“Despite extensive scientific effort in creating soil maps, they seldom reach farmers in a usable form. Know Your Soil changes that by delivering tailored summaries of soil constraints for each field, together with clear, actionable management recommendations. Farmers are also guided through simple on-farm observations to identify more subtle issues - such as structural limitations - and adapt their practices accordingly. Accessible via WhatsApp through Virtual Agronomist, Know Your Soil serves as a practical learning resource for both farmers and extension agents.”
— Keith Shepherd, Chief Scientist, iSDA
Africa’s Most Overlooked Agricultural Crisis
More than 65% of Africa’s arable land is degraded (FAO) - a silent emergency that’s robbing millions of farmers of yields, income and food security every single season. Yet despite the billions invested in seeds, fertilisers and training, most farmers still lack one critical piece of the puzzle: clear, actionable insight into the health of their soil.
Without it, interventions fall short. Fertiliser misses the mark, seeds fail to thrive and farm productivity stagnates.
That’s why we built Know Your Soil - a powerful new module within our AI-driven, WhatsApp-delivered Virtual Agronomist tool that brings world-class soil science directly to farmers’ fingertips.
Built by Scientists. Proven on the Farm.
Know Your Soil doesn’t just describe soil - it diagnoses it.
Developed by iSDA’s team of leading agronomists and soil scientists, this module brings together decades of scientific research, hyper-local data and practical field knowledge to help farmers:
- Understand the unique constraints of their soil
- Detect physical, chemical and biological issues limiting yields
- Take targeted, field-specific actions to restore and improve soil health
It’s grounded in globally respected frameworks like the Fertility Capability Classification and Visual Soil Assessment - simplified and digitised for African farmers.
Why Localised Soil Intelligence Matters
Equipping farmers with the right tools and knowledge to understand and care for their soil is paramount. This need is especially urgent in Africa, where the extreme variability in soil conditions demands localised, tailored approaches to unlock the land’s potential. Traditional blanket recommendations often do not address the unique challenges of African soils, leaving farmers without the means to optimise their yields or practice sustainable agriculture.
That’s where Know Your Soil steps in.
What Makes Know Your Soil a Game-Changer
This isn’t another generic checklist. Know Your Soil leverages iSDAsoil - our 30-metre resolution digital soil map of sub-Saharan Africa - plus machine learning, AI and farmer-led visual assessments to create a field-specific soil diagnosis.
Here’s what farmers get:
- Precision Diagnosis: A simple summary of key soil constraints - like low nutrient retention, compaction, poor structure, or high erosion risk - and tailored guidance to fix them.
- Detailed Reports: Farmers can dig deeper into micronutrient levels, fertiliser recommendations (e.g. zinc-specific blends) and conservation spacing to protect topsoil and improve moisture retention.
- Farmer-Led Visual Checks: Hands-on guidance for soil “feel” tests, structure checks and erosion assessments - empowering farmers to verify and enhance the AI diagnosis themselves.
- Interactive Learning Tools: Dynamic visuals that show the real cost of soil erosion - and how practices like cover crops or terracing can reverse losses and restore productivity.
Real Farmers. Real Impact.
Take Joseph, a sunflower farmer in Tanzania. His crop was wilting during a drought, while neighbouring fields stayed green. Using Know Your Soil, Virtual Agronomist diagnosed a plough pan - a compacted soil layer preventing roots from reaching subsoil moisture. Thanks to the tool’s guidance, Joseph broke the pan and recovered his yield for the next season - transforming what could have been another failed season into a successful one.
Why This Matters Now
As Africa races to feed a growing population amid worsening climate impacts, soil is the foundation. Without healthy soils, nothing else works - not the fertiliser, not the seeds, not the investment.
That’s why Know Your Soil is more than a feature - it’s a call to action.
- For funders: Invest in digital tools that scale science affordably and impactfully.
- For governments and NGOs: Embed soil diagnostics into your extension programmes.
- For agribusinesses and cooperatives: Give your farmers the insights they need to grow more sustainably.
Join Us in Transforming Soil into a Strategic Asset
We believe every farmer deserves to understand their soil - not through guesswork, but through science. And we believe digital innovation can unlock that understanding at a fraction of the cost of traditional extension.
Explore Virtual Agronomist and how we’re scaling farmer-first innovation across Africa.
Contact us to partner or pilot Know Your Soil in your programme.
