Rice cultivation of the central highlands: phosphorus deficiency resolved. P-Dipping is currently in the test phase in Behenjy, in the district of Ambatolampy, region of Vakinankaratra. A demonstration session took place on February 26 ...

P-Dipping is a technique for fertilizing lowland and irrigated rice cultivation systems. It consists of impregnating young clumps of rice in a mixture of mud, water and phosphate fertilizer just about 30 minutes before transplanting.

P-Dipping provides a solution to the rice-growing soils of Madagascar known for its phosphorus deficiency, especially in the highlands region. It accelerates the initial growth of rice, the date of flowering and harvest. It is a technique that promotes the increase in rice production and also saves the application of fertilizers without requiring significant labor.

P-Dipping becomes easy for farmers practicing during trials carried out in 22 rural sites, including the demonstration site in Ambohikambana, Behenjy commune, This technique allows them to increase production by 20% to 30% in average compared to the application of conventional technique. It is being tested in the 05 other rural communes of the Vakinankaratra region, namely: Ambohibary, Antanifotsy, Faratsiho, Betafo, and Ankazomiriotra. About 300 growers were randomly selected for these trials.