Early trials show the locally developed nitrogen fertiliser increased maize yields by up to 85 per cent compared with imported urea, although further testing is required before commercial production.
The National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO) has developed a nitrogen fertiliser using locally available materials, raising prospects of reducing Uganda’s dependence on imported agricultural inputs and improving crop productivity.
The fertiliser, known as Nano-Plasma Nitrogen (NPN), is produced using solar energy, atmospheric nitrogen, water and plant waste. Early research findings indicate that it could offer farmers an alternative to conventional nitrogen fertilisers, which remain costly for many smallholder producers.
The findings, published in the peer-reviewed scientific journal Frontiers in Plant Science on 10 September 2026, showed that maize treated with the new fertiliser produced significantly higher yields than maize treated with imported urea in the reported experimental comparisons.
According to NARO Deputy Director General in charge of Research, Dr Swidiq Mugerwa, the technology is designed to produce a slow-release fertiliser that supplies nitrogen to crops over an extended period, potentially improving nutrient absorption and reducing losses.
The research comes as Uganda continues to face declining soil fertility, high agricultural input costs and low fertiliser application rates, challenges that affect crop yields and farmers’ incomes.
Figures cited in the study indicate that Uganda imports approximately 34,779 tonnes of nitrogen fertiliser annually, with expenditure on nitrogen fertiliser imports reaching US$34.8 million in 2024.
The country’s fertiliser application rates also remain below the African Union’s Abuja Declaration target of at least 50 kilogrammes per hectare.
Increasing fertiliser use through imports alone would require substantial expenditure, particularly as international prices and transport costs continue to affect the affordability of agricultural inputs.
NARO researchers believe local production could provide an alternative if the technology proves commercially viable.
Maize yields increase in early trials
The published research found that maize treated with Nano-Plasma Nitrogen fertiliser recorded yields approximately 34 per cent and 85 per cent higher than those obtained using imported urea in the reported comparisons.
Researchers also estimated that maize plants absorbed about 83 per cent of the nitrogen supplied by the new fertiliser during a screenhouse experiment.
The findings suggest that the technology could improve nitrogen-use efficiency, allowing crops to absorb a greater proportion of the nutrients applied.
Nitrogen is essential for plant growth, particularly the development of leaves, stems and other vegetative structures. However, crops cannot directly absorb nitrogen from the atmosphere in its natural form.
Conventional nitrogen fertiliser manufacturing converts atmospheric nitrogen into compounds that plants can use, often through industrial processes requiring substantial energy and natural gas.
NARO’s technology uses non-thermal plasma, an energised gas that helps convert atmospheric nitrogen into compounds suitable for plant nutrition.
Solar energy powers the process, while water is used to stabilise the resulting compounds.
Plant waste serves as a carrier material that regulates how quickly the nutrients are released into the soil.
In the published experiments, researchers used banana peels as the plant-based material and processed the fertiliser into pellets for application during planting.
The pellets are designed to release nitrogen gradually as crops grow, potentially reducing the amount lost before plants can absorb it.
Conventional nitrogen fertilisers can lose nutrients through leaching, volatilisation and other processes, reducing their effectiveness and contributing to environmental pollution.
A fertiliser that releases nutrients gradually could improve crop performance while reducing the need for repeated applications.
However, researchers say further studies are necessary to determine whether these benefits can be consistently achieved under normal farming conditions.
More field trials needed
Despite the encouraging results, NARO says the technology is still undergoing development and requires additional testing before it can be made widely available to farmers.
The initial research was conducted at one location, meaning the results cannot yet be assumed to apply across Uganda’s different soils, rainfall patterns and agricultural production systems.
The study, led by Stewart Kyebogola, involved researchers from NARO, the University of Nairobi and other institutions.
Dr Mugerwa said the next phase would involve testing the fertiliser on farmers’ fields and examining whether production could be expanded beyond the experimental stage.
“Our task now is to move from promising trial results to a fertiliser that farmers can use and afford,” Mugerwa said.
“That means testing it on farmers’ fields while assessing production at a larger scale.”
The researchers used the same nitrogen application rate across the fertiliser treatments, with a single application at planting.
Further experiments will be required to establish appropriate application rates, the frequency of use and the fertiliser’s performance under different farming conditions.
The studies will also need to assess its effects on soil health, long-term crop productivity and the environment.
Local manufacturing could reduce import dependence
Beyond its potential benefits to farmers, the technology could support Uganda’s efforts to develop a domestic fertiliser manufacturing industry.
The country currently relies on imported nitrogen fertilisers, exposing farmers and agricultural businesses to fluctuations in international prices, foreign exchange costs and supply disruptions.
NARO’s research explores the possibility of producing nitrogen fertiliser using resources available within Uganda, including air, water and agricultural waste.
The approach is consistent with the Nairobi Declaration on African Fertilizer and Soil Health adopted in 2024, which calls for increased fertiliser production and improved access to agricultural inputs across the continent.
NARO is now designing and evaluating an industrial-scale production plant to establish whether the technology can manufacture fertiliser in sufficient quantities for commercial distribution.
However, the organisation acknowledges that the availability of local raw materials does not automatically make the finished product cheaper than imported alternatives.
The cost of equipment, electricity, processing, packaging, transport and distribution will determine whether the fertiliser can compete commercially with existing products.
Researchers will therefore need to establish the cost of producing each unit of fertiliser and compare its performance and affordability with conventional products.
A comprehensive assessment of commercial viability and environmental performance will also be required before large-scale manufacturing begins.
NARO seeks private-sector partnerships
NARO Head of Partnerships Dr Nassib Mugwanya said the research presents opportunities for collaboration with private companies involved in fertiliser manufacturing and distribution.
“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 help mobilise investment for commercial production, support technology transfer and establish distribution networks capable of reaching farmers across the country.
Researchers are also considering the possibility of developing compound fertilisers that combine nitrogen with other essential plant nutrients, including phosphorus.
This could expand the technology’s application beyond supplying nitrogen alone, depending on the nutritional requirements of different crops and soils.
For smallholder farmers, the potential benefits include improved yields, more efficient nutrient use and lower expenditure on agricultural inputs.
However, those benefits will depend on whether further trials confirm the initial findings and whether the fertiliser can be produced and sold at a competitive price.
Uganda’s agricultural sector continues to face challenges associated with declining soil fertility and limited access to affordable fertilisers, particularly among smallholder farmers.
Developing a reliable domestic source of nitrogen fertiliser could help address some of these constraints while creating investment opportunities in agricultural manufacturing.
For now, NARO’s priority is to establish whether the promising experimental results can be reproduced on farms and translated into a commercially viable product.
If the technology performs consistently under different farming conditions and can be manufactured affordably, it could provide Uganda with another source of nitrogen fertiliser while reducing some of the country’s expenditure on imported agricultural inputs.
