Duncan Sones
Literature review: Communicating with smallholders
ASHC is pleased to share a literature review developed as part of the ASHC phase 2 scoping study. Dannie Romney said: “The process of developing a phase 2 application has given us the chance to review the information on communicating with smallholder farmers. We are committed to making all of our research, useful information and findings […]
Read MoreOFRA helps host AGRA delegation in Mozambique
UK professor of International Development, Sir Gordon Conway and two members of the AGRA board – Dr Maria Andrade and Dr Moise Mensah, were part of a delegation reviewing AGRA projects in Mozambique. The three were joined by a powerful delegation of AGRA staff and its partners – including OFRA’s own George Oduor. The purpose […]
Read MoreEast and Southern Africans share soil research data
Over the years large amounts of data have been generated to form discrete crop and soil research initiatives. This research legacy, with standardization and aggregation, can be widely applied in ways never anticipated or envisaged by the scientists who generate the data. Now, two AGRA-funded programs (OFRA & the East and Southern Africa country level […]
Read MoreFertilizer Optimisation Tool takes step forward in East Africa
The development of customized, country specific fertilizer optimisation tools moved a step closer last week as a result of the OFRA workshop in Arusha, Tanzania. The workshop brought together experts from Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and Tanzania specially to look at how tools could be developed that share information across similar agro-ecological zones. Harrison Rware, the […]
Read MorePrivate sector engagement in ASHC phase 2
The Africa Soil Health Consortium (ASHC) has reviewed its rules of engagement with the private sector. Dannie Romney, the project executive for the , explained: “We have had good experiences working with the private sector over the past few years in ASHC. However, with encouragement from our technical advisory group, we have been exploring how […]
Read MoreOFRA workshop on fertilizer decision tools
9-12 February 2015 saw the delivery of an OFRA development fertilizer decision tool workshop in Arusha, Tanzania, bringing together participants from Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda. Scientists from these countries will explore the potential of the fertilizer optimization tool (FOT) being developed in OFRA, and work on important issues to address the needs of the […]
Read MoreOFRA research at a glance
Fertilizer response field trials have been established across the 13 Optimising Fertilizer Recommendations in Africa (OFRA) participating countries. Martin Macharia, the OFRA data manager, has used digital mapping software (QGIS) to show where each of the 216 crop trials is taking place. Martin explains: ‘Each of the crop trials is at a slightly different stage, but we […]
Read MoreOFRA paper published in Agricultural Sciences
The partners in OFRA have published a journal paper in Agricultural Sciences, 2014, 5, [1384-1391 Published Online December 2014] Assessing the potential to change stakeholder’s knowledge and practices on fertilizer recommendations in Africa Harrison Rware, the monitoring and evaluation specialist at OFRA, said: “This paper sets out some of the early lessons emerging from OFRA, […]
Read MorePlantwise plant doctors share ASHC materials
Around 80 integrated soil fertility management factsheets and manuals, developed by ASHC and partners, have been added to the Plantwise Factsheet Library to be sent around the world. Dannie Romney explains: “Within CABI we have been looking at how greater synergies can be brought between the different projects we support. Plantwise has been developing a Knowledge […]
Read MoreCOMPRO II: December 2014 newsletter published
ASHC is pleased to be a partner in the IITA-led COMPRO II. Our role is to support objective 4 of this project relating to the development and delivery of the communications strategy. A key output of this strategy is the production and circulation of a regular newsletter. Issue 9 of the COMPRO II newsletter has […]
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