Through active involvement and participation in the Enhancing Rice Markets in Uganda through Smart Micronutrient Fertilization (ENRICH) Project, selected rice farmers in Bugiri and Butaleja districts participated in the evaluation of different fertilizer combinations applied to the trial fields established at Kibimba and Doho irrigation schemes respectively.

The Africa Innovations Institute (AfrII) led project-ENRICH, aims to unravel the contributions of micronutrients in addition to macro nutrient fertilizer application on lowland rice in Uganda.

AfrII Agronomist, Mr. Thomas Awio says that direct involvement of farmers in the evaluation gives them an informed conclusion on the crops performance when micronutrients are applied. “They will then consider whether to take this research forward based on their own judgement / conclusion.” The project has given famers a better understanding on importance of micronutrients to the rice crop for improved productivity. Under their Farmer Research Groups (FRGs), these have been efficiently trained to evaluate the experiments so as to select the best combinations and management practices that will give the best rice yields and then integrate these into their current management practices.

The different fertilizers being evaluated are nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), Potassium (K), Zinc (Zn), Manganese (Mn), Boron (B), Sulphur (S) and a commercial micronutrient fertilizer Elfert-F.

AfrII Agronomist, Thomas Awio (inset gesturing with arm) speaks to farmers during their evaluation of the rice trial plots

Thomas also stresses the nutrient quality being assessed in this research “we are also looking at how micro- nutrients actually influence the accumulation of nutrients on the grain so that at the end of it all one is eating rice that has the nutrients required by the body.”

Micro-nutrients have been reported to enhance uptake efficiency of NPK, improving rice grain yields, profit margins, grain nutritional quality and disease tolerance.