Universities discuss importance of soil fertility management

A three-day roundtable discussion to create awareness of the importance of the Integrated Soil Fertility Management (ISFM) project has ended in Accra.

It was organised by the University of Alicante in Spain, in collaboration with five West African universities — the University of Ghana, the University of The Gambia, the Federal University of Technology, Nigeria, the University of Dschang in Cameroun and the Njala University in Sierra Leone.  

The coordinator for the discussion, Ms Ester Boldrini, explained that the ISFM system was a set of agricultural practices adapted to local conditions to maximise the efficiency of nutrient and water use to improve productivity.

According to her, capacity building in the partner universities was very important and expressed the hope that the outcome of the discussion would impact positively on students from the various universities. 

The forum attracted researchers, lecturers, Soil Science students, policy makers and representatives of the various universities.

Project 

The ISFM project, which spans three years, is aimed at building the capacities of the universities in the ISFM project. It involves training courses for stakeholders and the establishment of centres of excellence in the participating universities. 

It also includes conferences to strengthen cooperation between academia and industry and the establishment of academic and industry funds. 

The project is being sponsored by the African, Caribbean and Pacific/European Union (ACP-EU) cooperation programme in higher education. 

Challenges 

Speaking on the challenges that the implementation of the ISFM en-countered in participating countries, a lecturer of the Federal University of Technology in Nigeria, Prof. Matthew Bajon Ogun, noted that the level of training of extension officers on the ISFM was inadequate, thereby making it difficult for farmers to adopt the programme. 

He, therefore, entreated the governments of participating countries to make incentives available for risk absorption in case the ISFM project failed, so that “farmers will have something to fall back on”.

Prof. Ogun observed that the centres of excellence which would be established would help address issues faced by farmers and researchers who engaged in the ISFM project.

Way forward 

The next meeting would be held at the Dschang University, Cameroun, in September 2015.