HABARI DAILY I Kampala, Uganda I Uganda could reduce its dependence on imported fertilisers and improve agricultural production following promising research by the National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO) into a locally manufactured nitrogen fertiliser.
The innovation, known as Nano-Plasma Nitrogen fertiliser (NPN), uses solar energy, air, water and plant waste to produce a slow-release mineral fertiliser that could produce higher maize yields than imported urea in early trials and offer farmers a more accessible and efficient source of nutrients.
Dr Swidiq Mugerwa, NARO’s Deputy Director General in charge of Research, said the technology could help address the high cost of agricultural inputs, declining soil fertility and low crop productivity that continue to constrain Uganda’s agricultural transformation.
“Our task now is to move from promising trial results to a fertiliser that farmers can use and afford,” Mugerwa said, adding that this would require testing the product on farmers’ fields while assessing production at a larger scale.
The development could be significant for Uganda, which imported 34,779 tonnes of nitrogen fertiliser annually and spent $34.8 million on nitrogen fertiliser imports in 2024, according to figures cited in the research.
Reducing reliance on imported supplies could ease pressure on foreign exchange while creating opportunities for domestic manufacturing and improving farmers’ access to essential agricultural inputs.
Higher Maize Yields Recorded in Early Trials
Research findings published in the scientific journal Frontiers in Plant Science on September 10, 2026, indicate that maize treated with NPN achieved yields approximately 34 per cent and 85 per cent higher than those obtained using imported urea in the reported comparisons.
The researchers also estimated that plants absorbed about 83 per cent of the nitrogen supplied by the new fertiliser during a screenhouse experiment, suggesting that the technology could improve nutrient-use efficiency.
The study was led by Stewart Kyebogola, with researchers from NARO, the University of Nairobi and other institutions contributing to the work.
The findings offer a potential alternative to conventional fertilisers, which can lose substantial amounts of nutrients through leaching, volatilisation and other processes before crops absorb them.
Such losses reduce the returns farmers obtain from fertiliser investments and can contribute to environmental pollution.
Because NPN is designed to release nutrients gradually as crops grow, it could allow plants to absorb more of the nitrogen supplied. If its performance is confirmed under normal farming conditions, the technology could also reduce the need for repeated applications, potentially lowering labour and transport costs.
However, NARO cautions that the results remain preliminary. The research was conducted at one location, meaning additional trials across different farming environments are necessary to establish how consistently the fertiliser performs under ordinary field conditions.
Technology Turns Plant Waste Into Fertiliser
The technology uses non-thermal plasma, an energised gas that helps transform nitrogen from the air into a compound that plants can absorb.
Solar energy powers the process, while water stabilises the resulting compound. Plant waste acts as a carrier material that regulates nutrient release.
In the published study, researchers used banana peels as the plant-based material and formed the finished fertiliser into pellets for application when planting crops.
The approach explores how locally available resources can be used to manufacture an important agricultural input, potentially reducing Uganda’s exposure to fluctuations in international fertiliser markets.
Uganda’s fertiliser consumption also remains significantly below the African Union’s Abuja Declaration target of at least 50 kilogrammes per hectare, highlighting the challenge of expanding access to agricultural nutrients.
Producing fertiliser locally could help address this gap, provided the final product is affordable, effective and available in sufficient quantities.
NARO Seeks Private Sector Partnerships
Dr Nassib Mugwanya, NARO’s Head of Partnerships, said the research presented an opportunity to work with private-sector companies involved in fertiliser production.
“This research presents an opportunity for NARO to partner with other industry players involved in fertilizer production to boost the fertilizer sector,” Mugwanya said.
Such partnerships could support commercial manufacturing, technology transfer and the development of compound fertilisers that combine nitrogen with other essential nutrients, including phosphorus.
NARO is designing and evaluating an industrial-scale production plant to determine whether the technology can be manufactured reliably and in commercially viable quantities.
However, the availability of air, water and plant waste does not automatically guarantee lower prices. Equipment, energy requirements, processing, packaging and distribution costs will determine whether the product can compete with imported alternatives.
A comprehensive assessment of production costs, commercial viability and long-term environmental performance will therefore be necessary before large-scale deployment.
Farmers Await Proof of Affordability
For smallholder farmers, who often struggle to access quality agricultural inputs, a locally produced fertiliser that performs reliably and remains affordable could improve crop yields and returns on investment,” say experts.
“It could also create opportunities for investment in agricultural technology and domestic manufacturing while supporting national food security,” said Immaculate Nakayenga, a Kawempe-based urban farmer.
The research aligns with the 2024 Nairobi Declaration on African Fertilizer and Soil Health, which emphasises strengthening domestic fertiliser production and making better use of the continent’s resources to improve access to agricultural inputs.
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