By Gilbert Azeem Tiroog
Dasang (U/E), Aug 3, GNA – The Forum for Natural Regeneration (FONAR), an environmentally-focused organization in the Upper East Region, has organised a refresher training for Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR) lead farmers on fertilizer application techniques.
A total of 20 FMNR lead farmers, including 10 males and 10 females drawn from the Dasang and Kparaboug communities in the Nabdam District, were taken through various techniques and types of fertilizer application to boost their yields and minimize the environmental impact of inappropriate fertilizer use.
The training formed part of the FMNR for Women Empowerment and Livelihood Project (FMNR4WELIP), with funding support from the Awaken Trees Foundation of Austria, aimed at enhancing the knowledge and skills of lead farmers on efficient and climate-smart fertilizer use to improve crop yields and ensure long-term soil health.
Mr Sumaila S. Saaka, the Executive Director of FONAR, addressing the farmers at a demonstration field in the Dasang community, noted that the session was to refresh the farmers’ knowledge on fertilizer application, help them increase their productivity, and guide them to maximize returns on investment while minimizing environmental impact.
According to him, “Inappropriate fertilizer use, including over-application, improper timing, or using the wrong type of fertilizer, can lead to serious environmental consequences such as water pollution, soil degradation, and greenhouse gas emissions.”
Mr Saaka explained that nitrogen-based fertilizers, when misapplied, release nitrous oxide, a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change, and that training smallholder farmers on correct application methods was vital for mitigating this challenge while ensuring food security and sustainable agriculture.
He stressed that the benefits of proper fertilizer application were enormous, as it not only increased crop yields and improved nutrient use efficiency but also reduced environmental impact, enhanced cost-effectiveness, improved soil health, and increased resilience to climate change.
Mr Saaka added that empowering smallholder farmers with knowledge on fertilizer use could significantly enhance their economic well-being and contribute to national efforts towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly in reducing poverty, ensuring food security, and protecting the environment.
Madam Nwohuba Bugre, an FMNR lead farmer from the Dasang community, indicated that she had gained valuable insights from the refresher training, which would improve her fertilizer application going forward.
“This training is revealing, and I have learned a lot. Because I could not afford to buy the number of fertilizer bags needed for my farm, I used to buy just one bag for two acres, applying it in small quantities.
In the end, I did not see any meaningful results at harvest. This training has made me realize the impact of those mistakes, and I will do the right thing henceforth,” she said.
Mr Donatus Kurug, a lead farmer from the Kparaboug community, noted that the knowledge gained from the training would be essential for all farmers in his area and expressed his commitment to sharing the information with others, particularly on the proper application of fertilizer to help reduce water pollution.
“Our boreholes are our main source of water, and inappropriate fertilizer use can easily contaminate them as we have learned, so I am committed to educating fellow farmers on the right methods to protect our water sources and improve our farming outcomes,” he said.
Mr Emmanuel Akobta, the Nabdam District Agriculture Engineer and co-facilitator of the training, who took the farmers through practical methods of fertilizer application, including side placement, broadcasting, dibbling, among others, urged the farmers to strictly adhere to the appropriate techniques.
The training was a follow-up to a previous session held by FONAR on the safe handling and use of agrochemicals, and forms part of several interventions being implemented in the area to promote sustainable land use, restore degraded lands, and support the livelihoods of smallholder farmers, particularly women, under the FMNR4WELIP project.
GNA
Edited by Caesar Abagali /Kenneth Odeng Adade