Improving the Efficiency of Fertilizer Utilization in Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone soils are not naturally fertile enough to sustain prolonged crop production and productivity. Without soil fertility improvement, investments in other yield-enhancing technologies are not likely to bear much fruit. Therefore, agricultural intensification that is supported by substantial additions of fertilizer is a necessity for Sierra Leone to attain food security. Fertilizer use is on the increase but there are concerns that fertilizer use is not as efficient as it should be. The quality of fertilizers, use of wrong fertilizers, sub-optimal use levels, and bad cultural practices are some of the factors. The farmers rely on blanket fertilizer recommendations from the government or from trial and error on-farm fertilizer applications. Soil testing for fertilizer recommendation is rarely practiced by the farmers.In addressing the key concerns such as food security, profitability in agriculture, and environmental quality, improving the efficiency, effectiveness and sustainability of fertilizer use is the fundamental challenge for Sierra Leone. In this article, fertilizer use-efficiency in Sierra Leone is examined together with the various terminologies used to determine efficiency of fertilizer use, and recommendations are made on the way forward within the global 4R criteria for efficient fertilizer utilization.