Maize and bean farmers can increase their yields two-fold (200 per cent) by applying both manure and mineral fertilizer on their crops.
This can be achieved by applying mineral fertilizers at two levels; 2.5 bags of triple super phosphate (TSP) plus 4.5 bags of calcium ammonium nitrate (CAN) per hectare or five bags TSP plus nine bags of CAN per hectare.
Related
Farmer earns from rearing red worms for organic manure
Fortified composite manure doubles crop yields
Balanced soil-manure ratio boosts water drainage in bag farming
Cattle manure can be applied at two levels; five tonnes per hectare or 10 tonnes per hectare. The recommended maize variety to grow in this case is hybrid H 512, which is usually planted as a sole (mono) crop during the long rains (March – June). While the recommended bean variety is ‘Mwezi m oja’ is grown during the short rains, on residual fertility remaining from fertilizer and manure applied during the preceding maize growing season.
A combination of the two treatments at both rates of manure and fertilizer application is done once a year prior to sowing. At the land preparation stage, maize stovers are incorporated into the soil to enhance the manure and boost soil fertility. CAN is applied on the seventh week as a top dress.
According to a research conducted by the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization, smallholder farmers have problems producing enough food for household consumption due to low availability of nutrients particularly phosphorus and nitrogen. The decline in crop yields have led to increased food insecurity, poverty and reduced usage of added nutrients on the farm with 3.4m Kenyans staring at starvation in 2018.
Related posts:
- Bee keeping in farms increases crop yields by 70 per cent, research finds A study by the African Insect Science for Food and Health in 2017 established that...
- Nandi farmer increases milk yields fourfold with silage technology Cyrus Kitur, a farmer at Kabiyet dairies cooperative society has quadrupled his milk yields from...
- University drop out makes over Sh0.5m net income a season from French beans farming Jeremy Musila applying fertiliser to his French beans at his farm in Kitengela. Photo courtesy....
- Murang’a farmer feeds cows with yeast, improves milk production by up to three litres a day Murang’a County County farmer Boniface Mwangi has been recording gradual increase of milk from one...
- Global company launches initiative to help smallholders through poultry value chain Cargill in partnership with Heifer International has launched The Hatching Hope Global Initiative which aims...
- Sigh of relief for Kericho dairy farmer after Kenya Dairy Board suspended controversial regulations Farmers are selling milk to hawkers to make more profits: Photo courtesy. It is a...