PEDOLOGY, A DISAPPEARING SKILL IN EASTERN AFRICA? A REVIEW

Anne Nyambura Karuma,Patrick Thuku Gicheru,Joyce Wambui Njuguna

doi:10.56369/tsaes.3496

Abstract

Background. Pedology is the study of soil genesis in its natural state. One way to assess the strength and productivity of a scientific field is to measure the number of publications over time. The number of soil papers published worldwide has almost doubled in the last ten years. However, that has not been the case in Eastern Africa, where this review is conducted. The scarcity of research in pedology motivates this study. Objectives. To review and analyze trends of publications in pedology/soil survey for the last ten years in (2010 - 2019) in Eastern Africa. Methodology. A search of scientific literature using Google and Google Scholar was conducted from 2010 - 2019. The search terms used were - soil survey, soil characterization, pedological characterization, and each of the Eastern African countries (Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, and Sudan). We then scrutinized the abstracts to find quantitative data on geographical locations. Additional articles were reviewed by checking through the reference lists of relevant studies in the peer-reviewed articles. Results. 56 scientific articles, 3 MSc/PhD theses reports, and 4 project reports/ proceedings were included for the full review. Out of this, 39 journal papers were identified and reviewed based on the years they were published, and the countries where they were published. Most articles were published in 2018. The data was then split into two segments, from the years 2010 - 2014 and 2015 - 2019. Between the years 2015 to 2019, a total of 36 articles were published compared to the years 2010 to 2014 where a total of 15 articles were published. This shows a slight increase in publications for the years under study. From the 56 articles, Ethiopia records the highest number of published articles from various journals having a total of 25 papers constituting 45% closely followed by Tanzania, having 27% equivalent to 15 papers. Kenya comes third in the overall ranking at 13% with 7 papers. The last three countries are Sudan, Rwanda, and Uganda with 10%, 3%, and 2% respectively. Implications. The results suggest that pedology seems to be a disappearing skill in the Eastern Africa region. Though there has been a spike in publications from 2015-2018, the current situation must be improved as there are limited publications from 2010 - 2019. Conclusion. The study shows that there have been a low number of publications in Eastern African countries. Ethiopia which has the highest number of publications shows the most promise in soil pedology publications. There is a need for an increase in pedology research which is important for agricultural production and land use planning.

Highlights

Pedology is the study of soil genesis and soil survey in their natural state (Wilding, 1994)
This review aims at analyzing the need for pedology and soil survey in Eastern African and its implications on agricultural productivity
The review considered the frequency of publications for each country and the years of publication in soil pedology in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Ethiopia, and Sudan

Summary

Introduction

Pedology is the study of soil genesis (formation) and soil survey (mapping) in their natural state (Wilding, 1994). Soil classification and characterization are fundamental disciplines under the umbrella of pedology. Pedologists provide the link between soil sciences and other soil disciplines. This is an often understated role for pedologists and one that has been poorly explored in Eastern Africa. Especially in Eastern Africa, where research funds are limited, the availability of pedogenic information and proper classification of soils will be of great importance in adopting welltested management technologies (Fikre, 2003). Soil pedology is instrumental in mapping soil in the landscape so that its potential uses can be enhanced (Omuto, 2013). Knowledge of soil has a great impact on the quality of crops and the yield that a farmer will realize and the appropriate management for the soils (Msanya et al, 2003; Matu, 2018)

Objectives

Methods

Results