SoilFER: Training workshop on soil sampling and field campaign
Honduras (Honduras), 15/04/2024 - 18/04/2024
A five-day mission in Honduras was carried out as part of a comprehensive initiative focused on improving soil analysis capabilities and implementing soil sampling strategies and fieldwork campaigns.
The project involved the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), the Catholic Relief Services (CRS), and the Dirección de Ciencia y Tecnología Agropecuaria - Secretaría de Agricultura y Ganadería (DICTA-SAG). Its primary objective ws standardize methodologies for soil sampling, ensuring the generation of reliable data crucial for agricultural and environmental applications.
This mission was a component of the SoilFER project (Soil mapping for resilient agrifood systems), a unique framework designed to unlock valuable insights on soils to inform policymaking and fertilizer recommendations, both at the national and field scale.
Event agenda
DAY 1 – MONDAY, APRIL 15, 2024
| Time | Topic | Presenter |
|---|
| 08:30 – 09:00 | Registration of participants | Marcelo Oyuela |
| 09:00 – 09:10 | Discussion of agenda items | Mario Lopez |
| 09:10 – 10:00 | Presentation of progress by the SoilFER technical committee – CIAT-DICTA | Marcelo, Ana, Arturo, CIAT, Omar, Mario |
| 10:00 – 10:30 | Sampling design methodology proposed by FAO/SoilFER | Luis Rodríguez Lado (FAOHQ) |
| 10:30 – 10:45 | Coffee Break | |
| 10:45 – 12:10 | Presentation of the field protocol for sampling proposed by FAO/SoilFER | Marcos Angelini (FAOHQ) |
| 12:10 – 12:30 | Planning a field training workshop for sample collection | CIAT, FAO, and CRS |
| 12:30 – 13:30 | Lunch | All |
| 13:30 – 14:30 | Methodology presentation for Proficiency Tests (PTs) to be conducted by soil laboratories in Honduras proposed by FAO/SoilFER
Presentation of the SoilFER 2024 Work Plan for Strengthening Soil Laboratories in Honduras
| Ana Villalobos / Arturo Varela |
| 14:30 – 15:00 | Discussion, conclusions and agreements: Dates, field team, short and medium goals | All the team |
| 15:00 – 15:30 | Coffee Break and conclusion of first day | |
DAY 2 – TUESDAY, APRIL 16, 2024
| Time | Topic | Presenter |
|---|
| 09:00 – 09:30 | Outline presentation sample design | Marcelo Oyuela |
| 09:30 – 10:30 | Strategic planning for sample distribution | Mario López, José Delcid, Jurgen Baumann, Marcelo Oyuela, Ana Villalobos |
| 10:30 – 10:45 | Coffee Break | |
| 10:45 – 11:30 | Coordination of crews and equipment allocation for sample collection across Honduras | Marcelo Oyuela, José Delcid and Jurgen Baumann |
| 11:30 – 12:00 | Development of sampling tour schedule | Marcelo Oyuela, José Delcid, Jurgen Baumann, Ana Villalobos |
| 12:30 – 13:30 | Establish the sample delivery schedule to laboratories and define timeframe for results | Ana Lucía, Arturo Varela, José Delcid, Jurgen Baumann |
| 12:30 – 13:30 | Lunch | All |
| 13:30 – 14:00 | General review of the day's results and agreements | |
| 14:00 – 14:30 | Coffee Break and end of the day | |
