The Agricultural Land Management Division (ALMD) is encouraging farmers to increase sustainable soil management practices to improve soil health ahead of World Soil Day, which will be observed on Thursday, December 5, under the theme ‘Caring for Soils: Measure, Monitor, Manage’.

This observance aims to raise global awareness about the importance of healthy soils and to promote sustainable soil management practices.

Senior agricultural chemist at the ALMD — in the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Mining — Aldaine Gordon reported that sustainable soil management involves caring for and preserving the soil.

“This involves doing it in a manner that safeguards and protects the soil for the future by managing certain aspects that can hinder or impact the proper care of soils,” he said.

In recognition of World Soil Day 2024, the ALMD, with the support of the Ministry of Local Government and Community Development, will host a two-day training and exhibition December 5–6 at St Elizabeth Technical High School in Santa Cruz.

Gordon pointed out that there are more than 240 soil types in Jamaica.

“In terms of the predominant ones, there is the Bonny Gate stony loam that’s in St Mary, and there is the St Ann clay loam. The nomenclature, or classification, of the soil types is determined by where the soil was originally found. This could mean that the researchers probably went to Bonny Gate and this is the soil they found, but it doesn’t mean that it’s only in Bonny Gate. It can also be found in St Ann or even in St James,” he said.

For World Soil Day, Gordon said the aim is to encourage soil care and the promotion of precision agriculture.

“Caring for soil includes precision agriculture, and this involves getting soil tests done. The ALMD team or the lab can assist. There are other mechanisms, even just doing simple pH testing to find out whether it’s too acidic or too alkaline. There are simple meters that are on the market at different companies and agricultural stores that can help guide simple fertiliser application habits,” he said.