Whoever chooses to invest in farming is interested in having a bumper harvest, which calls for the application of fertilisers. The two types of fertilisers are organic and inorganic.

Organic fertilisers, according to the African Fertiliser Agribusiness Partnership (AFAP), are made from natural or living materials such as peat moss, bone, seaweed, composted plant materials, and animal manure.

On the other hand, synthetic or inorganic fertilisers are manufactured chemically or produced from rocks and minerals.

Organic fertilisers include foliar and compost manure, while inorganic include manufactured fertilisers such as NPK and DAP.

Noteworthy is that while inorganic fertilisers contain all the nutrients needed by the soil, the case is different with organic fertilisers as most of them have little or no nitrogen, according to soil scientists.

Harvest Money Expo to the rescue

To help farmers rejuvenate their gardens, during the Harvest Money Expo that was held on March 18-20, there were exhibitors for fertilisers.

They included Rainbow Agro Sciences, EzyAgric, Fertiplus that produces organic fertilisers, Barva Organic, Birya United that exhibited organic foliar fertilisers for coffee and vegetables and Chiromo that exhibited a fertiliser that reduces the acidity of soil.

Asiimwe Mujuni, a sales executive at Birya, explained that their fungicides protect crops, especially coffee and vegetables, from fungal infections. He added that unlike other chemicals whose residues remain on vegetables, the fungicides do not.

In coffee, it helps in the management of coffee leaf rust, coffee berry and coffee blister diseases. It also protects vegetables from powdery mildew, rust, wilts and blights, among others. To apply, the liquid is mixed with water, as recommended on the packaging, but also from an agronomist or extension worker.

Other exhibitors included Yara that exhibited fertilisers such as Yara Power that is aimed at boosting the viability of the seed and also neutralises acids in the soil. They also exhibited Yara Winner, a top dresser for horticulture crops such as tomatoes, fruits, vegetables and potatoes, explained Victor Clement, an agronomist and sales representative for Yara fertilisers in Uganda.

Fertplus organic fertilisers from Netherlands were also showcased at the expo. In an earlier interview with Prof. Mondo Kagonyera, who is promoting the fertilisers, he said they are soil-friendly compared to others that increase the soils’ acidity, which affects proper growth of the crop, leading to poor or low yields.

Bumi Hijau Uganda Limited was another exhibitor that showcased products like Bionik-Phos bio fertilisers, which are used to fi x nitrogen in the soil, hence rejuvenating it ahead of cultivation.

The fertiliser dissolves potassium in the soil, improves fertility, hence increasing yields and suppresses bacterial wilt.

Scientists said while inorganic fertilisers, contain all the nutrients needed by the soil, most organic fertilisers have little or no nitrogen.

Precaution

They, however, add that while applying the fertiliser, eating or drinking is not allowed as one can easily inhale the chemicals that can be harmful to their health.

NuGro Bio activator, a foliar plant growth exhibitor, has anti-fungal and anti-bacterium properties. This also increases the uptake of NPK from the soil, promotes seed germination.

For better yields, its first mixed with seed before planting.