Comprehensive survey of soil across SVG completed

A comprehensive survey of soil across St Vincent and the Grenadines has been jointly completed by the Ministry of Agriculture and the Taiwan Technical Mission jointly in the end of 2018.

The survey is part of the project of “Strengthening Farmers’ Organizations and Improving Fruit and Vegetable Production Technology” which has been implemented by the two countries from 2015 to 2018. Under the project, a Soil Laboratory is established in Campden Park.

In the past three years, the Ministry of Agriculture and the Taiwan Technical Mission collected and analysed hundreds of soil samples across St. Vincent and the Grenadines at the Soil Laboratory.
Chao-Chiung Liao, Chief of the Taiwan Technical Mission, said that there are three preliminary recommendations on the application of fertilizer for the soil in St. Vincent and the Grenadines based on the analysis conducted by the Soil Laboratory.

Firstly, in order to avoid nutrition deficiency in the soil, it is necessary to supplement the Nitrogen and Phosphorous by applying appropriate fertilizer. Secondly, due to the high Potassium found in the soil based on the result of soil analysis across the land; farmers are encouraged to decrease the usages of relative fertilizer to reduce the cost for production.

According to Chun-Chun Huang, the Specialist of the Mission responsible for the soil analysis, the third recommendation is to urge farmers to apply the fertilizer in a way of “More Frequently, Less Amount.” By doing so, considering 60% of soil samples are “Sandy Loam”, it will help the performance and efficiency of the fertilizer.

Huang stressed, for those SVG farmers who are interested in getting more information about the three recommendations or soil analysis may contact the Soil Laboratory at 457-1283. A soil analysis and introduction could be arranged to help farmers understand their land and how to apply fertilizer properly.