The Ministry’s Agricultural Land Management Team (from left) - Cawayne Bryan, Land Capability Planner; Tamar McLathy- Sterling, Soil Lab Attendant; Nicole Condappa, Regional Rural Planner-North East Region; Rose Green, Office Attendant and Delroy Oakley , Driver at the World Soil Day Technical Forum held on Thursday, December 2, 2021 at Comma Pen in St Elizabeth. The forum was centred on informing farmers about the effects of salinization on soil structure and preventative measures that can be put in place.
Jamaica will be benefitting from a Soil Fertility Mapping Project to be implemented by the Agricultural Land Management Division in the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries in collaboration with the Moroccan National Institute for Agricultural Research.
This announcement was made by Chief Technical Director at the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Orville Palmer, last Thursday, December 2 at the World Soil Day Technical Forum, held by Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries’ Agricultural Land Management Division (ALMD).
“This project will include training in laboratory procedures, development of a web-based information system for soils and fertilizer recommendation based on soil characteristics. The pilot area for soil sampling is located in Essex Valley, St Elizabeth,” said Palmer.
The project is reflective of a commitment to fortify bilateral partnerships between Jamaica and Morocco and will allow farmers the opportunity to identify areas within the island that are fertile and fit for growing certain crops.
Palmer also highlighted the serious implications of soil degradation and called for protection and maintenance of Jamaica’s soil resources.
“Soil degradation is a serious issue affecting many of the world’s soil quality with an estimated 33% of global soils facing the problem of degradation with 14% being attributed to soil in the Latin America and Caribbean region,” stated Palmer.
The forum, hosted in Comma Pen, St Elizabeth, sought to engage and educate farmers on the effects of salinization and preventative measures that can be implemented.
Salinization, referred to as the increase of high salt content in the soil degrades its structure and is detrimental to agricultural productivity, reducing the ability of crops to effectively take up water. It also limits the availability of micro nutrients.
World Soil Day was officially recognized on December 5 under the theme ‘Halt Soil Salinization Boost Soil Productivity'. It emphasizes the significance of maintaining healthy soil for supporting food security, our ecosystems, and water quality as well as mitigating the impacts of climate change.
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