MOROGORO: FARMERS in Morogoro region are benefiting from various research findings by increasing productivity and quality of produce.
One of the research findings focus on the use of rabbit urine as a natural pesticide and fertilizer, contributing to high productivity in vegetables.
Research Coordinator for Sustainable Agriculture Tanzania (SAT), Ms Salma Yassin spoke of the new development during the training and presentation of research findings on rabbit urine to farmers at Towero Street, Mlimani Ward in Morogoro Municipality.
Ms Yassin said that the research projects started in 2014, saying to-date a total of 86 researches have been conducted and reached more than 3000 farmers of three councils in Morogoro Region.
“The project aims at helping farmers to overcome various challenges by conducting research in collaboration with students from Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA).
They are carrying out research on the pesticides for fighting pests by using local herbal trees that are found in their areas, including using them as fertilizer.” She explained.
A first-degree student of Agricultural Science from SUA, Ms Glorious Kalabamu said that in order to deal with pests, farmers have been advised to stop using chemical pesticides.
Ms Kalabamu said that the research on the use of rabbit urine started at the laboratory, by testing the urine sample and it was taken to a tomato farm where the study found that the urine can be used to fight various pests’ species.
She noted that during the research, they were able to set a nursery of crops where rabbit urine was used by mixing one of urine and five litres of water and it proved to be effective.
“The big number of leaves has grown fast and thrive well compared to that mixed with one litre, and that was after finding that the rabbit urine has high level of nitrogen which is 0.46 per cent, 0.303 per cent of phosphorus, 0.07035 per cent of potassium, 0.02135 per cent of magnesium and 0.0033575 per cent of calcium,” explained Ms Kalabamu.
Pius Paulin, who is a farmer, said that they were engaged in all processes during the research in the farms and after the results of the research they started keeping rabbits so as to make sure they get enough urine in all agriculture seasons.