Agronomists to map Africa’s soils to increase crops

NAIROBI (Reuters) – International agronomists plan to map different soil types across Africa to improve agricultural methods, increase harvests and help farmers earn a better living from their land, scientists said Tuesday.

The four-year project will combine on-the-ground soil sampling and remote satellite imagery to produce a detailed digital map of sub-Saharan Africa, the Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) said.

“Soil management in sub-Saharan Africa must be improved dramatically if we are to reduce poverty, feed growing populations and cope with the impact of climate change on agriculture,” CIAT’s Nteranya Sanginga said in a statement ahead of the project’s launch in Nairobi.

“Achieving this requires accurate, up-to-date information on the state of Africa’s soils,” Sanginga said.

Reuters