Farmers in Africa say their soil is dying, chemical fertilizers are partly to blame

Planting vegetables, Benson Wanjala and his wife are working to cultivate their two-acre plot of land on the outskirts of Nairobi. This is a significant change from Wanjala's farming activities two and a half decades ago, when he farmed a 10-acre plot in his native western Kenya village, 370 kilometers away. Back then, Wanjala's land yielded a bountiful harvest of 200 bags of corn each season. But this abundance dwindled over the years to a mere 30 bags. Wanjala attributes this decline to the acidifying fertilizers he used, which he believes rendered his once-fertile land lifeless and unable to support his family. "I was advised to apply manure, but I wasn't keeping cows at the time," Wanjala recalls. "Since I was wondering why the yield had reduced, I decided to move to Nairobi and start farming vegetables." But he soon noticed a reduction in yields here as well. He suspects that the increased use of inorganic fertilizers is contributing to the decline in soil quality and productivity. "My vegetable yield also began to decrease, and I suspect it is due to the increased amount of chemicals in the soil. I have no choice but to use fertilizers, as I need to make money to support my children," he says. Despite the challenges, Wanjala remains committed to making a living through farming. While he's aware of the adverse effects of inorganic fertilizers, the need to provide for his family necessitates their use. Rhea, a soil health management company, helps farmers maintain soil health by offering soil testing services through its "Rhea Agripad" device. The device plugs into a composite soil sample, runs an analysis, and provides results in a few minutes. Priscilla Wakarera, a soil scientist and chief executive of Rhea, says many farmers double their fertilizer application if they experience low yields during a season. But if the soil's pH is unfavorable, the existing minerals in the soil cannot be absorbed by the plants, and adding more fertilizers exacerbates the problem. To combat this, Wakarera is calling for regenerative agriculture, recommending bio-fertilizers, green manure, or biochar as more sustainable alternatives to chemical fertilizers. This article was provided by The Associated Press.