The science behind the soil

17/08/2026

Every morning at 7:30 am, Stília Vilanculos steps into the chemistry laboratory at Agricultural Research Institute of Mozambique (IIAM), puts on her lab coat, gloves, protective glasses and mask and begins another day handling the soil samples that help determine the future of agricultural production in Mozambique.

Stília joined IIAM immediately after finishing school. She was first trained in chemistry, later earned a degree in agro-livestock sciences and is now completing a master’s degree in plant production focused on cassava research.

Inside the laboratory, she and her colleagues process nearly 100 soil samples every day. The analyses include physic chemistry – texture, pH, electrical conductivity, organic matter, nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, sulphur, magnesium, etc.) and heavy metal properties – all essential for understanding soil fertility and helping farmers improve productivity.

The work requires precision, technical expertise and strict safety procedures. Acids and chemical reagents are handled carefully while technicians work among Ultraviolet/Visible spectrometers, distillation systems and analytical equipment.

The laboratory team consists of seven permanent technicians – four women and three men – a dynamic that reflects the growing number of women in agricultural science in Mozambique. Across the country, women are increasingly leading research, managing farms, strengthening laboratories and supporting rural livelihoods.

For years, however, the laboratory faced an important challenge: though some older equipment was available, opportunities for technical training remained limited.

According to Stília, the SoilFER programme has helped change that. SoilFER – Soil Mapping for Resilient Agrifood Systems – is a global programme operating in Ghana, Guatemala, Honduras, Kenya, Mozambique, Tunisia and Zambia with financial support from the Government of the United States of America and the Government of Japan. In Mozambique, it is implemented by the Government of Mozambique, under IIAM, in partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

By strengthening national capacities to generate and use soil information, SoilFER supports better soil, fertiliser and crop management, increased agricultural productivity and more resilient agrifood systems, contributing to improved food security across the country.

Through the initiative, the laboratory is receiving nearly 100 pieces of new equipment, including water distillers, nitrogen analysers and spectrometers, alongside extensive technical training and additional personnel support.

“This programme is allowing us to grow professionally,” Stília explains. “We better understand the whole process, from soil collection and analysis to interpretation of results.”

One of the programme’s most important changes has been the integration between laboratory science and fieldwork. Historically, laboratory technicians rarely participated in soil collection activities. Through SoilFER, they are increasingly involved in sample collection and field monitoring, helping connect scientific analysis to farmers’ realities on the ground.

Once the laboratory team extracts data from the soil samples, the information moves to specialists like Janete Americano, another woman in the laboratory who transforms scientific analysis into practical recommendations for farmers.

Holding a bachelor’s degree in agronomy and a master's in plant production, Janete is currently finalizing a PhD in climate smart agriculture and has been working in IIAM’s Soil Fertility Department since 2013. Her role bridges field research and laboratory science, helping interpret soil analysis results and develop recommendations that support agricultural productivity and resilience.

Her work increasingly focuses on central and northern Mozambique, where changing rainfall patterns and climate variability can pose significant challenges to rainfed farming systems. Through soil surveys, field trials and crop suitability assessments, SoilFER is helping generate the soil information needed to better understand these production conditions and support more informed decisions on crops, soil fertility management and agricultural inputs.

Alongside her work at IIAM and consultancy activities, Janete is also a mother, entrepreneur and farmer managing 13 hectares of land in Moamba and Boane, producing maize, cassava, sweet potato and seasonal vegetables.

“I wake up between four and five in the morning,” she explains. “You need organisation. You need commitment.”

Women leading agricultural transformation

SoilFER recognises that stronger and more resilient agrifood systems depend not only on technology and innovation, but also on people. By expanding access to training, modern technologies, soil data and agricultural information systems, the programme is strengthening the capacity of scientists, technicians and farmers to make better-informed decisions in the face of land degradation and drought, climate variability and other agricultural production challenges.

Stília, Janete and a new generation of women scientists are helping build the technical foundations for more productive and resilient agrifood systems, long-term food security and nutrition. Together, scientific expertise, stronger national institutions and agricultural entrepreneurship deliver practical results, restoring soil health and fertility to the land.