Improving cereal productivity and farmers’ income using a strategic application of fertilizers in West Africa

In the past two years, ICRISAT, in collaboration with other International Agricultural Research Centres, National Agricultural Research and Extension Systems, has been evaluating and promoting point or hill application of fertilizer along with “Warrantage” in three West African countries, namely, Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger. The hill application of fertilizers consists of applying small doses of fertilizer in the planting hills of millet and sorghum. The combination of strategic hill application of fertilizer with complementary institutional and market linkages, through an inventory credit system (known as “Warrantage”) offers a good opportunity to improve crop productivity and farmers’ incomes. Results from the two year on-farm trials showed that, on average, in all the three countries, grain yields of millet and sorghum were greater by 44 to 120% while incomes of farmers increased by 52 to 134% when using hill application of fertilizer than with the earlier recommended fertilizer broadcasting methods and farmers’ practice. Substantial net profits were obtained by farmers using “Warrantage”. Farmers’ access to credit and inputs was improved substantially through the “Warrantage” system. The technology has reached up to 12650 farm households in the three countries and efforts are in progress to further scale-up and out the technology to wider geographical area

ADVERSE SELECTION IN DEVELOPING COUNTRY FACTOR MARKETS: THE CASE OF FERTILIZERS IN CAMBODIA

We analyze the presence and potential impact of low quality fertilizers, inadequate access to credit and market information on fertilizer market participation and application rates. We explain in theory and show empirically that farmers chose to abstain from the fertilizer market altogether or decrease their application rates below recommended levels because bad quality deters all buyers not willing to pay the market price for the average quality fertilizer available.Crop Production/Industries,

Effect of nitrogen fertilizer placement on nitrogen uptake and yield of sweet corn (Zea mays L. saccharata) : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Agricultural Science in Plant Science at Massey University, New Zealand

Five placements of nitrogen fertilizer applied to sweet corn (Zea mays L. saccharata) at the four fully expanded leaf stage, that is control (no nitrogen), a band of nitrogen placed on the soil surface near the row, on the soil surface between the rows, at 3 cm depth between the rows and at 10 cm depth between the rows were studied following three sowing times. Total plant nitrogen and sap nitrate were determined along with total plant dry weight at six growth stages. Leaf extension and leaf appearance were also followed in order to monitor the response of plants to nitrogen fertilizer applied. Nitrogen fertilizer application resulted in significantly higher nitrogen uptake, plant dry weight and marketable ears under both dry and wet conditions. Nitrogen fertilizer applied at 10 cm depth between rows resulted in significantly higher nitrogen uptake, plant dry weight and marketable ears than that applied on the soil surface between rows under dry condition. Nitrogen fertilizer applied on the soil surface near the plants performed well under both dry and wet conditions. The sap nitrate test was more sensitive than total nitrogen measurement in indicating the timing of nitrogen uptake. Sap nitrate levels were influenced by nitrogen fertilizer application and soil water content. The general critical value of sap nitrate over the vegetative growing period was about 1000 ppm. The sap nitrate test appeared to be a very useful monitoring tool for plant nitrogen status. Further studies in the uses of sap nitrate test, especially the critical value, are needed. Use of leaf extension to detect the response of plants to nitrogen fertilizer applied was not successful. Nitrogen fertilizer application tended to accelerate leaf appearance under the low soil nitrogen status

CERTAINTY EQUIVALENCE FOR DETERMINATION OF OPTIMAL FERTILIZER APPLICATION RATES WITH CARRY-OVER

This note demonstrates that a certain class of stochastic problems for determination of optimal fertilizer application rates in the presence of fertilizer carry-over can be simplified to static, certainly equivalent problems. Conditions required for certainty equivalence to hold are: (1) fertilizer carry-over is agronomically equivalent to applied fertilizer; and (2) some addition of fertilizer is optimal in every decision period.Crop Production/Industries,

The role of cattle manure in enhancing on-farm productivity, macro- and micro-nutrient uptake, and profitability of maize in the Guinea savanna

An on-farm trial was conducted in the northern Guinea savanna of Nigeria, over a period of five years, with the objectives of quantifying the effects on maize of applying cattle manure in combination with synthetic fertilizer with regard to soil characteristics, yield, plant nutrition and profitability. Maize grain yield was significantly increased by the annual application of cattle manure, compared to maize receiving an equal amount of N through synthetic fertilizer, but only from the third year of the experiment. The application of manure resulted in higher soil Kjel N, Bray-I P and exchangeable K values, and an increased N utilization efficiency by maize, suggesting that yield-limiting factors other than N deficiencies were of lesser importance than in the treatment receiving sole inorganic fertilizer. Nutrients other than N applied via the manure, particularly P, K and/or B, may have contributed to the higher grain yields in treatments receiving manure. A partial budgeting analysis revealed that, over a 5-year period, investments in the application of manure, in combination with synthetic fertilizer, resulted in higher margins than the application of fertilizer alone. However, analyses of marginal rates of return of changes from low urea N to high urea N or additional manure applications suggested that it was more profitable to invest in additional urea than in organic manure in the first two years of the experiment. The results suggested that manure applications, even when applied at relatively high rates, did not serve as a quick fix to on-farm soil fertility problems, but over a longer period, manure applied in combination with synthetic fertilizers did provide a significant and profitable contribution to enhanced cereal production

Testing an Online Spread Pattern Determination Sensor on a Broadcast Fertilizer Spreader

An alternative method for fertilizer spread pattern determination was developed based on predicting where individual fertilizer particles land on the ground, in contrast to the traditional method of collecting the particles in bins (ASAE Standard S341.2). A small broadcast granular fertilizer spreader (Lowery 300) was equipped with an optical sensor designed to measure the velocity and diameter of individual fertilizer particles shortly after they leave the impeller disc. The measured velocity and diameter of individual particles were input into a ballistic model that predicted where particles land on the ground. A total of over 1000 landing spots revealed the spread pattern. The results have shown that the optical sensor is capable of automatically determining the spread pattern of a fertilizer spreader on the fly. The sensor could be a key component in the development of uniformity-controlled fertilizer application systems

Fabrication of NanoChiSil for Application of Fertilizer

It has conducted research of nanoChiSil material consisting of nanochitosan and nanosilica materials for agricultural fertilizer applications. A total of 10 grams of chitosan powder was weighed and dissolved in 500 ml of 1% solution of acetic acid and stirred for 30 minutes, then filtered to separate the chitosan solution with impurities. Nanochitosan synthesized by using 50 ml liquid chitosan diluted further by adding 200 ml of distilled water while stirring continuously using a magnetic stirrer. The chitosan solution was then added to 20 ml of solution 0.02% STTP drop by drop, stirring constantly with a magnetic stirrer until the chitosan solution changes color to white. The nanoChiSil material is performed by adding 30 ml of colloidal nanochitosan into 70 ml of colloidal nanosilica (Nanosil 99) using a magnetic stirrer until homogenous. The nanoChiSil was then analyzed the shape and particle size by using TEM, while its content was measured by EDX. The observed TEM results clearly indicate that the particles of NanoChiSil material have size of 10-20 nm

Best Management Practices: How Economical is it in Southern Agricultural Systems?

Conventional drainage systems tend to aggravate runoff and nutrient leaching problems on farms especially during the off-season. This study uses a biophysical economic model to identify, evaluate and determine multifunctional benefits of implementing and establishing nitrogen rate fertilizer application and conservation tillage practices as best management practices (BMPs) in the lower Mississippi River Basin (MRB). Simulation results showed that agricultural producers generally preferred no tillage to conventional tillage in reducing nutrient runoffs from fields because of higher net revenue per acre. Finally, given nitrogen runoff restrictions, farmers reduced crop acreage and nitrogen fertilizer application rates to help minimize losses.biopysical economic model, tillage practices, nitrogen fertilizer application rates, MRB, Agricultural and Food Policy, Crop Production/Industries, Environmental Economics and Policy, Farm Management,

THE ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF VARIABLE RATE FERTILIZER APPLICATION: THE CASE OF MISSISSIPPI

A number of programs have been introduced to limit environmental nonpoint pollution (NPP) associated with agricultural practices. One such program, precision agriculture, involves a range of management practices that utilize site-specific information at the field level. These practices can limit the amount of nutrient and chemical runoff to the environment because they precisely match fertilizer and pesticide application to the needs of the crop. This study uses bioeconomic modeling to investigate the environmental and economic impacts of precision agriculture technology associated with variable rate fertilizer application, as compared to a conventional, single rate application. The empirical results demonstrate that one particular precision agricultural technology, variable rate fertilizer application, can provide both environmental and economic benefits when used on cotton, soybeans, and corn in Mississippi. However, our results depend on several factors, such as soil variability, and the results may be different depending on local conditions.Environmental Economics and Policy,