An IITA-led fertilizer-use study on East African highl and bananas has shown that moderate application of mineral fertilizers could double the production of the crop. However, the study also found that majority of the banana growers in the region do not use fertilizers, missing out on the opportunity to maximize the crop’s food security and economic potentials. Over 70 million people in the East African highl ands depend on banana as their primary source of food and income.
The USAID-funded study carried out by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) in nearly 200 farmer fields in Ug anda – the second largest producer and consumer of bananas in the world – showed that modest fertilizer use can significantly increase the crop’s yield.
In Central Ug anda, for example, annual yields doubled from 10 to 20 tonnes per hectare with modest fertilizer application.
The research was led by Piet van Asten, IITA agronomist based in Ug anda, and Lydia Wairegi, a PhD student at Makere University.
“The application of fertilizers not only increases bunch weight but also shortens the crop cycle so the plants produce more bunches in a year”, says van Asten.
However, the study also found that less than 5 percent of the farmers apply fertilizer on their banana crop. The farmers cited high costs, erratic supply, and inconvenient packaging as the main reasons for not using fertilizers. They also indicated the lack of access to credit facilities, limited knowledge on fertilizer use, and the perceived negative effect on soil quality and on the taste of the bananas.
To debunk the latter, a related farmer sensory evaluation conducted by IITA and Ug anda’s National Agricultural Research Organization (NARO) showed that fertilizer use not only increased yields, but also improved the quality of the fruit to make matooke – a popular local delicacy made from steamed bananas.
The results of the evaluation indicated that fertilizer treatment actually improved the appearance, odor, texture, and overall acceptability of the steamed bananas.
Although the study showed proof of the positive effect of fertilizers on banana production, van Asten cautions that fertilizer use has to be very strategic.
For example, the practice only becomes more profitable when it is specific to a crop and a region, and targeted at only those nutrients that are most deficient.
“Most farmers follow blanket fertilizer recommendations which can be very inefficient and therefore expensive. Farmers should apply only as much nutrient as needed for a realistic yield increase for their specific locality,” he says.
He adds that another consideration is distance to the markets. “Bananas are perishable and costly to transport because of their bulkiness. One needs to be close to the market to fetch a really good price,” he says. “Ug anda’s production zones are too far from markets, some more than 150 kilometers away. This leads to low banana prices at the farm gate. Fertilizer use in such cases becomes risky and, therefore, may not be recommended.”
Fertilizers also help replace lost soil nutrients. For example, the study estimated that more than 1.5 million tons of potassium (K) are removed from the rural areas where the bananas are grown and transported to Kampala where most of the markets are. These nutrients are mined by farmers, but not immediately replaced. Over time, this could diminish the soil’s ability to profitably sustain banana production.
To guide East African highl and banana farmers, IITA and its partners have developed several site-specific recommendations for the application of fertilizer based on the region and the distance to markets. The institute is also encouraging the private, public, and non-government sectors to address fertilizer packaging to suit the specific needs of farmers.
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For more information, please contact:
Dr Piet van Asten, p.vanasten@cgiar.org
Agronomist
IITA-Ug anda
Catherine Njuguna, c.njuguna@cgiar.org
Corporate Communications Officer for East and Southern Africa
Communication Office
IITA East and Southern Africa Hub
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Jeffrey Oliver o.jeffrey@cgiar.org
Corporate Communications Officer (International)
Communication Office
IITA Headquarters
Ibadan, Nigeria
URL: www.iita.org
About IITA
Africa has complex problems that plague agriculture and people’s lives. We develop agricultural solutions with our partners to tackle hunger and poverty. Our award winning research for development (R4D) is based on focused, authoritative thinking anchored on the development needs of sub-Saharan Africa. We work with partners in Africa and beyond to reduce producer and consumer risks, enhance crop quality and productivity, and generate wealth from agriculture. IITA is an international non-profit R4D organization since 1967, governed by a Board of Trustees, and supported primarily by the CGIAR.
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