Wonder Plant Replacing Synthentic Fertilizer.

Tithonia (Asteraceae)

The lush green plants in the midst of high-rise residential houses in Githurai, Nairobi makes the farm stand out.

Bananas, paw paws and indigenous vegetables that include spider plant compete for space on the about half-acre farm.

Robert Ngugi, the owner of the farm, has grown a wild plant known as tithonia (Asteraceae) on one side of the garden.

However, while he grew tithonia to protect his crops from dust since the farm is near a road, the plants have turned out to be one of his biggest saving grace as he uses them as fertilizer.

He was found pruning the tithonia plants. One would be forgiven for thinking that he was just trying to keep the hedge clean.

Robert Ngugi, preparing his organic fertilizer.

However, after the pruning, the farmer chops the leaves into smaller pieces and soaks them in a metal tank.

“This is something I do every fortnight,” says Ngugi. “It saves me plenty of money that I would have used to buy artificial fertilizer for my crops. I soak the leaves in water for two weeks before spraying on my various crops, together with the decomposed plant materials.”

                                                            BUY FERTILIZERS

When he started farming in 2010 after failing to sell the parcel that is a wetland, Ngugi would buy fertilizer to boost production. Each year, he says, he would spend not less than Sh20,000 (N40,000)

“I adopted tithonia after learning its value from an agricultural officer. It was by chance that I got the knowledge. That day the officer in-charge of Kahawa Wendani had brought farmers to my farm for lessons when he stumbled upon tithonia.”

The officer, Miriam Mugwe, saw the plant and asked Ngugi why he had grown it.

“That day I did not only talk to farmers about the other crops but also tithonia as an alternative to artificial fertilizer,” says Miriam as she recalled of the incident in 2012.

Having learned of the importance of the plant, Ngugi started using it as fertiliser.

“I normally harvest the plant’s small branches and leaves, then shred into small pieces and soak in a 180-litre water container. I ensure the plants cover half of the container and then add 135 liters of water.”

                                                        IMPORTANCE OF TITHONIA

He sprays two drums of the mixture on his farm, which last up to six months. “Since I started using tithonia, I now harvest eight to 10kg of sukuma wiki (collard green) from the same portion that I used to get 5kg a week. The organic fertilizer has also enabled me to pick night shade (managu) twice a week unlike before when leaves took long to sprout.”

Miriam, who works for the Ministry of Agriculture, says many people do not know the importance of tithonia as an alternative to fertilizer.

“I learned about the value of the crop several years ago from an institution that trains people on use of organic fertiliser.”

Prof Richard Mulwa, a horticultural scientist at Egerton University, says tithonia is rich in nutrients, especially nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.

“Organic matter in tithonia helps soil to hold much more water and for a longer period,” says Prof Mulwa. “The nutrients in tithonia are vital in improving the size of leaves and fruits as well as making leaves dark-green.”

Tithonia, he adds, is good for crops such as melon, maize and a variety of vegetables like spider plant, sukuma wiki, spinach and cabbages.

“The nutrients in tithonia also add sweetness to watermelons. “Farmers should use tithonia to optimize yields.” Though the plant is widely used by organic farmers, the expert notes it is highly recommended to those who have used synthetic fertiliser for long as it does not only add nutrients but also the organic matter.