Understanding fertilizer adoption and effectiveness on maize in Zambia
| Autor: | William Burke, Thomas S. Jayne, Stephen Kabwe, Emmanuel Frossard |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2019 |
| Předmět: |
Economics and Econometrics
Sociology and Political Science Soil test Yield (finance) Zambia Agricultural productivity Management Monitoring Policy and Law Development engineering.material Article Soil quality Agricultural science Economics Sub-Saharan Africa Crop response Fertilizer profitability Productivity language.human_language Food policy language engineering Profitability index Fertilizer Food Science |
| Zdroj: | Food Policy, 86 Food Policy |
| ISSN: | 0306-9192 1873-5657 |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.foodpol.2019.05.004 |
| Popis: | Increased fertilizer use will likely be crucial for raising and sustaining farm productivity in Africa, but adoption may be limited by ineffectiveness under certain conditions. This article quantifies the impacts of soil characteristics on maize response to fertilizer in Zambia using a nationally representative sample of 1453 fields, combining economic, farm management and soil analysis data. Depending on soil regimes, average maize yield response estimates range from insignificant (0) to 7 maize kg per fertilizer kg. For the majority of farmers, the estimated average value cost ratio is between 1 and 2, meaning fertilizer use would be fiscally rational, barring uncertainty and transfer costs. Since transfer costs exist and outcomes are uncertain, however, many farmers may sensibly pause before deciding whether to adopt fertilizer. This suggests shifting the emphasis of chronically low fertilizer use in Africa away from explanations of “market failure” toward greater emphasis on improving fertilizer efficacy. Food Policy, 86 ISSN:0306-9192 ISSN:1873-5657 |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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