Factors influencing utilization of organic fertilizers
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Date
1996
Authors
Aurora Mauro-Corales
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Abstract
The study sought to determine the relationship of some selected socio-economic, communication-related, and technical variables with the utilization of organic fertilizers of the farmer-respondents.
A total of 262 farmers in the municipalities of Munoz, talavera and Guimba, Nueva Ecija served as respondents of the study. Data were obtained using the interview schedule. These were tabulated and analyzed ising frequency counts, percentages, means, ranks, standard deviation and Pearson Product-Moment Correlation Coefficient.
Findings of the study showed that the average number of years in farming of the respondents was 23.15 years. Majority of them (54.2%) are amortizing owners with mean farm size of 1.71 ha. The annual per capita income of the respondents was P14,750.00 and the average production cost per hectare was P15,028.69 and P18,332.19 for the wet and dry seasons, respectively.
out the 262 respondents, 52.6 percent used organic fertilizers. Of this percentage, 96 respondents (36.6%) were partial utilizers and 42 respondents (16.0%), utilizers. The improvement in soil condition, reduction in soil acidity and the cooperative's recommendation were the most important reasons given by the respondents for using organic fertilizers. The risk involved and the lack of knowledge in the use of organic fertilizers were cited as reasons by the non-utilizers.
Majority of the utilizers (73.2%) claimed that organic fertilizer was always available. Almost the same percentage of respondents (73.9%) said they had no access to special market for organically grown products which is considered an incentive for utilization of organic fertilizers.
A greater proportion (52.7%) of the respondents have not attended any training course related to organic fertilizers; and most of them (64.1%) availed of extension services.
The dominant soil condition after harvest was whitish (31.7%) and not porous (48.5%). All the farmer-respondents utilized modern high yielding varieties (HYVS) and a small percentage (1.2%) used traditional varieties in addition to HYVs. Farmer-utilizers believed that the composition of the organic fertilizer was complete or sufficient for plant growth while 11.6 percent claimed otherwise. Improvement in yield were also observed by the organic fertilizer utilizers.
Of the seven socio-economic characteristics, only availability of organic fertilizer and accessibility to market incentive for organic rice registered significant correlations with utilization. As to the technical factors, only organic fertilizer composition and yield significantly influenced the utilization of organic fertilizers.
Among the problems encountered by the respondents related to utilization, the bad smell of organic fertilizer was the most pressing concern of the users. More fertilizers to haul, difficulty in application and the growth of too much weeds were also cited as limiting factors. Improve quality of organic fertilizers in the market at low price was the foremost solution suggested by them which could be better addressed through a collaborative undertaking between the producers, the government and the end users.