Chapter 6

Fertilizer-use recommendations

GENERAL FERTILIZER RECOMMENDATIONS

Table 16 gives the general fertilizer recommendations for crops grown in communal areas.

The recommendations in Table 17 are blanket recommendations that need to be adapted to local
conditions. The recommendations are for normal rather than low yields, on soils of medium fertility. Table
17 shows recommended rates according to the yield level in different AEZs.

Maize

Maize is the main staple food in Zimbabwe. The crop is cultivated in all five NRs, NRs II and III accounting
for about 84 percent of total maize production. NR IV has the largest area under maize but its yields are
lower than those in NRs II and III. Under Zimbabwean conditions, maize generally requires 67 kg N/ha, 30
kg P2O5/ha and 11 kg Ca/ha. Compound D fertilizers and AN are the most commonly used fertilizers on
maize. Prior to 2000, maize accounted for one-third of the fertilizer applied in the large-scale commercial
subsector and 90 percent of fertilizer use in the smallholder subsector.

Soybeans

Soybeans require a deep, fertile soil with high Ca content. They thrive on light soils, provided these contain
sufficient nutrients. Soybeans absorb considerable quantities of nutrients from the soil. It is advisable to
apply a light dressing of Rhizobium inoculant at sowing. The inoculant is produced at Morondera. Liberal
application of phosphate accelerates ripening. Soybean removes nutrients from the soil at a rate of 60 kg
N/ha, 35 kg P2O5/ha and 80 kg K2O/ha. The crop needs 250 kg/ha of Compound L at planting (AGRITEX,
1982).

TABLE 16
Fertilizer recommendations, application rates and timing

At planting Top- Timing Remarks

dressing

Compound Rate Rate

Cabbage L 500 AN: 200 Split at 3 and 6 Best top-dress is

kg/ha kg/ha wap1 (kg/ha): 100 AN 100
J
Citrus Z 400 J: 800 g/tree According to Fertilizer according
g/tree AN: 200 age to yield
g/tree
Cotton L 300 AN: 200 At 8 wae2 or Extra 50-100 kg/ ha
kg/ha kg/ha flowering AN for irrigation
Cowpea D 150 Nil or 100 J at 6 J on poor sandy
(nyemba) kg/ha wap1 soils
Finger millet D 150 AN: 100 4-6 wae2
kg/ha kg/ha
Fruit trees Z 400 J: 300 g/tree In split Increase fertilizer
g/tree applications according to age
and yield
Groundnuts L 300 Gypsum: 150 Over plants at
kg/ha kg/ha pegging
Maize D or Z 300 AN: 250 Split at 3 and 6 Z one year in three
kg/ha kg/ha wae2
Onions C 1 000 AN: 150 3-4 wap1
kg/ha kg/ha
Pearl millet D or Z 200 AN: 150 At 6 wae2
kg/ha kg/ha
Potatoes S 1 000 AN: 150 2-3 wae2
kg/ha kg/ha
Rape C 500 AN: 200 Extra 100 kg/ha C
kg/ha kg/ha and AN after 6
months
Sorghum D or Z 250 AN: 200 4-6 wae2 Best on clay soils
kg/ha kg/ha
Soybean L 250 Nil Inoculants needed
kg/ha
Sugar beet Z 300 AN: 200 at 4 wae2 Lime 3 weeks before
kg/ha kg/ha planting. Do not
apply boron
Sunflower L 250 AN: 150 at 6 wae2 Boron essential
kg/ha kg/ha
Tobacco B 700 AN: 300-400 Half at 3 and 5
(barley) kg/ha kg/ha wap1
Tobacco (flue B, V or C 600- AN: 100-150 at 3 wap1
cured) 700 kg/ha
kg/ha
Tobacco S 150 Sodium At 4 wae2
(seed beds) g/m2 nitrate: 10-20
g/m2
 Tomatoes B 1 200 AN: 150 Every 2 weeks J is good for top-
kg/ha kg/ha after first fruit dressing
MOP: 100
kg/ha
Vegetables C 600 AN: 200 Half at 3 and 6 J is good for top-
kg/ha kg/ha wap1 dressing

1
wap = weeks after planting.
2
wae = weeks after emergence.
Source: Zimbabwe Fertilizer Company Limited.

TABLE 17
Fertilizer rates for crop yield in various agro-ecological zones

Crop Expected yield level Product Recommended rate

(tonnes/ha) (kg/ha)

Maize NR I, IIA, IIB 3.0 Compound D 250

AN 100
Maize NR III, IV 2.0 Compound A 200
AN 100
Cotton NR IIA, IIB 1.5 Compound L 300
AN 100
Cotton NR III, IV 0.8 Compound L 200
AN 100
Sunflower NR IIA, IIB 0.8 Compound L 100
AN 50
Sunflower NR III, IV, V 1.0 Compound L 50
AN 50
Groundnuts NR I/IIA, IIB/III & III 0.8 SSP 200
Gypsum 200
Sorghum (white) NR III, IV, V 0.8 Compound D 50
Rapoko NR III, IV, V 0.8 Compound D 50
Pearl millet 0.8 Compound D 50
Soybeans in NR I/IIA, IIB 1.0 Compound D 50

Source: Piha, 1995.

Groundnuts
Groundnuts are produced mostly by small-scale farmers in communal areas. As an N-fixing crop,
groundnuts supply N to the soil. Groundnuts need 300 kg/ha of Compound L at planting and a top-dressing
of gypsum fertilizer at a rate of 150 kg/ha. Groundnuts take up nutrients at the following rates: 105 kg N/ha,
15 kg P2O5/ha, 27 kg Ca/ha, 18 kg Mg/ha and 42 kg K2O/ha (AGRITEX, 1982).

Wheat

Wheat requires a relatively large supply of readily available nutrients because the vegetative period is
shorter under tropical conditions than in temperate regions. The amount of available N has the greatest
effect on yield. The most commonly used fertilizers for wheat are Compound D and AN. Phosphate
stimulates early root development and hastens maturity. Wheat is grown mainly under irrigated conditions
in the dry winter period. Where rotated with soybeans, the wheat benefits from residual N from the
soybeans. The required fertilizer rates vary with soil type, land history, variety and climate. Wheat removes
nutrients from the soil at the following rates: 94.5 kg N/ha, 75.5 kg P2O5/ha and 66.5 kg K2O/ha (AGRITEX,
1982).

TABLE 18
Cotton fertilizer rates for various yield levels

Expected yield Optimal nitrogen application

(kg/ha)

1 000 15
1 500 30
2 000 45
2 500 60
3 000 75
3 500 90

Source: AGRITEX, 1982.

Cotton

The most commonly used fertilizers for cotton are Compound L and AN. Smallholders apply 8 percent of
their fertilizer on cotton. The ratio of Compound L to AN on cotton is about 1:1. Table 18 gives the average
fertilizer N requirements at different expected yield levels for seed cotton.

Tobacco

Tobacco is a major cash crop, grown by both smallholders and large-scale farmers. Smallholders grow the
crop under dryland conditions, while it is both a dryland and an irrigated crop in the large-scale farming
systems. Tobacco grows best on sandy soils. Fertilizers used for tobacco include Compounds A, B and C.
The P2O5 and K2O contents in the three fertilizers are the same. National application rates in the large-
scale commercial sector averaged 764 kg/ha, while smallholders applied 1 percent of their fertilizers on
tobacco.

Sugar cane
The main fertilizers for sugar cane are AN (which accounts for 65 percent of the fertilizers used on the
crop), SSP (20 percent), muriate of potash (MOP) (9 percent), and Compounds D (4 percent) and M (2
percent). NR V produces the bulk of Zimbabwe's sugar cane, under irrigation. Fertilizer application rates in
NR V are relatively high.