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Rice farmers urged to complement fertilizers with micronutrients to boost production

By Théogène NSENGIMANA

Rice farmers and RAB staff inspect a treatment plot in Rugeramigozi  marshland

Rice farmers have been urged to add micronutrients to fertilizers and other agrochemicals to boost production.

 Athanase Rusanganwa, the coordinator of Support to Research on Fertilizer Recommendations (SRFR) project aimed to improve fertilizer recommendations for the crop intensification program (CIP) priority crops said farmers should complement fertilizers to ensure they exploit maximally potential yield of seeds.

“for seeds to bring a good yield around 16 nutrients are needed. Yet, you cannot find all of those nutrients at once in a plantation, which means that we need to add those nutrients to make sure that we feed our crops with all needed elements”, Rusanganwa said yesterday during the rice farmer field day in Rugeramigozi marshland, Muhanga district.

 The occasion was used to show to farmers the differences between crops fed with fertilizers complemented with nutrients and those fed with only fertilizers in a demonstrating plantation within the marshland.

The only fertilizers commonly used are the NPK 171717, urea, Diammonium phosphate (DAP) complemented with organic manure.

A test conducted in this marshland on a variety that has a potential yield of 10 tons per hectare revealed that with the use of nutrients like zinc, boron, copper, briquettes, granular, sulphur and others; the production in the marshland can shift from the current three tons per hectare to over five tons.

The most needed micronutrients include calcium, magnesium and sulphur while others are needed in lower rate like iron, manganese, copper, boron, molybdenum and chlorine

Jacqueline Uwizeyemariya, a rice farmer in the marshland and member of KIABR cooperative (koperative imparaniramusaruro zábahinzi ba Rugeramigozi)   said the use of  nutrients would not only help them increase produce but would also help them to grow financially.

She said “I have realized that there are ways to increase the low produce we are getting. Once production is increased, I hope I will be able to save money which will help me develop”.

According to the study conducted in 2014 by the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources (MINAGRI) in partnership with International Fertiliser Development Centre (IFDC)  in 4000 fields revealed that micronutrients can help increase agriculture productivity at between 20 and 30 per cent in case used together with fertilizers

The study also revealed that with application of micronutrients  the then average Irish potatoes yield estimated at 22 tonnes per hectare, could increase up to 40 tons while maize yield could raise from 3.8 tons a hectare to 6.5 tons, wheat yield from 2.3 tons to 4 tons per hectare while rice could shift from five to eight tons per hectare.