AGRICULTURAL LAND FERTILITY AND THE RISKS TO AGRICULTURAL SUSTAINABILITY: A CASE STUDY FROM ALBANIA

In the current environment, intentional agricultural intensification without adequate soil fertility recovery could jeopardize agriculture's sustainability, especially in nations like Albania where the sector continues to dominate the national economy.In order to prevent soil degradation, it is helpful to assess the amount of plant nutrient depletion from soils for future planning and recovery.The nutrient-balance approaches, which are based on best practices, are tools for providing indicators of the sustainability of agriculture.The purpose of this study was to assess the nutrient balances (nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium) in Albania's arable land.Over an 11-year period, the nutrient balances for 12 major agricultural plants were determined using the soil surface nutrient balance method developed by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).Mineral fertilizer, organic fertilizer, atmospheric deposition, and biological N fixation were among the elements that were quantified as inputs.Harvested plant and fodder plant production were among the outputs.