The determinants of fertilizer microdosing adoption and impact on sorghum and maize yields in Burkina Faso

Abstract

This research is financed by Académie de Recherche et de l’Enseignement Supérieur (ARES) and supported by Université Catholique de Louvain (UCL), Belgium.

Abstract

Fertilizer microdosing was developed in order to increase farmers' income through improvement of fertilizer use efficiency and investment cost reduction in the drylands of West Africa. The purpose of this study is to identify the determinants of fertilizer microdosing fertilization and to analyze its impact on sorghum and maize yields in Burkina Faso. Using endogenous treatment regression model with data collected on 1057 famers in 2011, the findings reveal that access to warrantage credit, participation in training and labor availability are the main factors in the adoption of fertilizer microdosing. In terms of impact, the study shows that fertilizer microdosing contributed to significantly increase sorghum and maize yields by 55% and 37% respectively. The results of this study challenge us to accelerate the process mechanization of fertilizer microdosing fertilization, the establishment of infrastructure such as warrantage shops and farmers’ capacity building.

Keywords: fertilizer microdosing, endogenous treatment regression, sorghum, maize, Burkina Faso.

DOI: 10.7176/JESD/11-6-13

Publication date:March 31^st 2020