ICRAF Soil-Plant Spectral Diagnostics Laboratory

1. ICRAF Soil-Plant Spectral Diagnostics Laboratory Fourier Transformation Near Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy (FT-NIR) Sotuba Mali FT-NIR Salien Tanzania FT-NIR ICRAF reference and support lab Nairobi FT-NIR VNIR FT-MIR TXRF BXRD LDPSA Fourier Transformation Mid Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy (FT-MIR) Chitedze Malawi FT-NIR Future Locations FT-NIR Maputo Mozambique FT-NIR Portable Visible Near Infrared Spectroscopy (VNIR) Total X-Ray Fluorescence spectroscopy (TXRF) Benchtop X-ray Diffraction Spectroscopy (XRD) Laser Diffraction Particle Size Analysis (LDPSA) Goals Opportunities • Develop soil-plant spectral analytical methods and diagnostic tools for rapid and reliable assessment of soil and plant health. • Demonstrate their application for evidence-based agroforestry and land management policy and practice in developing countries. • Spectroscopic techniques enable rapid, low cost, high throughput soil and plant analysis, requiring minimal sample preparation. • These techniques have opened up possibilities for applying soil and plant analysis over spatial extents never previously imaginable. • The technology is revolutionizing the way in which agronomy and soil science is done—greatly enhancing the potential for providing evidence-based decision support at multiple scales. • Spectral analysis can be harnessed to • enable science-based diagnostic • surveillance approaches to agricultural • and environmental management; • and coupled with new possibilities in • geoinformatics (GIS and remote sensing). Objectives • Develop high-throughput spectral analytical methods requiring minimal use of sample preparation and chemicals. • Apply spectral analytical techniques in decision support tools for diagnosis of soil and plant health problems in the tropics. • Provide high quality spectral analytical services for the Globally Integrated African Soil Information Service (AfSIS) and other CGIAR research projects, including serving as a spectral reference laboratory. • Strengthen national capacity in spectral diagnostic methods and their application for improved land management at technical, graduate and postgraduate levels. Strategy • Develop and demonstrate new soil and plant analytical methods with a focus on measurement and monitoring of soil functional capacity for agriculture and environment. • Support a network of spectroscopy laboratories in Africa for low cost, high throughput soil and plant analysis, (Figure 1). • Develop calibrations to reference measurements (conventional soil and plant analytical techniques). • Extend high throughput capability to detection of heavy metal pollution and quantitative soil element and mineral profiling. • Demonstrate spectral diagnostics for targeting agroforestry interventions, tree germplasm screening, soil fertility and diagnostic advisory services, digital soil mapping, plant product quality and soil quality monitoring. • Improve capacity of national programmes, higher education institutes and research students on new analytical techniques and their application in real decision contexts. • Support national laboratories to develop infrared spectroscopy units, and facilitate use of infrared spectroscopy by extension and advisory services. • Develop applications that can help African institutions create independent business enterprises. Technology Fig.1: Network of infrared spectroscopy national laboratories supported by ICRAF Contact: World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF), P.O. Box 30677-00100 Nairobi, Kenya. Tel: +254 020 722 4000. www.worldagroforestry.org