Rice farmers have been urged to add micronutrients to fertilisers and other agrochemicals to boost production.

Athanase Rusanganwa, a researcher specialising in soil at the Rwanda Agricultural Board (RAB), said farmers should complement fertilisers to ensure better yield of seeds.

"For seeds to bring a good yield, around 16 nutrients are needed. Yet you cannot find all of those nutrients at once in a plantation, which means that we need to add those nutrients to make sure that we feed our crops with all needed elements,” Rusanganwa said.

He was on Wednesday carrying out a field visit in Rugeramigozi Marshland in Muhanga District.

The activity was organised to demonstrate to farmers the difference between crops where fertilisers complemented with nutrients are used and those with only fertilisers, an exercise that was conducted on a demonstration farm in the marshland.

The only fertilisers commonly used are the NPK 171717, urea, diammonium phosphate (DAP) complemented with organic manure.

A test conducted in this marshland on a variety that has a potential yield of 10 tons per hectare revealed that with the use of nutrients like zinc, boron, copper, briquettes, granular, sulphur and others; the production in the marshland can increase from the current three tonnes per hectare to over five tonnes.

The most needed micronutrients include calcium, magnesium and sulphur while others are needed in smaller quantities like iron, manganese, copper, boron, molybdenum and chlorine, he said.

Jacqueline Uwizeyemariya, a rice farmer, said the use of nutrients would help increase produce, which means prosperity for all members of the coop.

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