Malawi bets on homegrown fertiliser as field trials advance

Field trials testing a locally developed organo-mineral fertiliser are showing early promise in Malawi, with the country’s science funding body taking a hands-on approach to tracking progress.

Members of the National Commission for Science and Technology (NCST) board of commissioners recently visited two of the five active trial sites at the Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR) in Lilongwe and Bvumbwe Research Station in Thyolo, where the fertiliser is being assessed for its performance on maize crops.

For years, Malawian farmers have contended with rising fertiliser prices, declining soil health, and persistent foreign exchange constraints, all of which have contributed to chronically low crop yields. Much of the country’s inorganic fertiliser supply is imported and distributed through subsidy programmes that place a significant burden on the national economy.

The organo-mineral fertiliser under trial was developed by LUANAR scientists in collaboration with NCST and is designed to offer farmers an affordable, environmentally friendly, and high-yielding alternative.

LUANAR scientists began developing the formulation three years ago, focusing on organic and mineral waste resources that are largely available within Malawi.

A small-scale production facility has since been installed at LUANAR’s Bunda campus to produce the fertiliser for field testing.

This is the second round of trials. Preliminary trials conducted last year at LUANAR and in Mkwinda village in Lilongwe yielded promising results, with an average yield of eight tonnes per hectare.

Building on that data, the current trials are running simultaneously across five sites: Chitala Research Station in Salima, Bembeke Research Station in Dedza, Bvumbwe Research Station in Thyolo, Mbawa Research Station in Mzimba, and LUANAR in Lilongwe.

NCST board chairperson Hester Nyasulu expressed satisfaction with what the commissioners observed and underlined the need to move beyond experimental plots towards wider adoption by farmers.

LUANAR vice chancellor, Emmanuel Kaunda, who met with the commissioners during the visits, said a locally produced fertiliser would help reduce Malawi’s dependence on imported inputs. “The development of a locally produced organo-mineral fertiliser will help reduce dependency on imported inorganic fertiliser, much of which is supplied through programs that place a heavy burden on the national economy,” he said.

The initiative is financed through NCST’s Science and Technology Fund, with NCST serving as the overall coordinator and LUANAR as the technical lead for research and development.

As a member of the Science Granting Councils Initiative, NCST is among a growing number of African science funding bodies working to strengthen national research systems and translate scientific investment into tangible development outcomes. The organo-mineral fertiliser project is one example of that effort in practice.

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Published on 14 May 2026

By Jackie Opara-Fatoye