A don, Christian Madu, has advised farmers on the need for the reduction of chemical fertilisers, otherwise known as inorganic fertilisers, on farmlands. 

Mr Madu, a Professor of Environmental Management and Control, made the call on Saturday in Enugu while speaking with journalists on the current issues affecting farming in the country.

According to him, chemical fertilisers kill the natural microbes that rebuild the soil.

“Chemical fertilisers also leave the soil bare and defenceless to sustain and quickly support new plantings,” he said.

Mr Madu, with the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), said the world was turning to organic fertiliser-grown farm produce and chemical-free edibles.

He called on the government and policymakers to direct Nigerians that have much to do with the environment, especially farmers, on the best and most acceptable universal practices for the benefit of the citizenry.

The don said that the government policies and direction must go in line with the realities of climate change currently being faced in the world.

“The government also needs to embark on policies that are of today’s reality on climate change and ensure that such policies are implemented,” he said.

He also called for conscious efforts to remove non-degradable materials, such as nylon and plastic, from the soil’s surface.

(NAN)