Uganda could take a major step towards reducing its dependence on imported fertilisers following promising research by the National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO) into a locally produced nitrogen fertilizer.
The innovation, known as Nano-Plasma Nitrogen fertiliser (NPN), has already recorded significantly higher maize yields than imported urea in early trials. The impressive performance also earned the innovation space in the globally-acclaimed scientific journal (Frontiers in Plant Science on September 10, 2026).
Dr. Swidiq Mugerwa, the NARO Deputy Director General in charge Research, revealed that the innovation uses solar energy, air, water and plant waste to produce a slow-release mineral fertilizer that could provide farmers with a more accessible and efficient source of crop nutrients.
The development comes at a time when low soil fertility, high agricultural input costs and declining crop productivity continue to constrain Uganda’s agricultural transformation and efforts to achieve food security.
Uganda imported 34,779 tonnes of nitrogen fertilizer annually, while spending US$34.8 million on nitrogen fertilizer imports in 2024, according to figures cited in the research.
The country’s current fertilizer use also falls significantly short of the African Union’s Abuja Declaration target of at least 50 kilograms of fertilizer per hectare.
The cost of closing this gap through imports alone could be substantial, increasing pressure on foreign exchange and making fertilizers less affordable for farmers.
NARO’s research offers a potential alternative: harnessing locally available resources to manufacture nitrogen fertilizer within the country.
According to research findings as peer-reviewed and published in Frontiers in Plant Science, maize treated with NPN during trials achieved yields approximately 34 per cent and 85 per cent higher than those obtained using imported urea in the reported comparisons.
The researchers also estimated that plants absorbed about 83 per cent of the nitrogen supplied by the new fertilizer in a screen house experiment, suggesting the potential to improve nutrient-use efficiency and reduce fertilizer losses.
However, the results are preliminary.
The research was conducted at one location, and additional trials across different farming environments are needed to establish the fertilizer’s performance under ordinary farm conditions.
The study was led by Stewart Kyebogola, with researchers from NARO, the University of Nairobi and other institutions contributing to the work.
“Our task now is to move from promising trial results to a fertilizer that farmers can use and afford,” said Dr Mugerwa, adding; “That means testing it on farmers’ fields while assessing production at a larger scale.”
Nitrogen is essential for plant growth, but crops cannot directly use atmospheric nitrogen in its natural form. Conventional fertilizer manufacturing converts nitrogen into compounds that plants can absorb, often through industrial processes that require substantial energy and natural gas.
NARO’s technology uses non-thermal plasma, an energized gas that helps transform nitrogen from the air into a plant-available fertilizer compound.
Solar energy powers the process, while water stabilizes the resulting compound. Plant waste is used as a carrier material to regulate the release of nutrients.
In the published study, banana peels provided the plant-based material, and the finished fertilizer was formed into pellets for application at planting.
The technology is designed to release nitrogen gradually as crops grow, potentially allowing plants to absorb more of the nutrients supplied.
Conventional fertilizers can lose a substantial proportion of their nutrients through leaching, volatilization and other processes before crops absorb them.
These losses reduce the economic returns farmers receive from their investment and can contribute to environmental pollution.
A slow-release fertilizer could help address this challenge by making nutrients available over a longer period. If competitively priced and validated under farm conditions, it could also reduce the need for repeated applications, lowering labor and transport costs for farmers.
The reported experiments used the same nitrogen application rate across fertilizer treatments, with a single application at planting.
Further research will be necessary to establish the best application rates and schedules under different field conditions.
Beyond improving crop performance, the innovation could contribute to Uganda’s efforts to develop a domestic fertilizer manufacturing industry and reduce exposure to fluctuations in international markets.
The Nairobi Declaration on African Fertilizer and Soil Health, adopted in 2024, emphasizes the importance of strengthening domestic fertilizer production and making better use of Africa’s resources to improve access to agricultural inputs.
NARO’s approach aligns with this ambition by exploring a production model based on locally available raw materials rather than exclusive reliance on imported inputs and conventional manufacturing processes.
The organization is designing and evaluating an industrial-scale production plant to determine whether the technology can be scaled up to manufacture fertilizer reliably and in commercially viable quantities.
However, the availability of air, water and plant waste does not automatically guarantee a cheaper product. Equipment, energy requirements, processing, packaging and distribution will all influence the final cost to farmers.
A comprehensive assessment of production costs, commercial viability and long-term environmental performance will therefore be critical before large-scale deployment.
Dr Nassib Mugwanya, NARO’s Head of Partnerships, said the research could create opportunities for collaboration with private-sector manufacturers.
“This research presents an opportunity for NARO to partner with other industry players involved in fertilizer production to boost the fertilizer sector,” he said.
Such partnerships could support commercial production, technology transfer and the development of compound fertilizers combining nitrogen with other essential nutrients, including phosphorus.
A locally manufactured fertiliser that performs reliably remains affordable and reduces nutrient losses could improve returns on investment, particularly for smallholder farmers who often struggle to access quality agricultural inputs.
Uganda’s dependence on imported agricultural inputs remains a challenge for agricultural productivity, household incomes and national food security.
Developing a viable local source of nitrogen fertilizer could help reduce that dependence while creating opportunities for investment in agricultural technology and manufacturing.
The research also demonstrates the potential of applying scientific innovation to locally available resources to address practical challenges facing farmers.
For NARO, the immediate priority is to move from promising experimental results to a product whose performance, affordability and safety have been established under real farming conditions.
If further trials confirm the initial findings and industrial production proves commercially viable, Nano-plasma nitrogen fertilizer could become an important addition to Uganda’s agricultural input options.
For farmers, policymakers and potential investors, the key question is no longer simply whether nitrogen fertilizer can be produced locally, but whether it can be manufactured at scale, sold at an affordable price and consistently deliver better results in the field.
The answer could help shape Uganda’s future approach to fertilizer security, sustainable crop production and agricultural transformation.
