Savannah Agricultural Research Institute (SARI) of the Centre for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has urged farmers to use locally created organic fertiliser to boost the yields of three key crops.
The study found that using Organic Farming Aid (OFA), a liquid wood vinegar, alone or in combination with inorganic fertilizers like NPK, allowed farmers to achieve high yields and maximum value in maize, cowpea, and groundnut cultivation.
Smallholder farmers with one-hectare farms could invest approximately GH55 in liquid fertilizer, which is much less expensive than NPK, to triple their revenues in a growing season, from GH1,000 to GH3,000.
“Farmers can get even higher yields by combining OFA with reduced amounts of NPK,” according to the findings.
HJA-Africa produces an organic yield enhancer, pest, and fungal control agro-input in Ghana. In comparison to synthetic insecticides, the researchers wanted to see how OFA affected maize growth and yield, as well as its protective capabilities in terms of aflatoxin contamination in groundnuts and its ability to control cowpea pests.
During the 2021 cropping season, the research was conducted at the CSIR-SARI research fields in Nyankpala, Tamale, as well as a few selected farms in the Sagnarigu Municipality in the Northern Region.
According to the study’s findings, standard synthetic fertiliser (NPK) is now four times more expensive than it was two years ago, with even subsidised NPK now selling for GH320 per bag and roughly GH400 at market prices.” The results revealed that both OFA and NPK provided revenue benefits from higher yield greater than their costs, but OFA plus 50% NPK provided the best profit per hectare, while OFA provided the highest revenue-to-cost ratio (most efficient investment).