Soil Test – Assisting farmers make an informed decision

Soil is the natural medium for plant growth and development. Assessing soil types and their quality are the essential part for the agriculture productivity. Somalia has different soil types ranging from sandy, silt and clay. The clay soils are known to have more nutrients and organic matter that are suitable for agriculture production. The image on the right shows soil collected from different regions in Somalia.

Fertile soil ensures plant survival

Fertile soil provides the life-supporting nutrients that the plant requires.

The continued cultivation of the land and use of poor agriculture practices results in poor soil that does not support healthy plant establishment. It is important to improve the soil structure and soil nutrition content through the use of good agriculturale practices such as conservation agriculture, crop rotation, and direct application of soil nutrients using either organic or inorganic fertilizers. Soil analysis will help determine the availability of nutrients and predicts the fertilizer amendment that each crop needs.

SATG team has reached out to villages in nine different regions of Somalia: Lower and Middle Shabelle, Bay, Hiran, Mudug, Galgadadud, Nugal, Sool and Sanag. Soils in these regions were sampled following standard soil sampling protocols, analyzed and proper recommendations were provided to the farmers. The soils analysis revealed that Somali Soils are high in pH and low in nitrogen and phosphorus. The deficiency of both elements restricts production of most crops like maize, sorghum, and vegetables.