The production of Irish potatoes is set to increase by 20 per cent following Rwanda Soil Information System (RwaSIS), which will indicate fertilizers needed for every type of soil across the country.

Rwanda Soil Information System (RwaSIS) initiative is designed to provide comprehensive soil nutrient maps and tailored fertilizer recommendations for priority crops in Rwanda, according to Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board (RAB).

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Rwanda is the sixth largest producer of potatoes in Africa, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

Increasing productivity is needed given that more than 50 per cent of rural households cultivate less than 0.35 hectares.

Despite the Crop Intensification Programme launched in 2007, which increased production levels of priority crops through land use consolidation and improved distribution of seeds and fertilisers, yields per unit of land remain below potential due to poor crop and nutrient management, RAB says.

The current blanket fertilizer recommendations are inefficient due to the country&039;s diverse agro-ecological conditions, leading to suboptimal fertilizer responses and low-profit margins.

The RwaSIS project is expected to address these challenges. A digital soil information system willsupport site-specific fertilizer recommendations, leveraging data from extensive fertiliser response trials and advanced analytics.

According to Athanase Rusanganwa Cyamweshi, a soil health and crop nutrition researcher at Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board (RAB), the soil information system aims at increasing yields by at least 20 per cent by promoting the use of specialized fertilizers, lime applications, and region-specific crop selection, reduce environmental risks, and maximise returns on investments in the fertilizer subsidy scheme.

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"We are also developing fertilizer suitable for each type of soil which we mapped up to the cell level. Every farmer can use the soil information system by using UPI of their land and be able to know types of fertilizers they can order for,” he said.

"With this system production for Irish potatoes will increase by 20 per cent. Production was at 15 tonnes per hectare in some areas. There are varieties that also provide 40 tonnes per hectare,” he added.

He said the system has been developed for Irish potatoes and rice with digital soil nutrient maps.

Dinah Borus, an agricultural scientist at the International Potato Center (CIP) said that Rwanda is one of the leading potato producers in Sub-Saharan Africa, indicating that making soil testing are essential for improving agricultural productivity.

"Releasing good varieties without a good soil testing system could be in vain," she explained.

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Farmers welcome the initiative

Farmers who spoke to The New Times expressed optimism about the new technology project, saying they expect the technology could help them expand their farm productivity.

"The new fertilizers and soil nutrient maps are timely since we were using one type of fertilizers on every soil. I have tried it and production increased from 20 tonnes to 30 tonnes per hectare," said Faustin Munyakayanza, a farmer from Nyamagabe District, growing Irish potatoes on three hectares.

Rwanda has also launched a factory with an annual capacity to blend 100,000 tonnes of fertilisers to be used based on Rwanda Soil Information System (RwaSIS).

The Rwanda Fertiliser Blending Plant is set up at Bugesera Special Economic Zone located in Bugesera District in the Eastern Province.

The project is a joint venture under the Rwanda Fertiliser Company (RFC), which involves OCP Group – a Moroccan fertiliser manufacturing firm – and the Government of Rwanda.

Christine Uzasabimana, a farmer from Rugeramigozi marshland in Southern Province, said previously farmers like her struggled to improve their productivity.

"Over the past four years, we have been growing rice in the marshland, but we did not see any yield due to soil acidity. We didn’t understand the problem until RAB tested our soil and recommended fertilizers based on the results,” she said. "I am happy to say that we are now seeing significant improvements in our yields, and the community is benefiting as well."