Food and Nutrition Security in Africa seminar in Helsinki 16 June 2014, Strengthening Capacity for Diagnosis and Management of Soil Micronutrient Deficiencies in Sub-Saharan Africa for Improved Plant, Animal and Human Nutrition, Mercy Nyambura, ICRAF

1. 16 June 2014, Helsinki, Finland
FoodAfrica Midterm Seminar
Food and Nutrition Security in Africa
Strengthening Capacity for Diagnosis and
Management of Soil Micronutrient Deficiencies in
Sub-Saharan Africa for Improved Plant, Animal and
Human Nutrition
Healthy
soils
Healthy
crops
Healthy
livestock
Healthy
people
Esala Martti, Keith D. Shepherd, Mercy Nyambura, Riikka Keskinen and
Michael Gatari

2. 16 June 2014, Helsinki, Finland
 To develop new, rapid, low cost soil-plant
analytical methods for diagnosing soil
micronutrient deficiencies for crop, livestock
and human health.
 To establish a baseline on soil micronutrient
status in sub-Saharan Africa soils.
 To provide information for various
stakeholders on management strategies and
options for tackling key micronutrient
deficiencies.
 To strengthen African capacity on new science
and technology for soil-plant micronutrient
analysis, diagnosis and management.
Project Objectives

3. 16 June 2014, Helsinki, Finland
MTT Agrifood
Research
Handheld XRFInfrared spectroscopy Total X-ray fluorescence
spectroscopy
X-ray diffraction
spectroscopy
ICRAF
AAAc-EDTA extractable Cu, Fe,
Mn, Zn, Al, Cd, Cr, Mo, Ni, Pb,
V
Hot water extractable B, Se
Aqua regia total element
analysis – Pot plants and soils
Spectral
fingerprinting
Reference methods
1. Analytical protocols and guidelines
Protocols for analysis of soil micronutrients using new spectral and
conventional analytical methods were refined and made available to partners
(June 2014)
(Completed)
Progress Highlights

4. 16 June 2014, Helsinki, Finland
2. Capacity Building
Improve measurements of agriculture productivity through methodology
validation and research in our Spectral Lab Network
• IAMM, Mozambique
• AfSIS, Sotuba, Mali
• AfSIS, Salien, Tanzania
• AfSIS, Chitedze, Malawi
• CNLS, Nairobi, Kenya
• ICRAF, Nairobi, Kenya
• IITA, Ibadan, Nigeria
• CNRA, Abidjan, Cote D’Ivoire
• KARI, Nairobi, Kenya
• ICRAF & IITA, Yaounde, Cameroon
• Obafemi Awolowo University, Ibadan,
Nigeria
• IAR, Zaria, Nigeria
• ATA, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (+ 5 on
order)
Planned
• Eggerton University, Kenya
• MoA, Liberia
• IER, Arusha, Tanzania
• FMARD, Nigeria
• NIFOR, Nigeria
• CNLS, Nairobi
• BLGG, Kenya (mobile labs)
Progress Highlights
Collaborative links
Students training and exchange

5. 16 June 2014, Helsinki, Finland
Plant Environmental
Facility
Complementarity of IR,
TXRF, XRD and HHXRF
Plant growth bioassays in test
tubes for high throughput diagnosis
of soil micronutrient deficiencies.
To develop and calibrate Method for
improved prediction and fertilizer quality
control
3. Current developments
Progress Highlights

6. 16 June 2014, Helsinki, Finland
FoodAfrica Midterm Seminar
Food and Nutrition Security in Africa
6
1. Data and soil library management
AfSIS baseline of 60 sentinel sites, the FAO study and the reciprocal spectral
work for Finnish soils being completed in June 2014
Analytical Results Status
Spectral database & libraries Soil archive systems
Centralized calibration/prediction
service - online

7. 16 June 2014, Helsinki, Finland
2. Main AfSIS workflow, products & services
overview
Markus Walsh, August 2013
Analytical Results Status

8. 16 June 2014, Helsinki, Finland
FoodAfrica Midterm Seminar
Food and Nutrition Security in Africa
8
Analytical Results Status
3. Results Snap Shot
Total and soluble concentrations of micronutrients in the top- and subsoils of
Sub-Saharan Africa- first results of 850 samples
• No marked differences in the concentrations of the
easily soluble elements between top- and subsoil.
• The median concentrations of soluble Cu (1.3 mg l-1),
Zn (0.8 mg l-1), B (0.4 mg l-1) and Fe (64 mg l-1) in low
relative to sufficiency guidelines for good crop growth.
• On average 2% of the total content
of Fe in the soil was soluble in
AAAc-EDTA extractant, Zn 6%, Cu
13% and Mn 39%.

9. 16 June 2014, Helsinki, Finland
FoodAfrica Midterm Seminar
Food and Nutrition Security in Africa
9
Analytical Results Status
Results Snap Shot- contd
Counts
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
2Ø Copper K-alpha
10 20 30 40
Micronutrient predictions Soil mineralogy protocol Exploiting soil sample archives
Efficient and reproducible procedures
capable of high precision XRD analysis
were developed and used.
PLSR-MIR prediction
models of soil
micronutrients
Comparison of the original data to the
re-analysed data

10. 16 June 2014, Helsinki, Finland
I. Ethiopia: current spatial coverage of new ground observations and measurements
Africa Soil
Information Service
www.africasoils.net
Markus Walsh, August 2013
1. Establish Baseline on soil micronutrient status
Next Steps

11. 16 June 2014, Helsinki, Finland
[N] ppm [P] ppm [K] ppm
[S] ppm [Ca] ppm [Mg] ppm
II.“Best” current topsoil macro-nutrient (N,P,K,S,Ca & Mg) concentration predictions
Africa Soil
Information
Service
www.africasoils.
net

12. 16 June 2014, Helsinki, Finland
Africa Soil
Information
Service
www.africasoils.net
III. Evidence based micronutrient management

13. 16 June 2014, Helsinki, Finland
2. Use Cases Tools Site
CKW's
Sample and
process soils
Farmer(s)
Spectral analysis
of samples
Soil spectral
predictions
<include>
<include>
Evaluate
outcomes
<include>
Input
dealer(s)
AfSIS staff
Policy-
maker(s)
Interpretation and
recommendations:
<include>
Labs
operational
in progress
planned
http://africasoils.net/labs/mapping/use-
case-“make-agro-input-
recommendations”-2/
 To provide information for various
stakeholders on management
strategies and options for
tackling key micronutrient
deficiencies.
Next Steps

14. 16 June 2014, Helsinki, Finland
Dissemination Activities
• Publications
6 Journal articles in 2013
• Conference and meeting abstracts
22 abstracts submitted in 2013 and 2014
Soil-Plant Spectroscopy Support Group
Established on Linkedin to provide a forum for scientific and technical support
to the AfSIS Soil Spectroscopy Network
• Press release/blogs/flyers
in 4 instances
• Websites
www.africasoils.net
WLE (CRP)
MTT
Food Africa
ICRAF
Videos
Promotional videos targeting partners,
extension officers and farmers on the
importance of soil micronutrients on crop
growth and nutritional quality and the lab

15. 16 June 2014, Helsinki, Finland
Future directions
Gender considerations in WP
To be integrated to
consider micronutrient
interventions that rely on
indigenous resources and
crops frequently grown
by women (e.g. vegetable
crops)

16. 16 June 2014, Helsinki, Finland
FoodAfrica Midterm Seminar
Food and Nutrition Security in Africa
16
Thank You