Microdosing of fertiliser increases yield: ICRISAT

Hyderabad, Apr 29 (UNI) The fertiliser microdosing technique, developed by the International Crop Research Institute for Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), has led to increase in agriculture yield in sub-Saharan Africa, said Director General Dr William Dar.

In a statement Dr Dar said here yesterday, microdosing had re-introduced fertiliser use in Zimbabwe, Mozambique and South Africa in the southern part of Africa and Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso in Western Africa.

This year, which has been declared as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification by the United Nations, ICRISAT's microdosing initiative was improving the livelihood of the poor and marginal farmers of Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) through enhanced agricultural productivity in the dry lands, he said.

According to Dr Dar, the strength of the microdosing initiative was taken up with strong partnership with donors, international and national agricultural research and extension systems, NGOs and farmer communities. ''Microdosing permits small farmers to get good impact by adding affordable quantities of fertilisers to the fields.

Through the warrantage credit scheme in Western Africa, the farmers are effectively linked with the markets,'' he added.

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