Abstract
Kampong Cham Province is located in plain region of Cambodia. The major activity of people in the province is agriculture, mainly cultivating rice and vegetables. More than 60% of farmers in Kampong Cham Province applied chemical fertilizers inappropriately without understanding on its impacts. The use of high rates of chemical fertilizers continuously for several years, often lead to unsustainability in production and post harmful to the environment. Recent years, with the support from the government and non-governmental organization (NGOs), many farmers realized and look for a better agricultural practice which could harmonize with natural environment and human health. Several practices were carried to promote the use of organic fertilizers such as green manures, compost, and bio-liquid fertilizer in Kampong Cham Province. The use of organic fertilizers it can reduce the input of chemical fertilizer, improve soil, water, and environment quality. Therefore, the objectives of this study are to describe farmers' practices on fertilization and discuss the effect of fertilization practices on productivity in Samraong and Baray Communes. Ones hundred farmers were selected for interview with questionnaire surveys on agricultural practices in Samraong and Baray Communes. The results from the questionnaire surveys showed that more than 70% to 80% of farmers in Samroang and Baray Communes applied organic in combination with inorgnaic fertilizers and less than 20% use only inorganic fertilizers and 10% only organic fertilizer. The amount of rice production in each fertilization practices was different, the rice production in organic fertilizer practices was high compared to other fertilization practices in Baray Commune, however, in Samraong Commune the rice production was high in chemical fertilization practices. As farmers in Samraong Commune used more chemical that is why the production was high compared to other fertilization practices.
