RATIN

Review fertiliser programme to boost maize

Posted on June, 16, 2016 at 11:54 am


There have been discussions on the recent poor performance of maize in the North Rift, which prompted a fact finding visit by senior Agriculture ministry officials. To most maize farmers in the region, the causes re obvious and have been foreseen.

This is because many farmers have faced the problem many times on their own or isolated groups without coming out into the open, but the scale this time around was noticeable.

First, the soil in the region after many decades of farming and fertilizer use doesn’t have natural nutrients and to be sufficiently supplied with the required nutrients for good maize yields.

The best fertiliser is Di-Ammonium Phosphate (DAP) for it has good nutrient combination and releases quickly for fast germination unlike the all-purpose 23:23:0 fertilser which takes weeks to release nutrients.

Optimal dry planting starts between march 8-15 every year and the rain start March 20 to April 2 for the first two to three days and stops for a week or so before starting resuming and increases. During the stoppage farmers are able to apply pre-emergence chemicals to prevent weeds from germinating and late planting resumes.

Therefore, the poor performance this year is a combination of factors that faced maize farmers in the region.

One, many farmers were reluctant to buy the 23:23:0 fertiliser and were waiting for DAP that had been indicated  would arrive in good time but it dawned on them late that it was not forthcoming and they rushed to but 23:23:0 when it was already raining and weeds had already germinated and therefore had to plant in the second part of the rain when it was heavy and continuous therefore washing down nutrients that were not available to the maize germination thus changing colour.

Two, farmers had to grapple with weeds that are competing with maize for ore-emergence chemicals were also washed away by heavy rains.
Farmers have discussed with the government agencies on how to manage support to maize farmers for optimal production in the region for many years including a parliamentary committee and recently on issue of 23:23:0 that is known is not good for the poor soil.

The farmers requested that Dap to be supplied and an introduction of liming, which is a new practice that needs experimentation and training of farmers on its use. We pleaded with the Kenyan agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation (KALRO) to advice the government not to discontinue DAP.

The farmers requested more discussion on options to manage and improve the soils without forcing them to use 23:23:0 or to give options between the two for farmers to choose but no action was taken.

Pragmatic farmers devised local solutions such as mixing 23:23:0 with commercial DAP ratios of 1:1to 1:3 depending on available funds and good results were achieved though not as good as pure DAP in contrast to those who had used 23:23:0. The current dry spell has not made things any better.
The massage is that the soils in the region are nutrient deficient and farmers have to be timely supplied with DAP and liming be promoted among other measures to facilitate the soils to recovery. It is a long term strategy that cannot be rushed.


The Agriculture Ministry needs to understand the farmer’s predicament to avoid similar problems occurring again. KALRO should advise the ministry appropriately on the issue of fertilizer types and measures needed to avoid avoiding disrupting maize farming and yielding losses.
Fertiliser distribution should start as early as November and  ways devised to lock out cartels who end up taking most of the subsidized fertilizer.

 

Source: Business Daily Newspaper / Wednesday,June 16, 2016