Vanilla Planifolia - Soil

Vanilla Planifolia in Madagascar and its Soils 

Soil types in Africa (Focus on Madagascar)
Madagascar has different soil types in its country. People call Madagascar the “Great Red Island” because of the presence red lateritic soils. These soil types are mainly in the central highlands, although there are much richer soils in regions where the volcanic activity takes place. Examples in the North are Itasy and Ankarata, and Tsaratanana. Alluvial soils are found all along the east coast. On the other hand, at the mouths of the rivers on the west coast, you have clay, sand, and limestone mixtures. In the South part of Madagascar, you will find shallow laterite and limestone soil types.
The texture of the soil for vanilla is at is best if the characteristics include good drainage, lots of organic material and a pH value of 6-7. Soil depth of roots should be approximately 40 cm in agroforestry systems. (CRS, 2013)

To ensure that the soil has the right nutrients available you can make use of different techniques,
For example:
• Leaf litter increases soil organic matter.
• Root systems pump soil nutrients from deeper layers of soil upwards to topsoil.
• Fine root systems wrap around soil, preventing or reducing the speed of runoff and erosion.
• Leguminous tree species fix nitrogen from the air into the soil.
• Improved vertical distribution of roots and greater root density help to maintain soil nutrient reserves, thereby reducing the process of leaching.
• Leguminous, rapid-growth tree species can accelerate the restoration of reserves of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium (N, P, K) in topsoil and thereby make them available for use by the planted crop. (CRS,2013)

Healthy soil is essential to growing food. The upland areas in Madagascar are highly vulnerable to soil degradation. This is due to harsh conditions, such as highly inclined slopes and uneven ground, which lead to more erosion and running off of the soil. This effect is even more impactful due to consequences of climate change. Examples are; droughts, floods and unpredictable rainfall. These conditions have led to degradation of 30% of Madagascar’s land, according to the FAO.

“The traditional method of farming in upland Madagascar is terrace farming. A terraced field is a series of raised flat areas or steps, cut into the side of a sloping hill where farmers can grow their crops. These steps are formed out of the soil and are often reinforced with stones or trees. Little channels are typically built into the steps to allow water to flow freely down the slope while holding the soil in place”. (N.Jawerh, 2016)

References  

CRS. (2013, December). REVITALIZING VANILLA IN MADAGASCAR. Retrieved from https://www.crs.org/sites/default/files/tools-research/revitalizing-vanilla-in-madagascar.pdf
Jawerth, N. (2016, December 5). World Soil Day: Madagascar Combats Soil Erosion with Tradition and Nuclear Science. Retrieved from https://www.iaea.org/newscenter/news/world-soil-day-madagascar-combats-soil-erosion-with-tradition-and-nuclear-science
Hari Eswaran, R. A. (1996, February 28). An Assessment of the Soil Resources of Africa in Relation to Productivity. Retrieved from https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/soils/use/?cid=nrcs142p2_054023

Schraeder, P. J. (n.d.). Geography of Madagascar. Retrieved from Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography_of_Madagascar#Soils

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