CA4SH Science Webinar: Harnessing science & knowledge to scale monitoring and actionable data
In the realm of soil health, science and practical knowledge are key to fostering sustainable agricultural practices. Scaling soil health requires on-the-ground intervention into its physical, chemical, and biological components. There are endless technologies available with which to do this, ranging from high-intensity to low-impact, and everywhere in between. Further, indigenous peoples have always been stewards of soil health and invaluable sources of knowledge of their local contexts.
“CA4SH’s community is continually working towards enhancing soil health through a variety of interventions catered to different contexts and scales. This third session is dedicated to science and knowledge for scaling soil health and the stakeholders who are behind it.”
CA4SH’s Webinar Series was held over three sessions in the lead-up to the Africa Fertilizer and Soil Health Summit to address key challenges currently constraining farmers to implement healthy soil practices. The first two sessions were held under the topics of bringing soil health into policy and financing healthy soil practices. This third session focused on the science and knowledge needed to generate actionable data for soil health monitoring and scaling up, informing and tracking soil health practices on the ground whilst addressing key barriers.
Dr. Leigh Winowiecki, Theme Leader for Soil and Land Health at CIFOR-ICRAF and Co-Lead of CA4SH, set the tone for the discussion by emphasizing the need to shift from a top-down monitoring approach to one that fosters inclusive community engagement. By involving communities, we not only scale our efforts but also ensure that the generated data is effectively utilized to drive impactful change on the ground. She also highlighted that a landscape approach is important, as what happens at the broader ecosystem level directly affects farm-level productivity and soil health.
Methodologies for monitoring soil health
Tor Vagen, Principal Scientist at SPACIAL Lab, CIFOR-ICRAF, presented advances in soil health monitoring and emphasized the need for indicator frameworks, such as CIFOR-ICRAF’s Land Degradation Surveillance Framework (LDSF), to assess soil health comprehensively. He delved into the intricate process of assessing soil health on a large scale.
The LDSF’s framework was designed to assess soil health using sites that are 100 square km (10 x 10 km). Through the combination of robust sampling designs, the use of simple field tools, and advanced analytics such as soil spectroscopy, CIFOR-ICRAF is able to predict soil properties with unprecedented accuracy, even in diverse ecosystems like grasslands and drylands. “Models are becoming so accurate that it allows us to assess changes over time”. The data generated enables the mapping of soil health indicators and can predict multiple soil properties at the same time, such as carbon, pH, and fertility.
Citizen science data collection was also presented as a method to scale soil monitoring efforts and engage farmers in tracking interventions on their land. “We are rolling out the ReGreening Africa app, which has over 270,000 farmers actively using it to track their interventions on their farms.” By combining citizen science with LDSF-generated data, farmers can receive feedback on the health of their soils and management recommendations.
Panelists remarks
Samuel Bamidele, M.S., Soil Health Sampling Specialist, Soil Health Institute
Samuel delved into the critical interplay between rice cultivation, soil health, and climate change, shedding light on often overlooked aspects of agricultural practices. There is significant carbon buildup in rice systems which plays a role in methane emissions, hence the focus of his research efforts on lowland crops to mitigate climate impacts.
His project explored incorporating rice straw into soil to enhance soil indicators and combat climate change. “We must pay close attention to rice cultivation practices, particularly in regions like Africa, to effectively address environmental challenges and promote sustainable agriculture.”
Joy Youwakim, Agroecology Scientist, Biome Makers
Joy emphasized the significance of genomic biological soil analysis in understanding the soil microbiome. “Soil microbiome consists of microbes that are present on the soil. Soil is alive - in itself has 10 billion microbes per gram”.
Biome Makers does DNA sequencing to analyze bacteria and fungi in soil samples, allowing for the prediction of soil functionality and health. This technology enables farmers to reduce input costs by optimizing chemical treatments based on biological testing results, ultimately increasing yield and sustainability. The database of over 20 billion microbes is continuously updated to include new discoveries related to soil agricultural functions, such as nutrient cycling and disease management.
Geoff Heinrich, Senior Technical Advisor for Agriculture, CRS
Drawing on his expertises in agronomy and soil science, Geoff underscored the vital link between landscape health and rural prosperity. “It is impossible to improve rural livelihoods without restoring soil health and productivity of the landscape.”
He highlighted a 5-year watershed management project in Malawi, funded by USAID, which significantly increased food and water security while boosting maize yields. Despite initial concerns about sustainability, subsequent evaluations showed ongoing success, with most watersheds still operational years later.
Geoff emphasized the importance of metrics to measure community impacts effectively and advocated for interventions at both landscape and plot levels to achieve lasting livelihood improvements.
Dr. Ekwe Dossa, Director, Soil Health & Agricultural Productivity, IFDC
Dr. Ekwe Dossa (IFDC) discussed soil health practices including IFDC’s Integrated Soil Fertility Management (ISFM) strategy, involving farmers in diagnosing soil fertility issues and selecting solutions. This approach puts “farmers at the center of the innovation”, emphasizing the importance of participatory monitoring.
Additionally, IFDC uses a space-to-place approach to fertilizer recommendations to improve efficiency and reduce waste. “We provide contextualized and tailored recommendations that provide better returns on investment.” Another advancement is the development of organo-mineral fertilizers, blending organic materials with mineral fertilizers for improved nutrient content.
Closing remarks and call to action
In a poignant intervention, Dhrupad Choudhury, Special Advisor, The Indigenous Partnership for Agrobiodiversity and Food Sovereignty (TIP), underscored the invaluable role of indigenous knowledge in soil health management. By forging partnerships between mainstream science and indigenous knowledge systems, we can accelerate the validation and scaling of traditional practices, ensuring the urgent action needed to address soil degradation and to meet the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.
“We have got a lot of work to do and need to do it very fast. We need to decolonize science. Science goes beyond just scientific, experimental knowledge. We need to bring the empirical knowledge of indigenous peoples, and actually work together to validate and come with solutions.”
As the webinar drew to a close, each speaker shared their key message to the audience: test, decolonize, focus on landscapes and community-based approaches, prioritize participatory monitoring, embrace regenerative farming, and foster partnerships.
The journey towards scalable soil health monitoring and actionable data is paved with collaboration, innovation, and farmer-centric solutions. By harnessing the synergies between science, traditional knowledge, and community engagement, we can cultivate healthier soils and resilient ecosystems in order to achieve a just food systems transformation.
