additional costs was the lowest – 12.17%. The organic and organic-mineral systems were not economically effective if manure was bought from the farmer. These systems have to be subsidized from the state in order to be effective.

Key words: economic efficiency, profitability, alternative fertilizing systems