The development of evidence-based soil management recommendations involves the derivation of descriptive and quantitative models to predict the performance of specific Integrated Soil Fertilty Management (ISFM) recommendations under varied, soil, climatic and socio-economic conditions. ISFM technologies relate to fertilizer application rates, soil organic matter management, use of legumes, and tillage operations in cropping systems. Additionally, socio-economic factors need to be taken into consideration as well. These will relate to e.g., labor availability, access to input and output markets, access to credit, and other factors related to the social and cultural characteristics and the farming system. We are using both quantitative and qualitative techniques to determine how these factors, environmental and socio-economic, should be rated. The decision framework will be flexible and allow for comparisons of the different ISFM options under different and changing socio-economic and policy scenarios and ratings to be adjusted accordingly. The outcome of this activity is a decision framework that allows for the identification of soil health related problems, identification of possible solution or interventions and the possible outcomes of such interventions. The framework is being tested in and applied to generate recommendations for selected sentinel sites and it surrounding landscapes.

The decision support framework is targeting different groups of beneficiaries that operate at different scales, to which different problem domains apply and who may have quite different objectives and modes of intervention. We envision a hierarchical recommendation approach based on scale of analysis. The framework allows for regional, national, intermediate as well as local level recommendations to be formulated and different scenarios to be evaluated. Broad based recommendations regarding options for ISFM (opportunities and constraints for larger regions based on observed general soil health status) are targeting beneficiaries such as CAADP, FARA, AGRA, HarvestChoice and the donor community. Outcomes will also inform regional organizations like ASARECA, CORAF and SADC. While national level recommendations will target ministries, national policy institutes, research organizations and other stakeholders, local level beneficiaries will include farmers and farmer groups, district officials and locally operating NGO or CBO. Recommendations for local level beneficiaries will refer to specific ISFM options, adapted to the local conditions and farmers circumstances.