Fertilisers To Use In Planting, Factors To Consider Amidst Fake Fertiliser Saga

• Agriculture CS Mithika Linturi announced the closure of KEL Chemicals and the withdrawal of its manufacturing license over allegations of supplying inferior fertilisers
• Fertilisers are supposed to enhance yields, but according to Geoffrey Kavita, an agricultural consultant, farmers have to know the nutrients and fertilisers needed at different stages
• Kavita explained that while some crops require higher levels of nitrogenous fertilisers, others, like legumes, can fix nitrogen themselves, requiring minimal supplementation

Elijah Ntongai, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, has more than three years of financial, business, and technology research expertise, providing insights into Kenyan and global trends.

The 2024 planting season has been filled with controversy and concerns from Kenyan farmers after purchasing fake or substandard fertilisers from the market.

Is there fake fertiliser in Kenya?

On April 12, Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi announced the closure of KEL Chemicals and the withdrawal of its manufacturing license amid allegations of supplying substandard fertilisers.

The Thika-based company is at the centre of the ongoing controversy over fake fertiliser amid allegations that it supplied farmers with substandard fertilisers under the government fertiliser subsidy programme.

Speaking to TUKO.co.ke, Charles, a farmer who purchased substandard fertiliser, said that when he got home, he poured it into a basin and noticed that it smelled like cow dung and, upon further examination, noticed that there were small stones.

"If you could go to the store hapo (in) Luanda ungejionea. Yangu inanuka tu kinyesi cha ngombe. I did not go back (to the store). I was just annoyed. I wonder why a government would do such a thing to its citizens," said Charles.

The fake fertiliser controversy has raised concerns among farmers and other stakeholders. It is seen as an impediment to the gains made in food security through subsidised government fertilisers.

How to choose best fertilisers for maximum yields

Pending investigations into the fake fertiliser saga, farmers need to plant, and apart from brands, farmers need to understand the types of fertilisers to use when planting crops to ensure maximum yields.

Speaking to TUKO.co.ke, Geoffrey Kavita, an agronomist and agricultural consultant, said that farmers should use different fertilisers for different crops to meet their different nutrient requirements.

"Crops are different and have different crop families and when you look at the end products, they have different nutrient requirements hence it's not good if you use the same fertiliser program for different crops. All crops require fertilisers with high phosphorus composition. An example is the commonly used DAP," explained Kavita.

Nutrient needs for crops

According to Kavita, after planting, crops get to a vegetative stage where they require nitrogenous fertilisers.

"However, different crops require different amounts of nitrogenous fertilisers. Some need more than others to give good yields. If some crops get excess nitrogenous fertilisers, they get imbalanced feeding which is an oversupply that may compromise the ultimate yield for some crops. This happens mostly with potatoes, onions and carrots.

In as much as the crops need nitrogenous fertilisers, you have to limit for some crops, otherwise; you jeopardise the yield. Crops from the legumes family such as beans and peas can fix nitrogen by themselves so they require little amounts. Farmers can apply CAN or any other nitrogenous fertiliser but the quantity should be smaller compared to other crops" the agricultural consultant advised.

New blends in fertilisers

Kavita also highlighted the emergence of new fertiliser technologies, particularly blends tailored to specific crops.

"Farmers need to be on the lookout for emerging fertiliser technologies and right now, we have fertiliser in the form of blends which were introduced the other day. These blends are designed with crop-specific needs in mind. So if it's a potato, we have the blends in the market only for planting potatoes and if you need to top dress, you can apply these blends to other crops," Kavita recommended.

These specialised blends, designed with precise crop nutrient requirements in mind, offer farmers a targeted approach to provide crops with all the key nutrients from a single product.

With the right fertiliser strategy in place, farmers can maximise yields while minimising waste, contributing to enhanced agricultural productivity and food security.

Proofreading by Jackson Otukho, a multimedia journalist and copy editor at TUKO.co.ke