Microdosing in Africa
Impoverished soils and low yields are the bane of Africa’s small farmers. Chemical fertilizers are a critical input. The fertilizer microdosing technology using a bottle cap can boost productivity, improve the tolerance of sorghum and pearl millet to drought and temperature stress and make plant nutrient use more efficient to raise yields.
Interventions
- Precision farming technique developed where a small dose of fertilizer is strategically placed with
seed at planting time - Small packs of fertilizer are sold in community-managed
input stores – linked to agrodealers – installed in villages for easy access to farmers. - The warrantage or inventory credit system set up: Farmers place part of their harvest in a local
storehouse in return for inventory credit to meet pressing postharvest expenses and engage
in dry-season, income-generating activities. The stored grain can be sold later in the year at much higher prices for profit. - This has been implemented in Mali, Burkina Faso,
Niger and Zimbabwe.
Impact
- 25,000 smallholders farmers in Mali, Burkina Faso and
Niger trained - Subsidized fertilizer has been authorized for use on
millet and sorghum farms in Niger and Mali - Village-level input stores were created for
distribution of government-supplied fertilizer in
Niger and Mali - 39% of the total cropping area covered
- 300,000 farmers practising the technique in Zimbabwe
- 393 farmer’s field days were held (2009-2012); 57,338 participants registered
- 44-120% increase in sorghum and millet yields
- 30% increase in family incomes between 2009 and 2012
- $ 7 million savings in food imports
- Generated a net present value of $ 26 million and an internal rate of return of 36% by 2013
- Policy impact in Mali and Niger
- 133 showcase fields established in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger
- Fertilizer use rates increased from 7.41 kg/ha to 11.45 kg/ha in the baseline study
- 21- 68% rise in proportion of farmers using mineral fertilizer
- 13 km to 6 km reduction in average distance to an input shop
- 77% farmers used at least one type of mineral fertilizer compared to 48% in a control village
- Generated a net present value of USD 26 M and an internal rate of return of 36% by 2013.
In the media
