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.

Digital soil mapping is the creation of spatial soil information systems using field and laboratory methods coupled with spatial and non-spatial soil inference systems (Lagacherie, McBratney and Voltz, 2006). A digital soil map is a spatial database of soil properties that is based on a statistical sample of landscapes or regions and that permits functional interpretation, spatial prediction and mapping of soil properties relevant to soil management and policy decisions.

Near infrared spectroscopy (NIR) can provide rapid and accurate prediction of organic resource quality attributes across a wide range of resource types. Methods developed at the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) can be used for calibrating models for prediction of organic resource quality.

One of the key challenges for AfSIS is how to measure soil functional properties on tens of thousands of georeferenced soil samples. Spectral diagnostics – the use of low cost, high throughput analytical techniques based on light reflectance – solves this problem. Infrared and x-ray spectroscopic analytical techniques that required minimal sample preparation are used as a front line screening tool. More expensive and time-consuming measurements of soil functional properties are then calibrated to the spectral measurements on a subset of samples.

Feb. 2009 -- Shamie Zingore and Jeroen Huising

1. Sentinel Site: Nogossire village, Kayes Region

Climate

The site is located in the semi-arid northern edge of the Sudan climatic zone. Annual rainfall averages about 600 mm/yr and falls in a unimodal pattern (June-August). 

April 13th -16th, 2009 -- Shamie Zingore and Jeroen Huising

1. Limpasi Irrigation Scheme, Nkatha Bay District

Location and Climate

The climate in Malawi is largely influenced by Lake Malawi, which covers almost two-thirds of Malawi’s eastern border.  Nkhata Bay District is located in northern Malawi and lies on the shore of Lake Malawi. The area experiences humid savanna climate with annual rainfall averaging 1700 mm. Rainfall distribution is unimodal (October-May).

The project will develop a decision framework that will build on past experimental data (i.e., fertilizer response trials, integrated soil fertility management (ISFM) field trials) and new ISFM experimental trials in selected sentinel sites. Legacy data from field trials throughout Africa will initially be used to identify the key factors that determine crop responses to various soil management practices and systems. New experimental trials will be established in selected sentinel sites in four countries (Malawi, Mali, Nigeria and Tanzania; for Kenya we will use existing ongoing trials) to test and to document responses to locally adapted soil management recommendations.