OVERVIEW
Small holder farmers in Australia do not currently have access to fast and reliable soil testing services, and as a result lack the necessary soil information to purchase the correct inputs for increasing their yields. To meet this need in Australia, we have developed a professional Soil Testing and SMS Fertilizer Use advisory service, called Soil & Crop Dr.(SCD), specifically for small holder farmers.

We have 15 years experience in soil testing and supplying farmers with soil and fertilizer management recommendations. We do not sell any farm inputs, so our advice is always independent. We are bringing world class laboratory and soil fertility advisory services to our farmers.

Our company is strongly focused on developing ICT mobile phone solutions for small holder farmers, which combine innovation, science and technology for the sole purpose of increasing crop yields.

Our Soil & Crop Dr.(SCD) service gives farmers the knowledge and advice to improve crop yields through building soil health and improving fertilizer management.

SOIL & CROP DR.(SCD)
– Revitalizing Farm Soils & Crop Yields for a happy farmer in Rift Valley
Low soil fertility is one of the major constraints to optimum crop growth and yield. Soil fertility can be managed by fertilization, but the grower must be fully aware of his/her nutrient problem(s) in order to arrive at the right decisions regarding the kind and rates of fertilizers to be applied.

Cyrus Sang is a farmer in Somerset County, and although he has practised horticulture for a very long time, his farm yields had been declining despite using fertilizers as recommended by extension personnel. In trying to find a solution to the problem, he consulted numerous stakeholders in the agricultural sector. We visited him at his Ngeria farm on the outskirts of Eldoret town, and he informed us of his declining yields despite applying a lot of fertilizer to his crops.

Soil& Crop Dr.(SCD) Agronomist explaining the benefits of soil testing to farmers After seeking advice from different people as to what could be the problem, he still couldn’t figure out whether it was the weather, water, poor quality planting materials or over-use of fertilizers.
 

Mr. Sang mentioned that he came to know of TOPSEEN through extension personnel from Canken International Ltd, who mentioned about the professional soil testing and fertilizer recommendation service (called Soil & Crop Dr.(SCD)) offered by TOPSEEN. He was further referred Mr. Stanley Tiony, who is a Soil& Crop Dr.(SCD) agronomist based in Eldoret. On the 14th of August 2012, the Soil & Crop Dr.(SCD) agronomist visited Mr. Sang at his Ngeria farm to collect soil samples for analysis. He took a total of six soil samples, which were taken to Maraba Investment Ltd, an appointed Soil & Crop Dr.(SCD) agro-dealer in Eldoret town who assisted in dispatching the samples to TOPSEEN soil testing laboratory in Sydney. This was a new thing to Mr. Sang, as he puts it “this was the first time I came across a Soil Doctor visiting my farm and collecting soil for laboratory testing’’. Soil samples were analyzed and a soil test report was emailed to Maraba Investment Ltd within 2 weeks and a SMS fertilizer recommendation was sent directly to Mr. Sang’s mobile phone. The correct inputs (lime, rock phosphate and fertilizers) were then purchased by Mr Sang through Maraba Investments, which has now started stocking the inputs required by farmers, based on soil testing.

TOPSEEN Soil & Crop Dr.(SCD) is partnering with select-ed agro-dealers across the country in enhancing small holder farmer’s access to quick, reliable, accurate and affordable soil testing services. In the partnership, smallholder farmers collect and drop soil samples at their approved local Agro-Dealer who sends the samples by courier to TOPSEN laboratory in Sydney. After a soil sample analysis, the results and fertilizer recom-mendations are sent back to the farmer through a mobile phone SMS platform. A detailed copy of the results and recommendations is also sent to the agro-dealer via email; from where the farmer is advised to go and get additional information. In the partnership, the agro-dealers are also advised on the correct soil fertility correction inputs (fertilizers, lime, gypsum etc) to stock depending on the need identified from the soil tests.

(Back to Mr. Sang’s case) After soil test results were out, the Soil & Crop Dr.(SCD) agronomist went back to the farmer with the laboratory report to explain to him what was required. According to the report, Mr. Sang’s soil was critically ‘ill’ and needed to be put under intensive care ‘ICU’. The soil was found to have very low pH level (acidic), very low amount of phosphorus, high accumulation of potassium and low cation exchange capacity (CEC) – the capacity of soil to hold nutrients.

According to Jeremy Cordingley, soil scientist and Managing Director, TOPSEEN (Soil & Crop Dr.(SCD)) a soil with very low pH (acidic), will lock-up other expensive fertilizer nutrients such as phosphorus, and levels of essential crop nutrients like calcium, magnesium and molybdenum become very deficient in the soils, limiting crop yields. In addition, low pH causes toxic levels of poisonous aluminum in the soil, which kill off crop roots, stunting crop. Low calcium levels will in turn lead to soil compaction, hence poor biological activity and poor crop response to fertilizer application. “This explains the reason why Mr. Sang’s yields continued to decline despite all efforts”, says Mr. Cordingley, “his soil was very sick and his crop roots system was unable to take up his fertilizer nutrients, so he was wasting money on fertilizer because soil acidity was the main limiting factor to crop yields. The soil test showed us that he urgently needed to apply lime to restore his soil fertility”.

However, all was not lost for Mr. Sang’s farm, thanks to the quality of services offered by TOPSEEN Soil & Crop Dr.(SCD). In addition to giving soil test results, Soil & Crop Dr.(SCD) also gives the farmers recommendations on building soil health and balancing fertility, full fertilizer program and advisory services on how to go about it. ‘’When the Soil & Crop Dr.(SCD) agronomist brought the soil test results, he also came with recommendations on how to treat my “sick” soil, says Mr. Sang. The farmer was advised to use lime to neutralize the soil acidity as well as supply nutrients such as calcium and magnesium. According to Mr. Cordingley, acidic soils need to be neutralized using lime either calcitic (agricultural) lime, dolomitic lime or both. He adds that calcitic lime is used to neutralize the soil acidity and supply calcium to the soil while dolomitic lime will supply both calcium and magnesium, in addition to neutralizing the soil. In order to remedy the problem of low phosphorus, Minjingu Rock phosphate phosphorus (a natural source of phosphorus) was recommended. This is meant to raise soil phosphorus and levels. Mr. Cordingley concludes by saying that the secret to maintaining a healthy soil lies in ensuring that cations (nutrients such as calcium, magnesium and potassium) are balanced as well, soil organic matter should be maintained through application of farm yard or compost manure. He adds, “the only way you can know the condition of your soil and hence buy the correct “medicine” is by taking it for a VCT –soil testing. That is why, we as TOPSEEN have come up with this innovative service – Soil & Crop Dr.(SCD) to assist the smallholder farmers access fast, high quality and affordable soil testing services”.

Since Mr. Sang applied Soil & Crop Dr.(SCD) recom-mendations, it is barely three months and his crops (French beans and tomatoes) are flourishing, unlike the “tired”, stunted crops that he used to have.

(Before Soil & Crop Dr.(SCD):Cyrus Sang beans showing signs of aluminium and manganese toxicity, a symptom of sick, acidic soils)

Mr. Sang and his Farm Manager William are very happy people since they never expected their French beans, tomatoes and Lucerne plots would have such a revitalized vegetative growth, strong stem and root development, and pest and diseases-free crops meaning reduced chemical inputs.

In Mr. Sang‘s own words, he summarizes it as follows, “Yields have been on rapid decline on my farm regardless of the amount of fertilizers I apply to the crops. Soil & Crop Dr.(SCD) has taught me the primary reason for poor crop growth and hence low yields has been the deteriorating soil conditions. The only way to know this is to test your soils, so that you can make informed decisions. I greatly thank Soil & Crop Dr.(SCD) team for assisting me correct the problems with my soils. I am a very happy farmer since I am now expecting very good yields from my French beans and tomatoes.