The research was conducted in the years 2000–2002 on the base crop rotation/fertilization study established in 1957 at the Experimental Station Brody belonging to Agricultural University of Poznan. Winter rye was grown continuously and in seven-course crop rotation (potato, spring barley, alfalfa, alfalfa, spring oilseed rape, winter wheat, winter rye) under four levels of fertilization: control without fertilization, farmyard manure (FYM), farmyard manure + NPK, NPK. In continuous cropping mean yield of winter rye as compared to crop rotation a decrease for the 3-year period reached 18%. The yielding of winter rye indicates similar effect of fertilizing with FYM or NPK only. Combined FYM and NPK fertilization gave significantly higher yields as compared to NPK or FYM by 8.3% and 12.7%, respectively. Above-ground dry matter and mineral nutrients accumulation at stem elongation stage were the highest with combined FYM and NPK treatments. At the early growth stage (GS 32) the above-ground dry matter and nutrients accumulation were slower when FYM was applied alone as compared to mineral (NPK) fertilization. FYM with NPK application increased nutrients uptake (N, P and K) in the grain and straw of winter rye.