TITLE:
Evaluation of District-Based Indigenous Farmers’ and Researchers’ Fertilizer Application for Optimal Maize Production
AUTHORS:
Mary Antwi
KEYWORDS:
Fertilizer Application, Smallholder Farmers, Researchers’ Practices, Yield Increase, Maize Profitability
JOURNAL NAME:
Agricultural Sciences,
Vol.13 No.4,
April
29,
2022
ABSTRACT: Most research-based fertilizer inputs proposed for small scale farmers to increase their productivity do not achieve the required results and should consider indigenous practices. This study evaluates the practices of nutrient fertilizer input by farmers and researchers and relates them to their corresponding yields and profit so as to establish the appropriateness of the practices in 13 districts of the Northern regions of Ghana. Soil nutrients assessment of Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P) and Potassium (K) contents used to evaluate the soil NPK status was based on previous studies. Data on fertilizer application by farmers and researchers were obtained from the Savanna Agricultural Research Institute (SARI). The amount of N, P and K fertilizer input in 13 Districts and its associated maize grain yields by both farmers (89) and researchers were calculated and compared using two-sample t-test. The t-test results indicated that average amount of fertilizer input by researchers was significantly (p