Data on fertilizers, yields, nutrient balances and nutrient use efficiencies for wheat, maize and sunflower in Ukraine

The war in Ukraine has not only disrupted agricultural exports and threatened global food security but also intensified underlying nutrient imbalances and their environmental consequences. Our analysis shows that, after a period of nutrient shortages in the early 1990s, fertilizer application in Ukraine rose steadily between 2000 and 2021, only to decline sharply following the 2022 invasion. Nutrient balance calculations for wheat, maize, and sunflower indicate continuous depletion of soil phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) since 1991, rising nitrogen (N) surpluses during 2000–2021, and severe NPK deficits triggered by the ongoing war. Looking ahead to 2030 through five alternative scenarios, we demonstrate that implementing an Integrated Nutrient Management strategy, built on manure recycling, precision fertilizer use and wider cultivation of legumes, could safeguard yields, cut nutrient surpluses, enhance nutrient use efficiency to 80–89% and markedly reduce environmental degradation and soil nutrient depletion.