Joseph Ekwangu | Makerere University (original) (raw)
Papers by Joseph Ekwangu
International journal of agricultural economics, 2021
Despite the recommendation for fertilizer use in crop production by research, there is a low rate... more Despite the recommendation for fertilizer use in crop production by research, there is a low rate of adoption among farmers. The low adoption rate of fertilizer usage has been partly attributed to high costs of fertilizer in addition to use of agronomic recommendation without fertilizer economic analysis. The study therefore, set out to determine the profitability of fertilizer micro dosing and weeding regimes in finger millet production in eastern Uganda. A randomized complete block design in split plot treatment arrangement with three replications was used. Weeding regime treatments were the main plot and fertilizer micro dosing treatments as the sub plots. The treatments included: different micro dosing rates of nitrogen and phosphorus, weeding regimes and SEREMI II finger millet variety. Nitrogen was applied in the form of urea (46%), in two splits of 50% each at vegetative and flowering stages respectively. The results of the study indicate that weeding once at 20 Days After Sowing (DAS) and a combination of N and P (16.6 kg N ha-1 and 10.6 kg P ha-1) fertilizer micro dose application is the most profitable combination and could make farmers earn up to Uganda shillings 1,984.220 per hectare compared to only Uganda shillings 373,000 from none application of fertilizer. We therefore conclude that finger millet producers can achieve higher economic and environmental gains when weeding is done once at 20 DAS in combination with sole P fertilizer micro dosing applied at 10.6 kg P ha-1 .
Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Sustainability
The excessive application of mineral fertilizers in maize cultivation leads to progressive soil c... more The excessive application of mineral fertilizers in maize cultivation leads to progressive soil contamination in the long term and increases the cost of production. An alternative to reduce over-fertilization is to perform a partial replacement with microbes that promote nutrition and growth, such as Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF). A pot experiment which was followed by two field experiments was performed with and without the application of indigenous AMF in combination with five nitrogen–phosphorus–potassium (NPK) fertilization rates (100% NPK = N120P60K60; 75% NPK = N90P45K45; 50% NPK = N60P30K30; 25% NPK = N30P15K15; control = N0P0K0). The objective was to investigate whether the soil application of indigenous mycorrhizal fungi inoculum combined with NPK fertilization can provide higher maize yields and soil-available N, P, and K than chemical fertilization can alone. The greenhouse results showed that the application of AMF with a 50% NPK treatment significantly increased th...
Journal of Agricultural Science, 2020
Finger millet yields in farmers’ fields are low primarily due to low soil fertility and poor weed... more Finger millet yields in farmers’ fields are low primarily due to low soil fertility and poor weed management. Fertilizer application could be one of the key strategies used to address the problem. However, due to high cost of fertilizer, its utilization has been limited to very few farmers in the country. Consequently, a study was conducted in Kuju sub-county, Amuria district in Eastern Uganda during 2016 long and short rains to determine the effect of micro dosing and weeding time on finger millet performance and weed growth. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design in a split plot treatment structure. Weeding times constituted the main plot [weeding at 20 DAS (days after sowing), 30 DAS, 45 DAS, and 20 & 45 DAS (double weeding)], while fertilizer rates (N 16.6 kg ha-1 + P2O5 10.6 kg ha-1; P2O5 10.6 kg ha-1; N 16.6 kg ha-1; N0 + P0, and N 83 kg ha-1 + P2O5 52 kg ha-1) constituted the sub plots. Results of this study revealed that the interaction between wee...
Makerere University, Feb 8, 2021
International Journal of Agricultural Economics, 2021
Despite the recommendation for fertilizer use in crop production by research, there is a low rate... more Despite the recommendation for fertilizer use in crop production by research, there is a low rate of adoption among farmers. The low adoption rate of fertilizer usage has been partly attributed to high costs of fertilizer in addition to use of agronomic recommendation without fertilizer economic analysis. The study therefore, set out to determine the profitability of fertilizer micro dosing and weeding regimes in finger millet production in eastern Uganda. A randomized complete block design in split plot treatment arrangement with three replications was used. Weeding regime treatments were the main plot and fertilizer micro dosing treatments as the sub plots. The treatments included: different micro dosing rates of nitrogen and phosphorus, weeding regimes and SEREMI II finger millet variety. Nitrogen was applied in the form of urea (46%), in two splits of 50% each at vegetative and flowering stages respectively. The results of the study indicate that weeding once at 20 Days After So...
Journal of Agricultural Science
Finger-millet response to micro-dosing with N and P fertilizer in the Semi-Arid areas of eastern ... more Finger-millet response to micro-dosing with N and P fertilizer in the Semi-Arid areas of eastern Uganda is not fully known. Consequently, we conducted a field study at Kuju in eastern Uganda in 2016 long and short rains. The study determined the effect of fertilizer micro-dosing and weeding time on finger-millet performance. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design with a split plot treatment structure. Weeding time constituted the main plot (weeding at 20, 30, 45 DAS (days after sowing) and 20 + 45 DAS while fertilizer rates (16.6 kg N ha-1 + 10.6 kg P2O5 ha-1; 10.6 kg P2O5 ha-1; 16.6 kg N ha-1; 0 N + 0 N and 83 kg N ha-1 + 52 kg P2O5 ha-1) constituted the sub-plots. Results of this study revealed that finger-millet grain yield was highest (2182 kg ha-1) at fertilizer micro-dosing (16.6 kg N ha-1 + 10.6 kg P2O5 ha-1) and lowest (950 kg ha-1) in plots with no fertilizer. Fertilizer micro-dose application (16.6 kg N ha-1 + 10.6 kg P2O5 ha-1) caused early flow...
Journal of Agricultural Science
Finger millet yields in farmers’ fields are low primarily due to low soil fertility and poor weed... more Finger millet yields in farmers’ fields are low primarily due to low soil fertility and poor weed management. Fertilizer application could be one of the key strategies used to address the problem. However, due to high cost of fertilizer, its utilization has been limited to very few farmers in the country. Consequently, a study was conducted in Kuju sub-county, Amuria district in Eastern Uganda during 2016 long and short rains to determine the effect of micro dosing and weeding time on finger millet performance and weed growth. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design in a split plot treatment structure. Weeding times constituted the main plot [weeding at 20 DAS (days after sowing), 30 DAS, 45 DAS, and 20 & 45 DAS (double weeding)], while fertilizer rates (N 16.6 kg ha-1 + P2O5 10.6 kg ha-1; P2O5 10.6 kg ha-1; N 16.6 kg ha-1; N0 + P0, and N 83 kg ha-1 + P2O5 52 kg ha-1) constituted the sub plots. Results of this study revealed that the interaction between wee...
International journal of agricultural economics, 2021
Despite the recommendation for fertilizer use in crop production by research, there is a low rate... more Despite the recommendation for fertilizer use in crop production by research, there is a low rate of adoption among farmers. The low adoption rate of fertilizer usage has been partly attributed to high costs of fertilizer in addition to use of agronomic recommendation without fertilizer economic analysis. The study therefore, set out to determine the profitability of fertilizer micro dosing and weeding regimes in finger millet production in eastern Uganda. A randomized complete block design in split plot treatment arrangement with three replications was used. Weeding regime treatments were the main plot and fertilizer micro dosing treatments as the sub plots. The treatments included: different micro dosing rates of nitrogen and phosphorus, weeding regimes and SEREMI II finger millet variety. Nitrogen was applied in the form of urea (46%), in two splits of 50% each at vegetative and flowering stages respectively. The results of the study indicate that weeding once at 20 Days After Sowing (DAS) and a combination of N and P (16.6 kg N ha-1 and 10.6 kg P ha-1) fertilizer micro dose application is the most profitable combination and could make farmers earn up to Uganda shillings 1,984.220 per hectare compared to only Uganda shillings 373,000 from none application of fertilizer. We therefore conclude that finger millet producers can achieve higher economic and environmental gains when weeding is done once at 20 DAS in combination with sole P fertilizer micro dosing applied at 10.6 kg P ha-1 .
Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Sustainability
The excessive application of mineral fertilizers in maize cultivation leads to progressive soil c... more The excessive application of mineral fertilizers in maize cultivation leads to progressive soil contamination in the long term and increases the cost of production. An alternative to reduce over-fertilization is to perform a partial replacement with microbes that promote nutrition and growth, such as Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF). A pot experiment which was followed by two field experiments was performed with and without the application of indigenous AMF in combination with five nitrogen–phosphorus–potassium (NPK) fertilization rates (100% NPK = N120P60K60; 75% NPK = N90P45K45; 50% NPK = N60P30K30; 25% NPK = N30P15K15; control = N0P0K0). The objective was to investigate whether the soil application of indigenous mycorrhizal fungi inoculum combined with NPK fertilization can provide higher maize yields and soil-available N, P, and K than chemical fertilization can alone. The greenhouse results showed that the application of AMF with a 50% NPK treatment significantly increased th...
Journal of Agricultural Science, 2020
Finger millet yields in farmers’ fields are low primarily due to low soil fertility and poor weed... more Finger millet yields in farmers’ fields are low primarily due to low soil fertility and poor weed management. Fertilizer application could be one of the key strategies used to address the problem. However, due to high cost of fertilizer, its utilization has been limited to very few farmers in the country. Consequently, a study was conducted in Kuju sub-county, Amuria district in Eastern Uganda during 2016 long and short rains to determine the effect of micro dosing and weeding time on finger millet performance and weed growth. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design in a split plot treatment structure. Weeding times constituted the main plot [weeding at 20 DAS (days after sowing), 30 DAS, 45 DAS, and 20 & 45 DAS (double weeding)], while fertilizer rates (N 16.6 kg ha-1 + P2O5 10.6 kg ha-1; P2O5 10.6 kg ha-1; N 16.6 kg ha-1; N0 + P0, and N 83 kg ha-1 + P2O5 52 kg ha-1) constituted the sub plots. Results of this study revealed that the interaction between wee...
Makerere University, Feb 8, 2021
International Journal of Agricultural Economics, 2021
Despite the recommendation for fertilizer use in crop production by research, there is a low rate... more Despite the recommendation for fertilizer use in crop production by research, there is a low rate of adoption among farmers. The low adoption rate of fertilizer usage has been partly attributed to high costs of fertilizer in addition to use of agronomic recommendation without fertilizer economic analysis. The study therefore, set out to determine the profitability of fertilizer micro dosing and weeding regimes in finger millet production in eastern Uganda. A randomized complete block design in split plot treatment arrangement with three replications was used. Weeding regime treatments were the main plot and fertilizer micro dosing treatments as the sub plots. The treatments included: different micro dosing rates of nitrogen and phosphorus, weeding regimes and SEREMI II finger millet variety. Nitrogen was applied in the form of urea (46%), in two splits of 50% each at vegetative and flowering stages respectively. The results of the study indicate that weeding once at 20 Days After So...
Journal of Agricultural Science
Finger-millet response to micro-dosing with N and P fertilizer in the Semi-Arid areas of eastern ... more Finger-millet response to micro-dosing with N and P fertilizer in the Semi-Arid areas of eastern Uganda is not fully known. Consequently, we conducted a field study at Kuju in eastern Uganda in 2016 long and short rains. The study determined the effect of fertilizer micro-dosing and weeding time on finger-millet performance. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design with a split plot treatment structure. Weeding time constituted the main plot (weeding at 20, 30, 45 DAS (days after sowing) and 20 + 45 DAS while fertilizer rates (16.6 kg N ha-1 + 10.6 kg P2O5 ha-1; 10.6 kg P2O5 ha-1; 16.6 kg N ha-1; 0 N + 0 N and 83 kg N ha-1 + 52 kg P2O5 ha-1) constituted the sub-plots. Results of this study revealed that finger-millet grain yield was highest (2182 kg ha-1) at fertilizer micro-dosing (16.6 kg N ha-1 + 10.6 kg P2O5 ha-1) and lowest (950 kg ha-1) in plots with no fertilizer. Fertilizer micro-dose application (16.6 kg N ha-1 + 10.6 kg P2O5 ha-1) caused early flow...
Journal of Agricultural Science
Finger millet yields in farmers’ fields are low primarily due to low soil fertility and poor weed... more Finger millet yields in farmers’ fields are low primarily due to low soil fertility and poor weed management. Fertilizer application could be one of the key strategies used to address the problem. However, due to high cost of fertilizer, its utilization has been limited to very few farmers in the country. Consequently, a study was conducted in Kuju sub-county, Amuria district in Eastern Uganda during 2016 long and short rains to determine the effect of micro dosing and weeding time on finger millet performance and weed growth. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design in a split plot treatment structure. Weeding times constituted the main plot [weeding at 20 DAS (days after sowing), 30 DAS, 45 DAS, and 20 & 45 DAS (double weeding)], while fertilizer rates (N 16.6 kg ha-1 + P2O5 10.6 kg ha-1; P2O5 10.6 kg ha-1; N 16.6 kg ha-1; N0 + P0, and N 83 kg ha-1 + P2O5 52 kg ha-1) constituted the sub plots. Results of this study revealed that the interaction between wee...