Soil and climate are two of the key components needed to determine what types of crop to grow and how well they will do after planting. Today is World Soils Day, the kickoff to 2015 as the International Year of Soils. You can read the official declaration from the United Nations and an overview video here. Some additional information including material for distribution is available from the Global Soils Partnership here.
An interesting related story was published this week in New Vision, Uganda’s leading daily paper. This story explains the importance of a pen in combating severe climate impacts on agriculture. By using a simple Bic pen to measure the depth and width of a hole in a field, farmers there are able to improve harvests by improving soil drainage and fertility. You can read that story at https://www.newvision.co.ug/news/662532-how-a-pen-combats-severe-climate-impact-on-agriculture.htm.