Overview
This project aimed to ensure that soil knowledge was enhanced in the Pacific Island Countries Territories and provided a reliable foundation for sustainable intensification of agricultural systems.
Sustainable agriculture is fundamental to the future prosperity of the Pacific Island Countries Territories (PICTs). Commercial farming is an important source of employment and export revenue, while subsistence farming underpins food security for most rural areas.
Diverse farming systems operate across the region, from traditional gardening systems to commercial mechanised farming.
The intensification of traditional gardening systems in the PICTs has depleted the soil nutrient capital. Comprehensive nutrient budgeting is essential for improving farm productivity and agricultural resilience on volcanic islands and sand atolls.
Extension officers have been unable to reliably determine which nutrients (or other factors such as diseases) are limiting production let alone recommend optimal nutrient inputs. The lack of access to information on soil types and their distribution further limits the ability to extend the results from previous research studies or well-understood farming systems to other locations across the PICTs. This project sought to address these gaps.
