FERTILIZER MANAGEMENT PRACTICES AND PROFITABILITY OF POTATO CROP AMONG SMALLHOLDER FARMERS IN BUURI

Abstract

In Kenya, average production of potatoes has stagnated around 2.9 million tons per year in the past 5 years. While seed potato and total land area under cultivation has risen by 4% and 12.3%, respectively; marginal production have gradually declined by 9%. This decline in production could be attributed to farm management practices, specifically fertilizer management. This study analysed how fertilizer management practices influence potato profitability among small-holding farmers. The specific objectives were to determine: adoption and application of fertilizer management practices, profitability of a potato crop farming and association between fertilizer management and profitability of potato crop enterprise in Buuri Sub-county. The study was anchored on the Allocation Theory and employed a cross-sectional correlational research design, a sample size of 377 respondents drawn from target population of 26,604 households. Questionnaire was used to obtain primary data and analysed using descriptive and inferential analysis tools. The result revealed farmers use fertilizer at planting and growth stages while not at tube formation; DAP fertilizer is used at planting, DAP & NPK at growth stage and CAN fertilizer at tube formation stage. Results on traditional methods of rate of application revealed that: farmers use table spoon full at planting, one handful at vegetation and tube formation stage, while for modern measures were 10 grams at planting and 10-20 grams at vegetation & 10 grams at tube formation stages. Result for placement shows farmers apply fertilizer in potato seed hole before placement of seed and four weeks after planting during vegetation. Correlation result shows weak correlation for right type of fertilizer (r=0.041), strong for right time (of r=0.647), very strong for right rate (r=0.913) and right placement (r=0.882). Fertilizer management contributes 98.7% variation in the profitability of potato crop, with a partial effect of right type at 0.024, right time at 0.014, right rate at 0.581 and right placement at 0.504. Thus fertilizer management practices significantly influence profitability of potato crop.