Angolan researchers sharpen soil management skills at Soils4Africa’s milestone workshop

18 October 2024

The workshop participants at the opening ceremony.
The workshop participants at the opening ceremony.

The Soils4Africa initiative recently held a transformative training workshop in Luanda, Angola, between 30 September and 5 October 2024. This event, hosted by IITA and supported by the Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, gathered researchers from across Angola to hone their soil sampling, field assessment, and agricultural land management skills to develop soil information systems.

The participants in the field.
The participants in the field.

The workshop focused on empowering local experts, particularly from Angola’s Instituto de Investigação Agronómica (IIA). After three days of intensive classroom lectures, participants transitioned to a practical field experience in Catete. They applied their newly acquired skills to real-world soil assessments in the Mazozo area.

Participants collecting soil samples during the field assessment.
Participants collecting soil samples during the field assessment.

One of the fieldwork highlights included visiting a large

Dr Samuel Mesele with the Head of Mazozo Experimental Station on a sunflower experimental field.
Dr Samuel Mesele with the Head of Mazozo Experimental Station on a sunflower experimental field.

irrigated sunflower field, which thrived despite challenging soil conditions characterized by low organic matter and nutrient levels. The Arenosols, known for their low fertility, provided a perfect learning ground for participants. The experience underscored the impact of agronomic best practices in transforming poor soils into productive farmland.

“This hands-on experience was incredibly valuable,” one participant noted enthusiastically. “You have introduced us to new tools that would be useful in our research, and we are grateful for this.”

The Angola training represents a key milestone for Soils4Africa, being the final session in a series of workshops across 49 African countries. This initiative is a beacon of hope, aiming to establish a robust soil information system to monitor soil quality in African agricultural land. With the support of IITA, ISRIC, and other leading organizations, Soils4Africa continues to advance soil health and agricultural sustainability in Africa.

Contributed by Samuel Mesele