Highlights from the most recent Africa Soil Information Service (AfSIS) reporting period, June-Dec. 2010:

--Signing of the GlobalSoilMap.net consortium agreement by high-level official representatives from each of the participating regional nodes. Most nodes have now begun to either produce first generation map products for large areas, or to at least to identify preferred prediction methods by conducting pilot projects that apply and evaluate alternative mapping methods.

GlobalSoilMap.net is a new global project that aims to make a new digital soil map. Alex McBratney from the University of Sydney in Australia enthuses about the new map, “The global digital soil map will use advances in technologies including remote sensing, data mining and spatial databases, and our improved scientific understanding of soil, for accurate prediction and sampling of soil properties.