AGENCY FOn INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR AID USE ONLY WASHINGTON, 0. C. 20523 BIBLIOGRAPHIC INPUT SHEET A. PRIMARY I.SUBJECT Agriculture 'A25-00O-0000 CLASSI- FICATION B. SECONDARY TITE AD Soil fertility,fertilizers,and'plant nutrition Z, TITLE AND SUBTITLE Fertilizer production,marketing,and use; a handbook for short courses, 3. AUTHOR(S) (101) National Fertilizer Development Center,TVA, 4. DOCUMENT DATE I5. NUMBER OF PAGES 16. ARC NUMBER 1969I 232p. ARC 7. REFERENCE ORGANIZATION NAME AND ADDRESS TVA 8. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES (Sponsorlng Organlzatlon,Publlhers, Availability) 9. ABSTRACT to. CONTROL NUMBER 11. PRICE OF, DOCUMENT PN-RAA- 162 12. DESCRIPTORS " 13. PROJECT NUMBER Education Manuals - - • 14. CONTRACT NUMBER Manufacturing , PASA TA (QA)6-69 GTS Marketing 15. TYPE OF DOCUMENT AID 590-1 (4-74) "7 'FERTILIZER PRODUCTION, MARKETING, and USE A Handbook for Short Courses Preparedfor the Agency for International Development, By the Tennessee Valley Authority National Fertilizer Development Center Muscle Shoals, Alabama 1969 FOREWORD The production of food needed by a hungry world will require much larger quantities of fertilizer-especially in the developing countries. For most developing countries, fertilizer use for other than plantation-grown export crops is relatively new. Food crops will require large investments in production, distribution, and marketing to bring about the rapid increase that is indicated in the use of fertilizers. Another, and probably more difficult, problem will be that of supplying trained personnel in all phases of fertilizer production, marketing, and use. The National Fertilizer Development Center of the Tennessee Valley Authority in recent years has offered courses in fertilizer production, marketing, and use. Although more than 100 persons from developing nations have attended these general courses, and more thin 60 have participated in more specialized training programs, many xioae could benefit from this type of training. This is the basic reason for preparing this training guide-to extend the benefits from such courses and to expand their influence. Hopefully, the manual will encourage and better prepare the developing nations to train personnel they need so badly in the broad field of fertilizers. If so, it will be a step toward removing the lack of fertilizer or its use as a limiting factor in properly feeding their rapidly growing populations. The manual also may bu useful in fertilizer training programs of private and public organizations elsewhere. The guide was prepared with the encouragement and financial help of the Agency for International Development, U.S. Department of State. Introduction The purpose in preparing this manual is to extend visuals, arranging the meeting place, and evaluating a fertilizer training techniques used at the National Ferti- shortcourse. lizer Development Center into the training channels in Section 2 contains agendas for shortcourses in ferti­ developing nations. The manual has been specifically lizer production, marketing, and use. There isan 8-week designed for people who will plan and conduct courses agenda based on the TVA course. Also included are in fertilizer production, marketing, and use. It offers one agendas for one-week engineering and marketing courses. way of conducting such courses; there are many other The section discusses the flexibility of the agenda in approaches. However, this approach has been effective in preparing for any length of shortcourse desired. It courses conducted at the National Fertilizer Develop- provides descriptions and strategy of daily agenda ment Center. elements such as the "Subject of the Day" and "Profes- Our courses have been conducted for representatives sional Discussion" periods. The section also considers from as many as six countries. We call these "multi- the relationship of resource materials found in Section 4 nation courses." Other courses have been conducted for to the suggested agenda. representatives from only one nation. In both types, Section 3 describes the philosophy and objectives of multidisciplines have been involved, using problem-solving situations in training. Particular Our training methods have proved effective for both emphasis is placed on the use of New Devland-a types of courses. They also should be effective in other mythical country-created for use in TVA fertilizer settings. Whenever training is conducted, participants shortcourses to overcome tradition and bias so common will represent differen -areas of a nation and different to all of us when we are evaluating and criticizing our disciplines. Sometimes more than one language will be own countries. Included are techniques that have involved, even within one nation, worked in TVA courses where panel problems have been Many of the techniques we use are designed to assigned. Examples of problems are illustrated, along capitalize on differences in background and interests of with a discussion on how they are assigned. There is also participants. We are convinced that a major accomplish- a discussion of how solutions to panel problems are ment of our courses has been to demonstrate how presented, discussed, and critiqued by the trainees. people with divergent training can work together to Section 4 contains several resource iems to help solve common problems. This can be done as well within prepare for the classroom situat'cn. There are almost 70 a country as among countries. technical outlines, based on 'lic ag-.nda found in Section 2. These are expanded outlines which contain a consider- How to Use This Handbook able amount of technical information and are fully referenced. The idea has been to provide enough This handbook Is divided Into four parts. Section 1 information so that a prospective teacher can prepare a suggests how to plan and conduct a fertilizer short. lesson plan from each outline. Acomplete description of course. It considers setting objectives and techniques New Devland and a suggested critique questionnaire are involved in structuring an agenda, whether It be for a also included. one-day, one-week, or several weeks' course. Suggestions This manual was prepared by TVA staff members are made for conducting the course. This includes a who participate in the training course under the guide for plalning group discussions, types of effective guidance of the TVA training committee. CONTENTS Developing a training course .......................... I Selecting course content ............................ 7 Using the problem-solving technique as a teaching tool .. 21 Resource materials ................................ 29 SECTION 1 DEVELOPING A TRAINING COURSE A training course is regarded here as the kind, has been to include topics that will be of most use to amount, and organization of content in a short course in participants when they return to their own positions. fertilizer production, marketing, and use. This section Our judgment has been based on four -kinds of reviews some of the factors that are helpful in planning, experiences: conducting, and evaluating fertilizer training courses. 1. Many years of experiences by the TVA in Methodology is based on the Tennessee Valley developing and introducing new fertilizers to Authority way of conducting international short courses American farmers; in fertilizer production, marketing, and use. 2. Reports of TVA technical teams who have In most educational effort, course building responsi- analyzed potentials for fertilizer production and bility rests largely with the teacher. And the teacher is use in several developing countries; usually concerned with: 3. Experience with international training courses; 1. Purpose for which the course is to be offered. and 2. Educative environment and training background 4. Discussions with technical visitors to the National of participants. Fertilizer Development Center. 3. Sources of instructors and available !-formation. Most participants in our courses have been in 4. Requirements of the participants' professions. positions where they can influence the development of a These factors are also important in developing a fertilizer industry in their nations. Thus, we make an fertilizer training course. Our experience at the National effort to expose them to all phases of fertilizer Fertil;zer Development Center has shown, however, that production, marketing, and use. This is done in the coi, .. development is best handled by a group of classroom where research and development specialists specialists rather than one teacher. This group consists of share their knowledge and experience with participants an agronomist, an economist, a chemical engineer, az'd a and in the field where problem-solving programs are in communications specialist. Such a team establishes progress. training objectives and plans, and conducts and evaluates TVA's course in FertilizerProduction,Marketing,and the course. This early cross-disciplinary approach to Use has the following objectives: course development is a key element w,; try to maintain 1. Examine problems in establishing and operating a throughout our training courses. A similar team fertilizer program in a developing country. approach to training may be useful in any country. 2. Study developments in fertilizer production, marketing, and uae in the United States and relate Set Objectives Early them to needs and resources of each country represented in the course. The f'st Aequirement for developing a course is to 3. Show the interrelationship and interdependence create a clear conception of the purposes