Farmers’ Knowledge about Current Nitrate Program on the Example of the Kolno Municipality

Excessive or inappropriate use of nitrogen fertilizers in agriculture causes environmental pollution problems around the world. The purpose of the study was to assess the state of farmers’ knowledge of the regulations on the implementation of cross-compliance in terms of the implementation of the nitrate program. The empirical part of the study was drawn up on the basis of a pilot survey conducted in 2022 in the Kolno municipality. The research was carried out on a randomly selected minimum required sample of 65 respondents (farmers). The analyses of the responses presented took into account the age and education of the respondents. The relationship between the state of knowledge and education was confirmed by the chi-square test. To achieve the purpose of the study, a hypothesis was put forward, such as that farmers, although aware of the need to comply with cross-compliance, have gaps in their knowledge of the specific rules of conduct. Based on the results of the study, it was found that younger farmers showed greater knowledge of cross-compliance in the context of the nitrate program, but the best results were found in the group of younger but experienced farmers, starting from the age of 30.