Taking digital soil mapping to the field: Lessons learned from the Water Smart Agriculture soil mapping project in Central America

The goal of the Water Smart Agriculture (WSA) program is to improve food security in Central America through changes in policies, programs, and practices in water use efficiency. The Digital Soil Mapping (DSM) project is a component of WSA that aims to create human capital with knowledge and skills in sustainable soil and water management through the production of informative soil maps, under the guiding principle of “managing soils to manage water”. DSM provides a platform for producing detailed maps of soil types, properties and functions. However, the transition of DSM from research to operational levels brings a new set of challenges related to input, data processing and outputs. Training based on pilot projects was conducted to build local DSM capacity and infrastructure and incorporate tacit knowledge. The major challenges identified during the pilot stage of the DSM project were: (i) soil data availability, quality and compatibility; (ii) lack of DSM skills; and (iii) lack of product delivery platforms. Country teams comprised of members from public institutions and professional organizations were established. The multi-institutional and interdisciplinary country team adopted a participatory DSM approach and produced functional soil maps capable of supporting decisions at multiple levels.