The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research-Savanna Agricultural Research Institute (CSIR-SARI) is testing enhanced-efficiency fertilisers that could help Ghanaian maize farmers improve yields while using less nitrogen, potentially easing production costs and reducing nutrient losses, according to The High Street Journal.
The three-year research project is comparing eight fertiliser treatments to determine whether farmers can maintain or increase maize production with a 20% reduction in nitrogen application, from 90 kilogrammes per hectare to 72 kilogrammes per hectare. The trials are also assessing the potential to improve soil health and reduce nitrogen losses that can contribute to environmental pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.
Dr Edwin Korbla Akley, Senior Research Scientist in Soil Microbiology, Soil Health and Agroecology at CSIR-SARI, disclosed this during a field day at the institute’s experimental farm at Nyankpala in the Northern Region. Farmers from Nyankpala, Kpalsogu, Tingoli, Kpana and Preguyili attended the demonstration, where researchers explained the fertiliser treatments, their sources and recommended application methods.