| dc.description.abstract | The study focused on the effects of fertilizer application on maize productivity among maize farmers in Buhimba sub-county Kikuube district. The main objective of the study was mainly to assess the role and use of fertilizers on maize productivity in Kikuube district. The specific objectives were; to characterise maize farmers who use different fertilizer type, to determine the drivers of fertilizer use among maize farmers and to assess the extent of maize yield influenced by fertilizers use. Across-sectional survey was conducted among 140 maize farmers where by a well-designed questionnaire was used to collect qualitative and quantitative data from maize farmers in two parishes Musaijamukuru east and west which was analyzed using STATA version 15. The study revealed that maize farmers mainly used inorganic fertilizers in maize production with a percentage of 88.61% and NPK fertilizer being a dominant fertilizer type used and organic fertilizers had the least percentage because most farmers did not own cows. Top dressing method of fertilizer application was mostly used among maize farmers, most of the farmers had access to loan from (VLSA) village loan and saving association, access to extension services and had at least attained to a level of secondary education since the mean number of years spent in school was 10.67 years. The study revealed that there was a significant mean difference between user and non-users of fertilizers with few selected variables such as farmers acreage, distance to the source of fertilizer, maize spacing and age since their p-values were less than 0.05. The study also revealed that access to extension services, method of ploughing, and access to credit were significant drivers of fertilizer use and their correlations were positive while gender, farm size, number of years spent in school and age were not significant drivers of fertilizer use though the correlation was positive.
The results of the study further revealed that access to extension services, fertilizer use had a significant effect on maize output and the relationship was positive while age, family household size, access to credit and gender had insignificant effect on maize output and the relationships were both positive and negative.
The hypothesis stated that access to extension has a positive influence on fertilizers use was tested using marginal effects and it was true, Fertilizer use significantly increase on maize yield was also tested using multiple linear regression and confirmed it true.
The study concluded that there was a need for soil analysis among maize farmers to determine their soil potentials so as to know the required number of fertilizers to be applied into the soil, a conducive environment for farmers over bank loans as most farmers are discouraged by higher interest rate hence resorting to borrowing from VLSA which has can’t cater for all farmers. More education was needed to equip farmers with knowledge and skills on the use of fertilizers in maize farming. | en_US |
