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Factors driving cereal response to fertilizer microdosing in sub‐Saharan Africa: A meta‐analysis

Yacouba Ouedraogo, Jean‐Baptiste Sibiri Taonda, Idriss Sermé, Bernard Tychon, Charles L. Bielders

Agronomy Journal July 1, 2020 DOI: 10.1002/agj2.20229 (opens in new tab)

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Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Meta-analysis Peer reviewed
Population Millet (Pennisetum glaucum), sorghum (Sorghum bicolor), and maize (Zea mays) crops on smallholder farms in sub-Saharan Africa, as reported in 30 publications
Interventions Fertilizer microdosing (FM) water conservation measures
Topics Microdosing
Key findings Across 30 publications, fertilizer microdosing improved millet, sorghum, and maize yields by an average of 68%. Yield response tended to increase with rainfall and was largest on medium-textured soils (81%) versus light (61%) and heavy (30%) soils; combined nitrogen and phosphorus outperformed either alone, water conservation measures had a synergetic effect, and organic matter amendments decreased performance.

Abstract

Abstract: Fertilizer microdosing (FM) is being promoted in sub‐Saharan Africa (SSA) to boost crop productivity on smallholder farms. However, yield response variability is a barrier to adoption. We conducted a meta‐analysis to analyze the variability in cereal crop yield response to FM and to determine the main factors associated with this variability. Thirty publications pertaining to millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.], sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) or maize (Zea mays L.) were assessed. Factors analyzed were crop type, rainfall, soil texture, type and rate of fertilizer, and complementary practices. On average, FM improved millet, sorghum and maize crop yields by 68%. Yield response tended to increase with increasing rainfall and the largest yield gains were observed in medium‐textured soils (81%), as compared to light (61%) and heavy‐textured soils (30%). The combined application of N and P performed better than either element alone. Crop response tended to increase with increasing rates of N. In the case of P, this was true only on light textured‐soils. On medium‐textured soils, the response appeared independent of the rate of P. There was a synergetic effect of water conservation measures on the performance of FM, while combining FM with organic matter (OM) amendments decreased its performance. Results highlighted major trends in cereal crop response to FM that could be used to prioritize target areas. However, these may require additional, site‐specific field experiments, especially for factors for which little data is currently available.

Comparable studies

Other systematic reviews and meta-analyses on microdosing, most cited first.

Study Year Design Participants
The emerging science of microdosing: A systematic review of research on low dose psychedelics (1955–2021) and recommendations for the field Human participants in microdosing studies 2022 Systematic review n = 44
The utility of microdosing over the past 5 years Drugs with published comparisons of microdose and therapeutic dose pharmacokinetics 2008 Systematic review n = 18
The therapeutic potential of microdosing psychedelics in depression Healthy volunteers and patient samples 2020 Systematic review
Potential safety, benefits, and influence of the placebo effect in microdosing psychedelic drugs: A systematic review 2020 Systematic review
Microdosing Psychedelics: Current Evidence From Controlled Studies. Healthy adults 2024 Systematic review

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