Intensification of Pearl Millet Production in Niger through Mechanized Sowing and Weeding, Seed Priming, Seed Treatment, and Microdosing
Abdourahamane Issa M. Nourou, Addam Kiari Saidou, Warouma Arifa, Amadou Oumani Abdoulaye, Jens B. Aune
Agronomy April 29, 2020 DOI: 10.3390/agronomy10050629 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Field experiment Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Pearl millet crops at three sites in Niger over 2017 and 2018 |
| Interventions | Mechanized sowing and weeding seed priming seed treatment with a fungicide/insecticide |
| Dose | 0.3 g NPK 15-15-15 hill−1 |
| Duration | 2017 and 2018 growing seasons |
| Topics | Microdosing |
| Key findings | The new production package increased average grain yield from 947 to 1470 kg per hectare and stover yield from 2460 to 3005 kg per hectare, cut sowing and weeding time from 70.2 to 20.3 hours per hectare, shortened time to maturity by 11 days, and raised gross margin by 80.2% compared with traditional practices. The authors suggest the yield gains likely stem from more precise sowing, better weed control, and faster crop development. |
Abstract
Pearl millet production in Niger is characterized by manual sowing and weeding and low use of inputs like mineral and organic fertilizer. This objective of the study was to compare a traditional production package (control) against a new production package consisting of mechanized sowing and weeding, seed priming, seed treatment with a fungicide/insecticide, and microdosing at rate of 0.3 g NPK 15–15–15 hill−1. The experiment was conducted for 2017 and 2018 and at three sites each year. The average time used for sowing and weeding was reduced from 70.2 hours ha−1 in manual operations to 20.3 hours ha−1 in mechanized operations. The new production package reduced the time to maturity by 11 days compared with the traditional package. Average grain yield in the traditional and new production package was 947 and 1470 kg ha−1, respectively, while the corresponding stover yields were 2460 and 3005 kg ha−1, respectively. The increased yield as a result of the new production package is likely an effect of more precise sowing, better weed control, and faster crop development. The improved package increased the gross margin by 80.2% compared with the traditional production method. The improved package will be interesting for the farmers because of the increase in land and labour productivity.
Comparable studies
Other experimental studies on microdosing, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Microdosing Clinical Study: Pharmacokinetic, Pharmacogenomic (SLCO2B1), and Interaction (Grapefruit Juice) Profiles of Celiprolol Following the Oral Microdose and Therapeutic Dose Healthy volunteers matched for SLCO2B1 genotype | 2011 | Pharmacokinetic study | n = 30 |
| Microdosing psychedelics has no impact on cognitive function in naturalistic settings Participants during their microdosing regimen | 2023 | Observational within-subjects design | n = 17 |
| PK and PK / PD Modeling of Bcl2 Inhibitor S65487 in Patients With AML and Investigation of Nonlinearity With Microdosing Phase I/II cancer patients and healthy volunteers | 2026 | Pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic modeling study | |
| Technical pen-based printhead for high-precision microdosing of personalized therapies. | 2026 | Experimental study | |
| Analysis of Serotonin in Caenorhabditis Elegans Subjected to Micro-Dosing with Psilocybin| Iris Publishers Caenorhabditis elegans | 2025 | Experimental study |
Citations in the library
Cites 2
- Sustainable Intensification of Sorghum and Pearl Millet Production by Seed Priming, Seed Treatment and Fertilizer Microdosing under Different Rainfall Regimes in Mali Agronomy November 12, 2019
- DETERMINANTS OF FERTILIZER MICRODOSING-INDUCED YIELD INCREMENT OF PEARL MILLET ON AN ACID SANDY SOIL Experimental Agriculture October 1, 2016