A Gombe-based soil scientist, Dr Ibrahim Kawu has advised farmers to ensure proper application of organic and inorganic fertilizers to boost soil fertility and productivity.
Kawu, who is a lecturer in the Department of Soil Science, Federal University Kashere in Gombe state, gave the advice in an interview on Tuesday.
He said that soil fertility was on the decline causing huge losses to the farmers in the state as their farmlands were no longer producing the expected yields per hectare.
According to him, soil fertility is a big issue in agriculture as the depletion of soil fertility remains one of the major challenges affecting food security programme.
He said for farmers to sustain crop production and improve productivity, there was the need to embrace integrated fertiliser use and management to boost food production and their income.
“One of the major constraints for crop production is improper nutrient management.
“Organic fertiliser helps improve physical and biological activities of soil but they have comparatively low in nutrient content.
“For the inorganic fertiliser, it is usually immediately and fast containing all necessary nutrients that are directly accessible for plants.
“These inorganic fertilisers if used alone continuously causes soil degradation, soil acidity and environmental pollution.
“But when you combine both, one will complement the weakness of the other and by so doing you will improve soil productivity of your farmland,” he said.
Kawu said that using both fertilisers would result to crops having adequate and balanced supply of nutrients which is necessary for soil productivity.
On the cost of integrated nutrient management, Kawu said that combining both fertilisers remained the most cost-effective way of managing soil fertility, and also environment-friendly.
“Last cropping season, in one of my farmlands, I was supposed to buy 15 bags of NPK but I just bought five and mixed it with animal dung, the result was excellent.
“I harvested 30 bags of maize and two bags of beans from the farm which is less than a hectare and the cost of inputs reduced.
“But in the other farm which is a hectare, I harvested 18 bags of maize and les than two bags of beans in spite using nine bags of fertilisers of NPK only.
“I spent more money in the second farmland with low yields but got more yields in the first one with less expenditure. So, integrated nutrient management is the way forward.
“In subsequent years, the farmland where integrated nutrient management system is being used it get more nourished than others,” he said.
Kawu further urged farmers to engage soil scientists in analyse the soil on their farmlands, adding that the result of the study would enable them to know what nutrient the soil lacked or needed.
“Farmers should seek knowledge and leverage extension services from relevant stakeholders on how best to go about combining organic and inorganic fertilisers on their farms for effective result,” he said.
