Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics Food Security Group

Farmer field soil testing and soil mapping can address the important challenges of nutrient depletion, poor soil fertility and inadequate fertilizer use across sub-Saharan Africa. In addition, having information about soil physical and chemical properties can guide fertilizer production (to meet nutrient needs), farmer agronomic practices (to increase yields), and enable transitions to precision agriculture across the region. This nexus of soil health and food security within ongoing conversations about climate change has been elucidated in literature and thus, the paucity of geo-referenced, digitized, and interactive soil nutrients and soil productivity maps necessitated this work. The activity was based on the simple principle that soil testing and nutrient management is essential to healthy food, healthy people, and a healthy planet.