Spatial Information Application for Optimization of Fertilizer Use in Africa.

The project Optimizing Fertilizer Recommendations in Africa “OFRA” aims to increase small holder fertilizer use through enhanced profit opportunities based on choices of crop-nutrient-rate combinations. The project includes the work of research teams in 13 countries with a focus on annual food crops. Information needs are great and are addressed through consideration of past research results, current OFR research to fill priority gaps, and extrapolation of information across similar growing conditions. Three objectives regarding use of spatial information are to 1) improved research site selection by ensuring that the site represents growing conditions of much production and for which information is inadequate; 2) extrapolation of nutrient response functions to complement information from local research; and 3) development of tools and procedures to make spatial resources easier to access and use. Key spatial resources include layers for 1) AfSIS soil properties; 2) climate such as that of the Global Yield Gap Atlas; 3) crop distribution); and 4) crop nutrient response functions. Tools and procedures developed are expected to be widely applicable in agronomic and natural resources research and development in sub-Saharan Africa.