Improving fertilizer recommendations for increased return from fertilizer investments and optimized crop response to fertilizer has been a major area of investigation of IFDC. Since 2008, IFDC through its Natural Resource Management (NRM) Program has partnered with national agricultural research services to undertake research, development and extensive on-farm trials in various agroecosystems in West Africa to develop site specific fertilizer recommendations for crops. Validation trials have been conducted in many countries (Benin (maize, cassava), Burkina (rice, maize and sorghum) Ghana (maize, cocoa and cassava) and Togo (maize and cassava). However, these fertilizer recommendation data remain scattered and most of them need final statistical analysis before they can be fully utilized and/or scaled out. As part of its efforts to improve fertilizer use and efficiency in West Africa, and following the recent adoption of the West African fertilizer recommendation action plan (RAP) by ECOWAS, IFDC has taken technical lead with key partner institutions and experts to build on previous and current fertilizer recommendations for various crops and countries in West Africa for wider uptake by public policy makers and fertilizer industry actors.

Preface.- 1. Soil Organic Carbon and Proper Fertilizer Recommendation.- 2. Nutrient Management in Livestock Systems in West Africa Sahel with Emphasis On Feed and Grazing Management.- 3. Managing Fertilizer Recommendations in Rice-based Cropping Systems Challenges and Strategic Approaches.- 4. Soil Organic Carbon and Nitrogen in Agroforestry Systems in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Review.- 5. Effect of Hill Placement of Nutrients on Millet Productivity and Characteristics of Sahelian Soils of Niger. Analysis of Yield Trend After Three Years of Cropping.- 6. Diagnostic of Mineral Deficiencies and Interactions in Upland Rice Cropping Across Different Agroecologies of West Africa.- 7. Assessment of Soil Fertility Status and Integrated Soil Fertility Management in Ghana.- 8. Response of Rice, Maize and Millet to Fertilizers in Mali.- 9. Role of Local Agro-Minerals in Mineral Recommendations For Crops: Examples of Some Natural Phosphates from West Africa.- 10. Fertilizer Recommendation for Maize and Rice Based on Participatory Subtractive Testing.- 11. State of Places of Fertilizer in Corn Crops, Mil / Sorgho, Niebe, Rice and Cotton in Mali.- 12. Fertilizer Recommendation for Maize, Sorghum, Millet, Cowpea, Soybean and Cotton in Nigeria.- 13. Improvement of the Agronomic Efficiency of Mineral Fertilization by Microdose Under Sorghum in the Subaridal Zone of Burkina Faso.- 14. Socio-economic Determinants and Trends on Fertilizer Use in West Africa.- 15. Economic Efficiency of Microdose Fertilization on Smallholder Farms in the Northern Sudanian Region of Burkina Faso.- 16. Improving Fertilizer Recommendations For Cocoa in Ghana Based On Inherent Soil Fertility Characteristics.- 17. A Review of Study on Fertilizer Response By the Oil Palm (Elaeis guineensis) Nigeria.- 18. An Assessment of Inherent Chemical Properties of Soils for Balanced Fertilizer Recommendations for Cocoa in Ghana.