Microdosing of Compost for Sustainable Production of Improved Sorghum in Southern Mali
Agronomy June 23, 2022 Moumini Guindo, Bouba Traoré, Birhanu Zemadim Birhanu et al.
Applying a microdose of compost at 2.5 t ha⁻¹ improved sorghum growth rate, plant height, grain yield, and biomass yield by 15%, 18%, 47%, and 27%, respectively, compared to a control receiving only DAP fertilizer. No statistical difference in yield (2061 kg ha⁻¹) was observed between microdosing at 2.5 t ha⁻¹ and broadcasting at 5 t ha⁻¹. Microdosing allowed a 100% increase in fertilized surface area and over 55% nitrogen use efficiency, yielding an economic gain of 334,800 XOF ha⁻¹—27% higher than broadcasting. However, broadcasting contributed more to soil nitrogen stock (100% vs. 12–20% for microdosing). Cotton stems offer an opportunity for farmers to adopt microdose technology to double fertilized area and boost sorghum productivity in southern Mali.