Adoption of Inorganic Fertilizer for Crop Production by Local Communities in Soroti District, Uganda.

ABSTRACT In modern agriculture, inorganic fertilizers are commonly being used to supplement soil nutrients, to promote plant growth, to increase crop productivity and also improve food quality. Fertilizer adoption in Uganda in small holder agriculture is among the lowest in comparison with other Sub-Sahara African countries. This study was carried out to investigate the adoption of inorganic fertilizers for crop production in Soroti district by identifying the common types of inorganic fertilizers used for crop production, finding out the factors affecting the adoption of inorganic fertilizers, and determining the relationship between adoption of inorganic fertilizers and crop yields. The methods used were stratified random sampling, purposive, and snowball sampling. The data collection instruments were the questionnaires and structured interview schedules. The data was analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Scientists software. Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient was used to analyze the correlation between the adoption of inorganic fertilizers and crop yields. ANOVA and t-test were carried out to determine significant mean differences between samples. Results from the study showed that DAP and Urea are the most commonly used inorganic fertilizers in all the sub-counties. The factors affecting adoption of inorganic fertilizers are high cost of purchasing, lack of sensitization, inaccessibility of the inorganic fertilizers, lack of training, cultural or negative attitude, poor storage facilities, and unreliable weather patterns. The ANOVA test indicated that there is no significant mean difference in fertilizer usage among the four sub-counties. However, from the t-test for independent samples, it was observed that there is a statistically significant difference between the means in the views regarding fertilizer usage between the local people in the different sub-counties and agricultural officers from NGOs, CBOs and NAADs coordinators. There is a modest and significant correlation between the adoption of inorganic fertilizers and crop yields. This study recommends frequent sensitization and training sessions, integrated fertilizer-use approach, a comprehensive fertilizer policy, provision of improved seeds or crop varieties, and setting up community demo-sites and carrying Environmental screening.