Soil fertility mapping and site-specific nutrient recommendations for Eastern Zambia
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International Institute of Tropical Agriculture
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Smallholder crop yields in Zambia remain well below potential, partly due to uniform fertilizer recommendations that do not reflect the country’s diverse agro-ecologies and soil conditions. Site specific nutrient management (SSNM) tailors fertilizer and soil-amendment advice to local variability to improve agronomic efficiency and profitability. This report outlines an SSNM workflow designed for Zambia: assembling georeferenced soil observations, spatially tagging them to administrative districts, interpolating nutrient targets, and translating those targets into practical fertilizer options that farmers can apply per hectare. The site-specific approach deliever household-level nutrient guidance (N, P, K, and lime), coupled with actionable fertilizer options (e.g., DAP + urea + MOP, Super D, NPK blends) and soil organic carbon (SOC) strategies. It is designed for field deployment as a web-based and mobile-accessible decision support tool for extension agents and farmers. The results demonstrate the potential for SSNR to increase nutrient use efficiency, reduce production costs, and improve yields while maintaining soil health.
Palabras clave
yields, sustainable agriculture, intensification, farming systems, land management, soil fertility