Book Description

"Inadequate soil knowledge is constraining the sustainable intensification of agriculture in the Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs). Management practices in traditional gardening systems are intensifying and this is depleting the soil's nutrient capital. Comprehensive nutrient budgeting is essential for improving farm productivity and agricultural resilience on volcanic islands and sand atolls. At present, extension officers are unable to reliably ascertain which nutrients (or other factors such as diseases) are limiting production let alone recommend optimal nutrient inputs. The lack of access to information on soil types and their distribution further limits the ability to extend the results from previous research studies or well-understood farming systems to other locations across the PICTs. Farmers recognize that this lack of soil knowledge is a production constraint. There is a need to increase capacity of all stakeholders participating in relevant value chains (e.g. from farm to market) to overcome this significant threat to livelihoods and natural capital."--Website.