CSIR-SRI ENGAGES THE MEDIA ON DIGITIZED SOIL MAPS IN GHANA
CSIR-Soil Research Institute (SRI) at Kwadaso, Kumasi, in collaboration with the Government of Canada, through the modernizing Agriculture in Ghana (MAG) program, has developed online platforms containing digitized soil maps of specific locations in Ghana to facilitate government’s initiative towards achieving the transformation and modernization agenda of the country’s agricultural sector.
Dr. Emmanuel Dugan, a Research Scientist at the Soil Research Institute (SRI) speaking at the media engagement in Kumasi said, the CSIR-SRI is tasked to transform all analogue soil information in Ghana into digitized format and to come out with an Interactive Soil Web-Based Application Platform.
“Currently, soil information / soil data acquisition and sourcing of all soil resources information remotely have been and continue to be challenging, militating against information /data sharing relative to soil resources of Ghana “he said.
According Dr. Dugan, the digitized soil maps is a sustainable decision to support system to modernize soil resources management for increased agricultural productivity, reduced poverty and to ensure food security as well as facilitating the production of agricultural raw materials for industrial and agricultural commodities for export.
The benefits of the online platform include:
- the online platform contains digitalized soil maps of specific locations, soil characteristics and appropriate nutrients / mineral requirement for key crops in each agro-ecological zones of Ghana.
- On the platform, information on soil nutrients availability, soil physical properties and fertility limitations, as well as soil suitability for selected crops can be accessed.
- Estimation of fertilizer requirement for a given area /crop could be known in advance before project implementation, while Agricultural investors could have better information and input for drawing business plans. etc.
The Beneficiaries of the online platform are Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ), Policy Makers, Land Owners, One District, One factory (1D,1F) Planting for Export and Rural Development (PERD), Academia etc.
Report By: Alfred Armooh P.R.O.
Photo By: I.T. Unit.