By Bisola Adeyemo
The General Manager, Ebonyi Fertilizer and Chemical Company, Mr Ogbonnaya Chukwu, has said that improper ways of applying fertilizer on crops affect the growth of crops.
The GM in Abakaliki described fertiliser as a chemical and natural substance added to soil and land to increase its fertility.
While speaking with daily times, Ogbonnaya recalled that between 2018 and 2019, the state produced cassava in large quantities, due to enlightenment on the proper application of fertilisers.
His word “Before the fertiliser education, people were conversant with the Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium (NPK), fertilizer 20:10:10, which may likely do well in yam.
”But for the fact that the produce cannot be consumed in a day or two, the tubers of yam will begin to rot simply because the wrong fertiliser was used.
‘So, for tuber crops, the most suitable fertiliser is NPK 12:12:17, 12 per cent nitrogen, 12 per cent phosphorous, 17 per cent potassium,” he said.
Chukwu also said that non-application and fertiliser adulteration were other factors responsible for poor crop yields, describing fertiliser adulteration as the number of bags used, perhaps on a hectare of crops, either below or over could be adulteration.