SoilFER completes soil sampling campaigns in Mozambique and Tunisia
The national soil sampling campaigns under the SoilFER-VACS Framework – Enhancing Integrated Soil-Crop Management for Sustainable Food Systems in Africa have now been completed in Mozambique and Tunisia, marking the conclusion of a key operational phase of the project.
The technical work of soil scientists rarely makes headlines, yet much of agricultural planning depends on it. Over recent months, national technical teams and implementing institutions across both countries have carried out the systematic collection of soil samples across diverse agroecological zones, building the evidence base required for improved future soil and crop management decisions.
Using harmonised soil survey protocols developed under the Soil Mapping for Resilient Agrifood Systems in Central America and Africa (SoilFER) umbrella programme, teams applied a three-stage hierarchical sampling design to serve dual objectives: (i) spatial prediction for soil mapping and (ii) design-based statistical inference for monitoring. This ensures representative coverage of major agricultural landscapes. The SoilFER Collect digital tool was deployed to standardize field observations, georeferencing and land cover classification, strengthening consistency and data quality across sites and countries.
In total, 6 572 soil samples were collected: 3 444 samples from 1 742 sites in Mozambique and 3 128 samples from 1 564 sites in Tunisia. These samples constitute the core dataset for the development of each country’s National Soil Information System (NSIS) and for subsequent soil property and nutrient mapping activities. They will provide the analytical basis for crop suitability assessments and fertilizer recommendation models tailored to local conditions, including the identification of opportunity crops suited to specific agroecological contexts.
In Mozambique, the campaign was carried out in close collaboration with the Institute of Agricultural Research of Mozambique (IIAM), engaging its zonal centres and national laboratory. In Tunisia, implementation was led jointly by the Institut National des Grandes Cultures (INGC) and the Direction Générale de l’Aménagement et de la Conservation des Terres Agricoles (DGACTA) under the Ministry of Agriculture. Their involvement ensured alignment with national soil conservation priorities and land management frameworks, and that the data generated remains anchored within national systems.
The programme team monitored steady progress from field mobilisation to the delivery of samples to the designated national reference laboratories (NRLs). All samples are currently undergoing preprocessing, including drying, grinding and sieving, in preparation for laboratory analysis. In parallel, laboratory facilities are being upgraded through equipment procurement, adoption of harmonised analytical methodologies and targeted technical training to ensure quality and comparability of results.
With field sampling complete, the project will move into its next stage, focused on soil sample preprocessing, laboratory analysis, data integration and the translation of soil information into practical tools for sustainable soil and crop management in both countries.
This work was financially supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan.
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