Mozambique: UEM professors develop new fertilisers for soy and corn – Noticias

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Mozambique: UEM professors develop new fertilisers for soy and corn – Noticias

3:01 CAT | 24 Aug 2021

File photo: Noticias

Professors at the Faculty of Agronomy and Forestry at Eduardo Mondlane University (UEM) have developed new formulas for compound fertilisers for corn and soybeans, based on the analysis of specific soils for each crop.

The new fertilisers result from the implementation of a project to improve soil health, food security and the living conditions of small farmers in Mozambique through the development of compound fertilisers suitable for the Beira corridor.

The new fertilizers, which could increase productivity by up to 50%, have already been validated by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MADEFR).

According to a UEM source, the development of the new formulas was based on soil surveys carried out in the provinces of Manica (Báruèe and Gondola districts), Sofala (Gorongosa and Nhamatanda districts) and Tete (Moatize and Tsangano districts).

Rogério Borguete, UEM professor and a member of the project, explained that the sites were chosen as representative of different agro-ecological zones. The trials were conducted in the actual fields of smallholders over a period of two years, he added.

“If we were simply to set up a [trial] station, the results obtained would not be applicable to the farmer’s reality. And rain patterns are also changing. It was necessary to expose all adversities to the reality of the small farmers,” the professor explained.

In addition to developing fertiliser formulae for soybean and maize crops, the research team undertook other activities, such as updating fertiliser management and regulatory tools and producing informative maps.

Source: Noticias