Implementing innovative technology to tackle barriers in utilising human waste derived fertilisers in Sub Saharan African agriculture

农业是撒哈拉以南非洲（SSA）的主要部门，为许多人提供就业。这不仅是他们的生计来源，也是他们的生活方式。他们中的许多人是自给自足的农民，需要确保作物生产力尽可能达到最佳水平。影响作物产量的一个因素是使用适量的肥料。这并不是保证，因为许多其他因素影响作物生产力，如灌溉、气候、病虫害/杂草、土壤有机质和作物品种。然而，如果所有其他因素都是最佳的，那么肥料施用可以在影响作物生产力方面发挥主要作用。SSA面临的一个挑战是，化肥价格昂贵，导致对农场的施用很少。除了少量施用化学肥料外，现有的选择是使用有机改良剂，如作物残渣、牲畜粪便、生物固体和堆肥。发达国家使用的生物固体来自处理厂，经过处理达到可接受的安全标准。然而，在撒哈拉以南非洲的大部分地区并非如此。在南非，一个可用的选择是从定居点的干厕所中提取粪便材料。这种粪便经过堆肥等处理达到安全标准后，可以用作作物生产所需的宝贵肥料。虽然人们普遍认为粪便衍生肥料（FDF）有利于作物生产力，但存在认知问题，限制了其充分发挥潜力。此外，根据所使用的原料，不同批次的FDF之间可能存在差异。这也减少了对其作为肥料使用的依赖，除了早先由于令人不快的气味和粪便的性质而引起的感知问题。这个项目很及时，因为它提供了解决上述挑战的技术解决方案，并有可能增加FDF的使用，并在农民中树立信心。拟议项目的目的是证明在SSA部署基于技术的解决方案的可行性，以测试和评估FDF，以克服在农业中使用它的障碍。拟议的技术将得到转化和知识交流的支持，以便在基层有效实施并得到广泛接受，以解决在农业中实施其使用的现有障碍。所提出的技术是一种简单的基于纸的方法，可用于测定FDF中的营养成分（特别是硝酸盐和铵）。该项目还将探索手机应用程序的选择，该应用程序正在作为另一个项目的一部分开发，以方便农民等最终用户。虽然这种方法简单而有效，但作为该项目的一部分，将采取措施确保该工具的精确性和准确性不会损害有关此类肥料营养状况的任何信息。该项目还将通过讲习班和研讨会与农民和农学家等最终用户密切接触，以便通过有效的沟通澄清任何疑问。这个项目也将提供一个工具，让最终用户可以用它来决定哪些土地储备适合接受基金。通过这种方式，土地可以得到有效利用，并与手机应用程序相结合，该应用程序可以告知所施用肥料的合适程度。这可以是一个双赢的局面，不仅可以提供卫生解决方案（通过安全处置和处理粪便制成肥料），还可以通过潜在的改善土壤肥力和作物生产来解决粮食安全问题。将与最终用户密切接触，以确保他们愿意接受使用这些技术。该项目的成果对于提高农民的社会经济地位和更多地依靠可再生肥料资源来实践可持续农业将非常有价值。

Agriculture is a major sector in Sub Saharan Africa (SSA) and provides employment to many people. It is not only a source of livelihood but also their way of life. Many of them are subsistence farmers and need to ensure that the crop productivity is as optimum as possible. One factor that influences crop productivity is the use of suitable amount of fertilisers. This is not a guarantee as many other factors influence crop productivity such as irrigation, climate, pest/disease/weeds, soil organic matter and crop varieties. However if all other factors are optimum then fertiliser applications can play a major role in influencing crop productivity. A challenge in SSA is that chemical fertiliser prices are expensive which results in low application to the farm. The available options to supplement the low application of chemical fertilisers are to use organic amendments such as crop residue, livestock manure, biosolids and compost. Biosolids that is used in the developed country comes from a treatment plant and treated to an acceptable standard that is safe. However this is not the case in most parts of the SSA. An available option in SSA is faecal derived material from dry toilets in settlements. This faecal matter when treated to safe standards through processes such as composting can be utilised as a valuable fertilisers needed for crop production. Whilst there is general understandings that faecal matter derived fertilisers (FDF) are beneficial for crop productivity, there are perception issues that curbs its full potential. In addition there could be variation between different batches of FDF depending on the feedstock being utilised. This also reduces the reliance on its use as fertilisers in addition to the earlier perception issues due to unpleasant odour and nature of faecal matter. This project is timely as it offers technological solutions that tackle the challenges explained above and can potentially increase the use of FDF and instil confidence amongst farmers. The aim of the proposed project is to demonstrate the feasibility of deploying technology based solutions in SSA to test and evaluate FDF to overcome barriers in using it in agriculture. The proposed technology will be supported by translational and knowledge exchange so that its implementation can be effective at ground level and be widely accepted in order to tackle existing barriers in implementing its use in agriculture. The proposed technology is a simple paper based method that can be used to determine nutrient content (particularly nitrate and ammonium) in FDF. This project will also explore the option of a mobile phone App that is being developed as part of another project for the ease of end-users such as farmers. Whilst this method is simple and can be effective, steps will be taken as part of this project to ensure that the precision and accuracy of this tool does not compromise any information gathered on the nutrient status of such fertilisers. This project will also engage closely with end-users such as farmers and agronomists through workshops and seminars so that any doubts can be clarified through effective communication. This project will also provide a tool which end-users can use to determine landbank that is suitable to receive FDF. In this way the land can be used efficiently and coupled with the mobile phone App which can inform on how suitable the fertiliser that is being applied. This can be a win-win situation which can not only provide a solution for sanitation (through safe disposal and treatment of faecal matter into fertilisers) but also tackle food security through potential improvement in soil fertility and crop production. There will be close engagement with end-users to ensure that willingness to accept the use of such technologies. The outcome of this project will be very valuable in improving the socio-economic status of farmers and rely more on renewable sources of fertilisers to practice sustainable agriculture.