Sustainable agriculture for food security: An assessment on the influence of human urine on maize (Zea mays) productivity as a top dressing fertilizer
Paper Details
Sustainable agriculture for food security: An assessment on the influence of human urine on maize (Zea mays) productivity as a top dressing fertilizer
Abstract
The world’s agriculture and food systems are not presently delivering desirable outcomes on food security, hence threatening attainment of second sustainable development goal, which has a commitment to end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture’ by 2030. The research sought to assess the influence of Human Urine on maize productivity as a top dressing fertilizer and remove sceptical view on the use of Human Urine. An experimental research was carried out at a homestead in Marange communal area. Randomize complete block design of three treatments; Human Urine, Ammonium Nitrate and Untreated were replicated three times. The Spearmen’s Rank Correlation Coefficient method was used. Results revealed that the Human Urine treatment had a high incremental growth rate and 3.7 tonnes per hectare at harvesting, which was a good yield for a household in the rural area and would have enough maize grain for the year. The research concur with the reviewed literature that human urine would influence the growth rate and the productivity of crops. It revealed that there was a positive relationship between plant growth and the plant productivity. The researcher concluded that Human Urine has influence on the maize productivity and if promoted could improve food security in the study area. The promotion of biological fertilizer like Human Urine would increase crop production and household food security in the country of Zimbabwe. Further research on the influence of the human urine as a top dressing fertiliser on other cereal crops in Zimbabwe.
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