The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) Soil Research Institute is warning that Ghana’s agricultural transformation agenda is being constrained not by a lack of scientific knowledge, but by weak application of existing soil data in farming and policy systems.

According to the Director of the institute, Dr. Collins Tay, Ghana has built advanced soil research systems capable of guiding precise agricultural decisions, yet these tools are not being fully utilised in national planning and farm-level practices.

He explained that the institute’s Ghana Soil Information System is designed to provide highly detailed insights into soil conditions across the country, enabling more efficient and productive farming.

“This system is very powerful because it allows us to map the entire country in terms of soil properties. So when a farmer comes, we don’t just give general advice. We look at the specific location, we check the pH, we check the nutrients, we check the biological activity of the soil, and then we give a recommendation that is specific to that land,” Dr. Tay said.

He noted that this level of precision is essential for improving yields and reducing waste in fertiliser use, especially at a time when agricultural input costs remain high.

“In some places, the soil already has enough nutrients, but because there is no proper guidance, farmers still apply fertiliser indiscriminately. So you find situations where nitrogen is added where it is not needed, and that leads to inefficiency, higher costs, and even environmental damage,” he explained.

Dr. Tay added that the lack of widespread soil testing and reliance on generalised fertiliser programmes is one of the major gaps in Ghana’s agricultural system.

“The truth is that we are still operating in a very generalised system. But soil is not general. Soil is specific. Two farms just a few kilometres apart can have completely different characteristics. So if you treat them the same, you will not get the best results,” he said.

He further emphasized that bridging the soil data gap requires stronger collaboration between government institutions and research bodies, particularly in integrating scientific recommendations into fertiliser subsidy programmes and national agricultural planning.

“We are calling for a system where decisions are based on data, not guesswork. Because if we continue to ignore soil science, then we will continue to spend money on fertiliser and still not get the results we want in terms of food production,” Dr. Tay stated.

As Ghana seeks to improve agricultural productivity and strengthen food security, experts say effective use of soil intelligence systems could be one of the most important but underutilised tools in the sector.

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CSIR warns poor soil data is reducing farming productivity in Ghana

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