Sanitized human urine (Oga) as a fertilizer auto-innovation from women farmers in Niger

Agronomy for Sustainable Development - Tập 41 Số 4 - 2021
Hannatou O. Moussa1, Charles Ikenna Nwankwo2, Ali M. Aminou3, David A. Stern4, Bettina I. G. Haussmann5, Ludger Herrmann2
1Department of Rainfed Crops (DCP), National Institute of Agricultural Research of Niger, Maradi, Niger
2Institute of Soil Science and Land Evaluation, University of Hohenheim, Emil-Wolff Str. 12a, 70559, Stuttgart, Germany
3Federation of Maradi Farmers’ Unions, FUMA Gaskiya, Maradi, Niger
4IDEMS International, Reading, UK
5Institute of Plant Breeding, Seed Science and Population Genetics, University of Hohenheim, Fruwirthstr. 21, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany

Tóm tắt

AbstractPoor soil chemical fertility and climate change restrict pearl millet grain yield in Niger Republic. Apart from the seedball technology, which targets majorly early phosphorus supply to the plants, the recommended practices of mineral fertilization and seed treatments (coating and priming) are barely affordable to the local farmers in particular. In the case of female farmers, who usually have chemically infertile farmlands often located far away from their homestead, low pearl millet grain yield can be exacerbated. In quest for a cheap, affordable, and effective solution, we hypothesized that the application of sanitized human urine (Oga), in combination with organic manure (OM) or solely, increases pearl millet panicle yield in women’s fields and on different local soils. In on-farm large-N trials (N = 681) with women farmers in two regions of Niger (Maradi, Tillabery), pearl millet panicle yields were compared between the control (farmer practice), and a combination of Oga and OM in the first and second year, and Oga alone in the third year. Our results showed an average panicle yield increase of about +30%, representing +200 to +300 kg ha−1. Major factors determining the yield effect are season, village, and local soil type. This study shows for the first time that Oga innovation can be used to increase pearl millet panicle yield particularly in the low fertile soils of women’s farmlands in Niger. Oga innovation is affordable, locally available, and does not pose a risk to resource-poor female farmers of Niger.

Từ khóa


Tài liệu tham khảo

Aune JB, Ousman A (2011) Effect of seed priming and micro-dosing of fertilizer on sorghum and pearl millet in Western Sudan. Exp Agric 47:419–430. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0014479711000056

Badiane A, Faye A, Yamoah CF, Dick R (2001) Use of compost and mineral fertilizers for millet production by farmers in the semiarid region of Senegal. Biol Agric Hortic 19:219–230. https://doi.org/10.1080/01448765.2001.9754926

Bationo A, Christianson C, Baethgen W, Mokwunye A (1992) A farm-level evaluation of nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer use and planting density for pearl millet production in Niger. Fertilizer Research 31:175–184. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01063291

Blackden M, Canagarajah RS, Klasen S, Lawson D (2003) Gender and growth in Africa: evidence and issues. World Bank, Washington, DC, pp 1–18

Chen M. (2008) Women and employment in Africa: a framework for action, background document commissioned by the Danish Foreign Ministry for the Second Conference of the Africa Commission, Harvard University, WIEGO Network: 44

Diarra M, Monimart M (2006) Landless women, hopeless Women? Gender, land and decentralisation in Niger. International Institute for Environment and Development, London, UK: 143

Doss CR (2001) Designing agricultural technology for African women farmers: lessons from 25 years of experience. World Dev 29:2075–2092. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0305-750X(01)00088-2

Geiger L (2017) Einfluß von Bodeneigenschaften auf den Perlhirseertrag bei Anwendung der Saatkugeltechnologie. University of Hohenheim, Germany, Master thesis

Germer J, Addai S, Sauerborn J (2011) Response of grain sorghum to fertilisation with human urine. Field Crop Res 122:234–241. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fcr.2011.03.017

Guglielmino CR, Viganotti C, Hewlett B, Cavalli-Sforza LL (1995) Cultural variation in Africa: role of mechanisms of transmission and adaptation. Proc Natl Acad Sci 92:7585–7589. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.92.16.7585

Herrmann L, Haussmann BIG, van Mourik T, Traoré PS, Oumarou HM, Traoré K, Ouedraogo M, Naab J (2013) Coping with climate variability and change in research for development targeting West Africa: need for paradigm changes. Science et Changements Planétaires/Sécheresse 24:294-303. doi:https://doi.org/10.1684/sec.2013.0401

Hofer D, Suter M, Buchmann N, Lüscher A (2017) Severe water deficit restricts biomass production of Lolium perenne L. and Trifolium repens L. and causes foliar nitrogen but not carbohydrate limitation. Plant Soil 421:367–380. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2014.02.034

Karak T, Bhattacharyya P (2011) Human urine as a source of alternative natural fertilizer in agriculture: a flight of fancy or an achievable reality. Resour Conserv Recycl 55:400–408. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2010.12.008

Karanam P, Vadez V (2010) Phosphorus coating on pearl millet seed in low P Alfisol improves plant establishment and increases stover more than seed yield. Exp Agric 46:457–469. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0014479710000608

Kirchmann H, Pettersson S (1995) Human urine - Chemical composition and fertilizer use efficiency. Fertilizer Research 40(1994):149–154. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00750100

Klaij MC, Vachaud G (1992) Seasonal water balance of a sandy soil in Niger cropped with pearl millet, based on profile moisture measurements. Agric Water Manag 21:313–330. https://doi.org/10.1016/0378-3774(92)90053-Y

Michels K, Armbrust DV, Allison BE, Sivakumar MV (1995) Wind and windblown sand damage to pearl millet. Agron J 87:620–626. https://doi.org/10.2134/agronj1995.00021962008700040003x

Nordin A, Niwagaba C, Jönsson H, Vinnerås B (2013) Pathogen and indicator inactivation in source-separated human urine heated by the sun. Journal of water, sanitation and hygiene for development 3:181–188. https://doi.org/10.2166/washdev.2013.174

Nwankwo CI (2019) Seedball technology development for subsistence-oriented pearl millet production systems in Sahelian West Africa. PhD thesis University of Hohenheim, Germany

Nwankwo CI, Blaser SR, Vetterlein D, Neumann G, Herrmann L (2018) Seedball-induced changes of root growth and physico-chemical properties - a case study with pearl millet. J Plant Nutr Soil Sci 181:768–776. https://doi.org/10.1002/jpln.201800059

Powell J, Ikpe F, Somda Z, Fernandez-Rivera S (1998) Urine effects on soil chemical properties and the impact of urine and dung on pearl millet yield. Exp Agric 34:259–276. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0014479798343069

Raj SN, Shetty NP, Shetty HS (2004) Seed bio-priming with Pseudomonas fluorescens isolates enhances growth of pearl millet plants and induces resistance against downy mildew. Int J Pest Manag 50:41–48. https://doi.org/10.1080/09670870310001626365

Reddy K, Visser P (1993) Late planting effects on early versus late pearl millet genotypes in Niger. Exp Agric 29:121–129. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0014479700020469

Safilios-Rothschild C (1985) The persistence of women’s invisibility in agriculture: theoretical and policy lessons from Lesotho and Sierra Leone. Econ Dev Cult Chang 33:299–317. https://doi.org/10.1086/451462

Satyavathi CT, Bharadwaj C, Brahmanand P (2010) Role of farm women in agriculture: lessons learned. Gend Technol Dev 14:441–449. https://doi.org/10.1177/097185241001400308

Sivakumar M (1988) Predicting rainy season potential from the onset of rains in southern Sahelian and Sudanian climatic zones of West Africa. Agric For Meteorol 42:295–305. https://doi.org/10.1016/0168-1923(88)90039-1

Voortman RL (2010) Explorations into African land resource ecology: on the chemistry between soils. In: plants and fertilizers. PhD thesis Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, Netherlands

World Reference Base IWG (2015) World Reference Base for soil resources 2014, updated in 2015: International soil classification system for naming soils and creating legends for soil maps. World Soil Resources Reports 106:192

Yamba B (1993) Les ressources ligneuses et problèmes d’aménagement forestier dans la zone agricole du Niger III. Thèse de doctorat Université Michel de Montaigne. Bordeaux, France

Thông tin
Thông tin xuất bản

Agronomy for Sustainable Development

Tập 41 Số 4

Thông tin tác giả