Strengthening sustainable soil management practices through South-South cooperation in Zimbabwe

Kadoma - Zimbabwe has officially moved from planning to implementation under the “Capacity Development on Sustainable Soil Management in the Global South” initiative following the successful national launch and inception meetings held in 2025. The project, implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) with support from the People’s Republic of China through South‑South Cooperation, is designed to strengthen national capabilities for soil analysis, digital soil mapping, sustainable soil and fertilizer management, farmer training and cross‑country knowledge exchange.

As implementation begins in 2026 to 2028, national efforts are now focused on upgrading soil laboratories to support more accurate soil assessments, initiating field demonstrations that test sustainable soil and fertilizer management practices, and opening new channels for knowledge sharing with partner countries in the Global South. FAO Subregional Coordinator for Southern Africa and Representative to Zimbabwe, Patrice Talla, underscored the significance of this transition from planning to delivery.

“Zimbabwe is demonstrating strong leadership in translating strategic commitments into field‑level action. As we enter the implementation phase, we are investing in practical tools for soil laboratories, field demonstrations, and knowledge exchange platforms that directly empower farmers and institutions. This marks an important step towards resilient food systems and sustainable soil stewardship for the country,” said Talla.

The 2025 inception meetings laid a solid technical foundation for the activities now unfolding, bringing together national directorates, research institutions such as the Chemistry and Soils Research Institute (CSRI), Agricultural and Rural Development Advisory Services (ARDAS) and international partners including the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS). Through expert presentations and joint planning exercises, stakeholders agreed on integrated workstreams for soil mapping, laboratory rehabilitation, field trial establishment, and extension training, ensuring that implementation aligns with national priorities and is technically coherent.

Field trials on Zimbabwe’s red soils have since been established to test nine fertilizer treatment combinations using a factorial design that examines nitrogen and phosphorus regimes across multiple replications. This experimental structure allows researchers to compare nutrient responses with high accuracy and determine which combinations best support crop growth under the country’s red soil conditions.

A technical monitoring and backstopping mission conducted last week reviewed the performance of these trials, observing crop growth stages, plot management, and record‑keeping. The mission confirmed visible differences in crop performance across the treatments. These differences provide early insights that will inform refined fertilizer recommendations for Zimbabwean farmers.

FAO and CSRI agricultural technical experts record observations on crop performance under varying fertilizer treatments during ongoing sustainable soil management trials in Kadoma, part of Zimbabwe’s field‑level implementation of the Global South initiative. © FAO/Kevin Mazorodze

“Different maize growth responses to the nine fertilizer treatments across the plots are already visible.  The findings will help us refine fertilizer recommendations for farmers, ensuring they apply the right nutrients, at the right rates, for the right results,” said Calton Maponde, CSRI Research Officer during the Banket field trial monitoring and backstopping mission.

Degradation of red soils has become a major concern in Zimbabwe. The loss of topsoil, acidification and nutrient depletion are some of the consequences of the soil degradation processes, which can lead to decreased crop yields, threatening food security. By generating localized empirical evidence, the trials will guide the development of sustainable red soils management practices that improve productivity. The findings will inform extension materials, demonstration events, and farmer training activities under programmes such as the Global Soil Doctor initiative.

“At national level, the project’s investments in soil laboratory upgrades and the digitization of soil data will support more accurate soil testing services and the production of robust digital soil maps, enabling both farmers and institutions to make data‑driven decisions on soil management,” said Obert Maminimini, FAO Sustainable Soil Management Project Coordinator.

Although the immediate focus is on red soils, the scientific approaches being applied, ranging from sampling and laboratory analysis to mapping and field‑based evaluation, are designed to be adaptable across other soil types found in Zimbabwe. This creates opportunities to expand sustainable soil management practices to other soil types in future phases of the initiative. The broader Global South context further ensures that lessons learned in Zimbabwe will be enriched by knowledge exchanges, workshops, and technical support from partner countries experienced in similar soil challenges.

"Although red soils are often considered fertile, it is recognised however, that not all red soils are inherently fertile, making their assessment in Zimbabwe essential to test these assumptions. This study comes at the right time as the country seeks to optimise productivity from this important soil resource,” noted Mr. Emmanuel Chikwari, Head of the Chemistry and Soil Research Institute in the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development.

As implementation progresses for the next two years, Zimbabwe will undertake a series of steps that include continuing monitoring of the field trials through to harvest, completing assessments of laboratory needs, initiating installation of new analytical equipment, and preparing datasets for integration into national soil information systems.

The country will also conduct farmer field days, training sessions, and multi‑country technical workshops, while producing policy‑relevant briefs that guide soil governance reforms. These activities collectively position Zimbabwe to strengthen the scientific basis of its soil management practices while also enhancing long‑term agricultural resilience.