Mozambique: Urea plus manure as an economical feeding option

Researchers from several scientific organizations in Mozambique have developed a recipe for a combined fertilizing for rice amid rising prices for mineral fertilizers The cost of chemical fertilizers is increasing, making agrochemistry unaffordable for smallholder farmers in Africa. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of combined fertilization strategies using urea and manure (cattle and poultry manure) on rice yield and nutrient absorption. The African continent accounts for only 4.8% of the world's rice production, and despite its potential, with 130 million hectares of arable land, only 8% is currently cultivated, and yields are almost three times lower than in Asian countries. In Mozambique, rice is cultivated on a total area of 320,000 hectares, which makes it the second most important source of cereal production, but most smallholders cannot be competitive by ensuring an uninterrupted supply in accordance with the country's rice consumption, so the country relies ...