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The Profitability of Fertilizer Micro Dosing and Timing of Weeding in Finger Millet Production in the Semi-Arid Areas of Uganda

Received: 27 April 2021     Accepted: 14 May 2021     Published: 29 June 2021
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Abstract

Despite the recommendation for fertilizer use in crop production by research, there is a low rate of adoption among farmers. The low adoption rate of fertilizer usage has been partly attributed to high costs of fertilizer in addition to use of agronomic recommendation without fertilizer economic analysis. The study therefore, set out to determine the profitability of fertilizer micro dosing and weeding regimes in finger millet production in eastern Uganda. A randomized complete block design in split plot treatment arrangement with three replications was used. Weeding regime treatments were the main plot and fertilizer micro dosing treatments as the sub plots. The treatments included: different micro dosing rates of nitrogen and phosphorus, weeding regimes and SEREMI II finger millet variety. Nitrogen was applied in the form of urea (46%), in two splits of 50% each at vegetative and flowering stages respectively. The results of the study indicate that weeding once at 20 Days After Sowing (DAS) and a combination of N and P (16.6 kg N ha-1 and 10.6 kg P ha-1) fertilizer micro dose application is the most profitable combination and could make farmers earn up to Uganda shillings 1,984.220 per hectare compared to only Uganda shillings 373,000 from none application of fertilizer. We therefore conclude that finger millet producers can achieve higher economic and environmental gains when weeding is done once at 20 DAS in combination with sole P fertilizer micro dosing applied at 10.6 kg P ha-1.

Published in International Journal of Agricultural Economics (Volume 6, Issue 3)
DOI 10.11648/j.ijae.20210603.16
Page(s) 139-144
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2021. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Fertilizer Micro Dosing, Time of Weeding, Profitability, Finger Millet, Uganda, Gross Margin

References
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Cite This Article
  • APA Style

    Joseph Ekwangu, John Steven Tenywa, Jenipher Bisikwa, Charles Andiku, Helen Opie, et al. (2021). The Profitability of Fertilizer Micro Dosing and Timing of Weeding in Finger Millet Production in the Semi-Arid Areas of Uganda. International Journal of Agricultural Economics, 6(3), 139-144. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijae.20210603.16

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    ACS Style

    Joseph Ekwangu; John Steven Tenywa; Jenipher Bisikwa; Charles Andiku; Helen Opie, et al. The Profitability of Fertilizer Micro Dosing and Timing of Weeding in Finger Millet Production in the Semi-Arid Areas of Uganda. Int. J. Agric. Econ. 2021, 6(3), 139-144. doi: 10.11648/j.ijae.20210603.16

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    AMA Style

    Joseph Ekwangu, John Steven Tenywa, Jenipher Bisikwa, Charles Andiku, Helen Opie, et al. The Profitability of Fertilizer Micro Dosing and Timing of Weeding in Finger Millet Production in the Semi-Arid Areas of Uganda. Int J Agric Econ. 2021;6(3):139-144. doi: 10.11648/j.ijae.20210603.16

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ijae.20210603.16,
      author = {Joseph Ekwangu and John Steven Tenywa and Jenipher Bisikwa and Charles Andiku and Helen Opie and Paul Anguria and Monday Moses Paga and Deborah Lillian Nambirye and Michael Adrogu Ugen and Nelson Wanyera},
      title = {The Profitability of Fertilizer Micro Dosing and Timing of Weeding in Finger Millet Production in the Semi-Arid Areas of Uganda},
      journal = {International Journal of Agricultural Economics},
      volume = {6},
      number = {3},
      pages = {139-144},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ijae.20210603.16},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijae.20210603.16},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijae.20210603.16},
      abstract = {Despite the recommendation for fertilizer use in crop production by research, there is a low rate of adoption among farmers. The low adoption rate of fertilizer usage has been partly attributed to high costs of fertilizer in addition to use of agronomic recommendation without fertilizer economic analysis. The study therefore, set out to determine the profitability of fertilizer micro dosing and weeding regimes in finger millet production in eastern Uganda. A randomized complete block design in split plot treatment arrangement with three replications was used. Weeding regime treatments were the main plot and fertilizer micro dosing treatments as the sub plots. The treatments included: different micro dosing rates of nitrogen and phosphorus, weeding regimes and SEREMI II finger millet variety. Nitrogen was applied in the form of urea (46%), in two splits of 50% each at vegetative and flowering stages respectively. The results of the study indicate that weeding once at 20 Days After Sowing (DAS) and a combination of N and P (16.6 kg N ha-1 and 10.6 kg P ha-1) fertilizer micro dose application is the most profitable combination and could make farmers earn up to Uganda shillings 1,984.220 per hectare compared to only Uganda shillings 373,000 from none application of fertilizer. We therefore conclude that finger millet producers can achieve higher economic and environmental gains when weeding is done once at 20 DAS in combination with sole P fertilizer micro dosing applied at 10.6 kg P ha-1.},
     year = {2021}
    }
    

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  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - The Profitability of Fertilizer Micro Dosing and Timing of Weeding in Finger Millet Production in the Semi-Arid Areas of Uganda
    AU  - Joseph Ekwangu
    AU  - John Steven Tenywa
    AU  - Jenipher Bisikwa
    AU  - Charles Andiku
    AU  - Helen Opie
    AU  - Paul Anguria
    AU  - Monday Moses Paga
    AU  - Deborah Lillian Nambirye
    AU  - Michael Adrogu Ugen
    AU  - Nelson Wanyera
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    DO  - 10.11648/j.ijae.20210603.16
    T2  - International Journal of Agricultural Economics
    JF  - International Journal of Agricultural Economics
    JO  - International Journal of Agricultural Economics
    SP  - 139
    EP  - 144
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2575-3843
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijae.20210603.16
    AB  - Despite the recommendation for fertilizer use in crop production by research, there is a low rate of adoption among farmers. The low adoption rate of fertilizer usage has been partly attributed to high costs of fertilizer in addition to use of agronomic recommendation without fertilizer economic analysis. The study therefore, set out to determine the profitability of fertilizer micro dosing and weeding regimes in finger millet production in eastern Uganda. A randomized complete block design in split plot treatment arrangement with three replications was used. Weeding regime treatments were the main plot and fertilizer micro dosing treatments as the sub plots. The treatments included: different micro dosing rates of nitrogen and phosphorus, weeding regimes and SEREMI II finger millet variety. Nitrogen was applied in the form of urea (46%), in two splits of 50% each at vegetative and flowering stages respectively. The results of the study indicate that weeding once at 20 Days After Sowing (DAS) and a combination of N and P (16.6 kg N ha-1 and 10.6 kg P ha-1) fertilizer micro dose application is the most profitable combination and could make farmers earn up to Uganda shillings 1,984.220 per hectare compared to only Uganda shillings 373,000 from none application of fertilizer. We therefore conclude that finger millet producers can achieve higher economic and environmental gains when weeding is done once at 20 DAS in combination with sole P fertilizer micro dosing applied at 10.6 kg P ha-1.
    VL  - 6
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Author Information
  • National Semi-Arid Resources Research Institute (NaSARRI), Soroti, Uganda

  • Department of Agricultural Production, College of Agricultural Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Ugand

  • Department of Agricultural Production, College of Agricultural Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Ugand

  • National Semi-Arid Resources Research Institute (NaSARRI), Soroti, Uganda

  • National Semi-Arid Resources Research Institute (NaSARRI), Soroti, Uganda

  • National Semi-Arid Resources Research Institute (NaSARRI), Soroti, Uganda

  • Department of Agricultural Production, College of Agricultural Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Ugand

  • Department of Agricultural Production, College of Agricultural Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Ugand

  • National Semi-Arid Resources Research Institute (NaSARRI), Soroti, Uganda

  • National Semi-Arid Resources Research Institute (NaSARRI), Soroti, Uganda

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