http://www.fao.org/globalsoilpartnership This presentation was made during the regional conference on the Eastern and Southern Africa Soil Partnership which took place in Nairobi, Kenya 25-27 March 2013. This presentation was made by Onesmus Semalulu & Kayuki C. Kaizzi and it presents Overview of the status of soil resource in Uganda, and the needs and priorities for its sustainable management. ©FAO: http://www.fao.org

1. Overview of the status of soilOverview of the status of soil
resource in Uganda, and the needs
and priorities for its sustainable
managementmanagement
O S l l & K ki C K i iOnesmus Semalulu & Kayuki C. Kaizzi
NARO‐Kawanda

2. Overview
• Location : Uganda lies astride the Equator,
between latitudes 4o 12´ N and 1o 29´ S and
longitudes 29o 34´ W, and 35o 0´ E.
• Size: Total land area 241, 548 km2 of which
about 15% is covered by water bodiesy
• Population : About 32 Million People• Population : About 32 Million People
• Population Growth: 3.2 % per annum

3. Climate and TopographyClimate and Topography
• ClimateClimate
– Temperature range: 15o ‐ 30o C.
Annual Rainfall range: 750 to 1500 mm– Annual Rainfall range: 750 to 1500 mm
T h• Topography
‐ Mainly, lying between 1000 ‐ 2500 metres above
l lsea level.

4. UGANDA SOILS
The soil resources
GULU
KOTIDO
KITGUM
PADER
ARUA
YUMBE
MOYO
ADJUMANI
of Uganda
LIRA
APAC
MASINDI
MOROTO
KATAKWI
NEBBI
SOROTI
NAKAPIRIPIRIT
KABERAMAIDO
HOIMA
MUBENDE
KAMULI
KUMI
KIBOGA
KIBAALE
KYENJOJO
NAKASEKE
IGANGA
LUWERO
PALLISA
NAKASONGOLA
TORORO
MBALE
KAYUNGA
KABAROLE
BUNDIBUGYO
JINJA
KAPCHORWA
BUSIA
SIRONKOFig. 2: Soil map of Uganda
with District boundaries
overlaid
MUKONO
BUGIRI
RAKAI
KALANGALA
MPIGI
MASAKA MAYUGE
KASESE
BUSHENYI
WAKISO
IBANDA
ISINGIRO
KIRUHURA
KAMWENGE
SEMBABULE
MBARARA
RUKUNGIRI
KANUNGU
KAMPALA
N
overlaid
ISINGIRO
KABALE
NTUNGAMO
KISORO
100 0 100 200 Kilometers
ACRIC FERRALSOLS
ARENOSOLS
CALCISOLS
DYSTRIC REGOSOLS
EUTRIC REGOSOLS
GLEYSOLS
HISTOSOLS
LAKES
LEPTIC/SKELETIC ANDOSOLS
LEPTOSOLS
LIXIC FERRALSOLS
LUVISOLS
MELANIC ANDOSOLS
NITISOLS
PETRIC PLINTHOSOLS
PLANOSOLS
VERTISOLS

5. Inherent productivity rating of Uganda soils
High-Veryhigh
Moderate-High
Low-Moderate
Very Low-Low– High ‐ 8%
N
EW
S
– Medium – 14%
– Fair ‐ 43%
50 0 50 Kilometers
– Low – 30%
– Negligible ‐ 5%
‐Varying productivity
depending on placedepending on place
‐ Research indicates declining
soil fertility due to nutrient
i i d littl
Fig. 3: Inherent fertility of Uganda soils
(based on grading in the soil memoirs, 1960s)
mining and little or no
replenishment of nutrients

6. Updating the soils inventory
• Current map and data (hard
copy) developed in the 1960
and need updating
Aloi
Arua
Gulu Moroto
Kitgum
LodwarKaabong
Pakwach
NA 26-2
NA 36-7 NA 36-8
NA 36-4
NA 36-5
NA 36-1 NA 36-3
NA 36-6
and need updating
• To‐date, 4 sheets out of 17
have been updated and
d d f
MbaleHoima Masindi
Fort Portal K l
KapenguriaNA 36-9
NA 36-12
NA 36-11NA 36-10
42
41
41
137
42
62
150
65
137 62
62
138
65
150
138
62
41
41
62
44
137
41
137
137
39
39 4161
40 61
137
137
41
41
41
64
137
61
61
41
41
41
137
61
61
63
63
63
63
150
137
61
63
61
61
44
137
100
99
102
100
33
33
31
137
41
41
100
100
99
102
99
98
101
103
33
75
137
75
63
138
100
104
75
113 75
111113 75
137
71
71
75
75
137
71
71113 75
111
71
61
63
75
150
113 75
99
101
100
33102
102
32
32
33
118
65
62
41
137
138
6565
65
65
65
138
62
62
62
62
41
137
137
41
137
118
62
4142
42
137
41
137
137
40
137
138
138
61
61
137
6113747
14
14
65
125
41
125
47
3777 77
50
47
14
14
47
125
125
138
14
41
4141
41
41
42
125 41
41
41
41
41
41
125
125
125
12541
40
40
40
40
40 40 40
41
65
124
137
137
65
65
41
41
41
41
41
125
125
125
125
138
127
150
150
150
150
150
138
41
61
138
137
137
137
64
64
64
64
137
61
61
62
138
137
41
49
137
82
50
123
14
48
14
47
50 50
48
48
48
43
43
40
42
43
125
42
42
125
43
15
42
388
42
388
12716
25 388
388
125
125
65
65
65
41
40
125 125
351 9 351 9
42
42
42
42
12543 43
43
40
40
43
124
11
25
127
42
42
65
65
41
4141
40
42
40
4040
40
40
65 65
65
65
17 17
138
125
125
19
43
40
4043
43
41
137
137
41
42
138
137
41
41
101
98
40
41
138137
137
137 137
33
33
33
Masindi Mbale
Kampala Jinja
digitised for easier use
• Efforts to convert hard copy
soil memoirs into digital Jinja
Mbarara Masaka
Fort Portal Kampala
Homa BaySA 36-1
NA 36-13
SA 36-2 SA 36-3
NA 36-14 NA 36 -15
41
41
137
137
41
41
137
18
18
42
111 9
25
24
24
11232 4
126
128
12
17
17
171 32
17
18
137
137
18
18
35
27
27
124
124
27
35
35
150
20
21
21
124
21
124
20
20
126
20
126
20
128
126
65
65
124
124
128
11
11
11
11
11
11
68
127
42
27
27
126
38
38
19
19
19
19
11
11
181 29
128 12 9
128 12 9
171 28 17
12
11
18
1818
18
18
181 29
13
127
127
25
25
11
11
150
111 9
111 9
111 9
111 9
111 9
27
42
42
181 29
181 29
181 29
151
38
38
187 2
126
126
22
126
22
232 4
11
128
42
137
137
137
137
24
40
40
40
34
34
34
11
18
17
137
41
40127
126
40
137
24
12
40
41
Kampala Jinja
g
format are on‐going
• Development of the soils
database is underway to
Kabale
SA 36-5
database is underway to
integrate newly generated
analytical data into the
i i il dexisting soils data. Fig. 4: Uganda map showing the four soil map
sheets that were updated

7. The soil testing laboratory
• A running lab. for research
and the general public
• Analyses mainly soil & plant
tissue
Fig. 5: The Soils Laboratory and office block
at the National Agric. Res. Labs, Kawanda
10000
6816
9077
6000
7000
8000
9000
Csoil
7000
• Over 12,000 samples
2944
3000
4000
5000
6000
Water
Plant
Soil
Cplant
5000
, p
analysed in 2012
•Mostly research
samples analysed
0 0 0 5
458
33 85 122
924
502
714
995
0
1000
2000
1990 1995 2000 2005 2010
Cwater
500Fig. 6: Trends in the number of
samples analysed at NARL over years

8. Challenges facing the soil resource in general
Uganda Soil Erosion Hazard Map
N
EW
S
Northern Shore Streams
Eastern Shore Streams
Katonga
S
L. Victoria
Bukora
Kagera
Very low
Low
Subcatchment boundaries
Soil loss rate
40 0 40 80 120 Kilometers Low
Moderate
High
Very high
40 0 40 80 120 Kilometers
Fig 7: Erosion hot spots in the Lake Victoria catchmentFig. 7: Erosion hot spots in the Lake Victoria catchment

9. Challenges facing the soil resource in general
• Land degradation (soil erosion esp. in hilly and
mountainous areas, deforestation, soil fertility , , y
decline, …)
• Inadequate knowledge on proper soil/land use
tipractices
• Poor land management practices leading to
unsustainable useunsustainable use
• Population pressure leading to continuous
cultivation
• Inability of smallholder farmers to invest in
sustainable land management practices (e.g. very
low fertiliser use)low fertiliser use)

10. Challenges facing the soil resource (cont’d)
• Lack of enforcement of Environment and
Natural Resource (ENR) Management policiesNatural Resource (ENR) Management policies
and regulations
• Poor waste disposal• Poor waste disposal
• Lack of an updated soils inventory/map
S il t d t th il d t b• Soil survey to update the soils database very
expensive!
S il l i t th hi h f f (US $• Soil analysis cost rather high for farmers (US $
11.5 for a routine test: pH, OM, N, P, K, Ca,
Mg texture)Mg, texture)

11. Current efforts to address soil
h llmanagement challenges
• Generating and promoting ISFM interventions• Generating and promoting ISFM interventions
(SLM, CA, linking ISFM to profitable
enterprises, etc.)enterprises, etc.)
• Multi‐institutional/stakeholder collaborative
projectsprojects
• Updating fertiliser recommendations for
major cropsmajor crops
• Updating the soils information to meet
requirementsrequirements

12. Current efforts to address soil
h ll ( ’d)management challenges (cont’d)
bl h f• Public‐private partnerships in information
dissemination
idi il i i f d• Providing soil testing service to farmers and
private sector
P li i i ( d l i• Policy interventions (e.g. developing a
fertiliser strategy, govt support to fertiliser use
through NAADS)through NAADS)
• A number of projects by development
partnerspartners

13. Needs and priorities for sustainable soil management
• Promote sustainable land/soil management
– Sensitise grassroot communities on sustainable land
management
Innovative ways of disseminating soil management– Innovative ways of disseminating soil management
information
• Improve information management andImprove information management and
dissemination systems
• Improved networking and information/data p g /
sharing among institutions/departments

14. Needs and priorities for sustainable soil management
(cont’d)(cont d)
• Increased support to soils research• Increased support to soils research
• Soils inventory update / soil survey and land
se planninguse planning
• Policy intervention (e.g. enforcement of ENR
policies and legislation, formulate a land use
policy, increase budgetary support to
)agriculture and ENR programs)