By Beatrice Nakibuuka
The good news is that it is possible to enjoy the benefits of fertilisers while protecting your soil. Here are some strategies farmers can adopt to maintain soil health and fertility:
Combine organic and inorganic fertilisers
“Instead of relying solely on artificial fertilisers, farmers are encouraged to mix them with organic inputs like compost, farmyard manure, and crop residues. Organic matter improves soil structure, increases water retention, and supports beneficial microbes,” Bwambale advises.
For example, applying cow dung before planting and top-dressing with NPK during the growing season offers a balanced approach.
Practice crop rotation and intercropping
Rotating crops—such as alternating legumes with cereals—helps maintain nutrient balance in the soil. Legumes like beans and groundnuts fix nitrogen into the soil naturally, reducing the need for synthetic fertilisers.
Intercropping, where two or more crops are grown together, also enhances nutrient cycling and pest control.
Apply fertilisers based on need
Use only the type and amount of fertiliser your soil requires. This can be determined through regular soil testing. Over-application not only wastes money but also leads to leaching and nutrient build-up.
“Applying fertilisers at planting and again at critical growth stages like flowering is more effective than random applications,” advises Ongua.
Covering soil with mulch reduces erosion, keeps the soil moist, and adds organic matter as it decomposes. Conservation practices like minimum tillage help preserve soil structure and microbial life.
Planting trees within farms (agroforestry) improves nutrient cycling and prevents erosion. Composting household and farm waste can also produce rich organic fertiliser for future use.
Government and NGO support: bridging the gap
The Ugandan government, through Operation Wealth Creation and other programs, is promoting integrated soil fertility management. Subsidies for fertilisers, training programs, and distribution of composting bins are some of the support systems in place.
NGOs such as Sasakawa Global 2000 and Uganda Landcare Network are also training farmers on sustainable farming and organic fertiliser production.
According to Sasakawa Global 2000, adopting regenerative farming techniques focused on Integrated Soil Fertility Management (ISFM) can reverse exacerbated land deterioration, which is brought on by unsustainable practices like monocropping, poor nutrient recycling, and the excessive use of acid-forming fertilizers.
To reverse this, they recommend regenerative practices, including minimum tillage, green manuring with bioslurry, liming, crop diversification, and compost application. In addition, they advise farmers to leave part of the land to fallow and plant nitrogen-fixing crops designed to biologically enrich the soil.
Still, more investment is needed in farmer education, especially in rural areas, to ensure that knowledge reaches the grassroots.
Farmers speak out
Sarah Nansubuga, a banana farmer in Masaka, recalls how years of using only artificial fertilisers led to hard, pale soils. “My bananas were big but tasteless. And after some time, even the size started reducing,” she says. She now uses composted chicken manure alongside minimal NPK and reports better results.
However, John Okello from Tororo uses both artificial and natural fertilisers on his maize farm. “Without these fertilisers, I would have lost everything. But I now rotate with beans to rest the soil,” he says.
Their experiences show that the key is balance—using the right inputs at the right time and in the right way.
Feeding the nation without killing the land
Ugandan farmers are at a crossroads. Fertilisers are essential for higher yields, yet careless use threatens long-term soil health and food security. The solution lies not in choosing between artificial and organic fertilisers, but in understanding and managing them wisely.
By combining modern science with traditional practices and by listening to the land as much as to the markets, Uganda can grow enough food to feed its people—without destroying the soil that sustains them.
