The National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) latest report, among other things, highlights the state of Uganda’s soils.
The State of the Environment report shows how major soils are distributed across the regions and how it should be managed to increase yields.
Francis Ogwal, the NEMA’s senior manager of environment planning and coordination says, in the Central region, ferralsols dominate; covering 1,473,423 hectares (6.11% of the total land area), accompanied by luvisols, plinthosols and arenosols.
Ferralsols are deeply weathered, reddish or yellowish soils. They require fertilizers, mulching, or agroforestry for management while Luvisols are formed after clay particles move from the upper soil horizons to a deeper horizon. Then, plinthosols have ‘plinthite’ , a firm but soft, iron‐rich, red‐mottled clay and Arenosols are sandy soils.
Back to soil distribution, eastern Uganda is characterized by Plinthosols as the primary soil type, spanning 1,570,082 hectares (6.51% of the total area), along with Andosols, Leptosols, and others.
These soils face challenges like poor fertility, waterlogging, and shallow rooting depth, which hinder arable farming, often leading farmers to cultivate in wetlands.
In the northern region, Leptosols dominate with 2,097,316 hectares (8.70% of the land), alongside Andosols, Regosols, and others. Leptosols have fertility potential, especially on slopes.
On the other hand, the western region features ferralsols covering 3,209,342 hectares (13.32% of the total area). It also has Luvisols, Vertisols, Calcisols, and others.
Just like it is in the central region, even in the west, ferralsols are deeply weathered and infertile, requiring similar management strategies.
When it comes to crop production, Ogwal says, Uganda has diverse staple foods such as maize, bananas, and cassava.
LEAD PHOTO CAPTION: Central region soils need to be fertilised and managed well. (Photo by Ritah Mukasa)
