LandPKS project launches new mobile apps for agriculture and conservation in Africa

Agriculture is critically important in Africa, where about 70 percent of the people depend on farming and other rural activities for their livelihoods. Unfortunately, increasing population pressures are degrading and reducing land and water resources, and hindering agricultural productivity.

The LandPKS project, funded by USAID and implemented by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) in collaboration with the Regional Center for Mapping of Resources for Development (RCMRD), has just released two mobile applications for end users to access and share detailed data about their land. The aim of the apps — LandInfo and LandCover — is to help end users assess their land’s potential for crop and forage growth and better forecast relative agricultural productivity and potential risk for soil erosion.

“The launch of these applications is in line with RCMRD’s objective of using space technologies and science to help people such as farmers make informed decisions on using their pieces of land,” said Dr. Hussein Farah, RCMRD Director General, during the launch ceremony.

The two apps were developed by USDA-ARS with the support of USAID and RCMRD/SERVIR-Eastern and Southern Africa offices. The LandPKS project plans to use these apps along with cloud computing technologies to

• Globalize access to local and scientific knowledge and information about land potential in sustainable land management.
• Identify and deliver the knowledge and information relevant to each type of land/soil to anyone with a mobile phone.
• Connect people with similar types of lands and challenges with each other.

LandInfo users are prompted to enter information and observations on plot identification, geographic location, land cover, land use, slope, slope shape, soil conditions, soil texture, and landscape photographs. The user obtains this information through the following process:

1. Identify plot of interest and enters appropriate plot name. GPS function in smartphone collects geographic coordinates for plot.
2. Select appropriate picture that best represents current land cover (e.g., forest, shrubland, savanna, cropland, etc.)
3. Operate the built-in clinometer to assess slope, or select appropriate picture that best represents the slope class. Select appropriate picture that best represents slope shape (cross-slope and down-slope).
4. Select appropriate photograph to document whether any cracking exists in the soil or any salt is present on the soil surface.
5. Follow embedded video tutorials to document soil texture by feel at various depth increments (up to 120cm, if possible).
6. Use smartphone camera to photograph the landscape, soil pit, and soil samples.
7. Submit all data for upload to the LandPKS server. All data is cached until a network connection is available, and results are returned to the phone within 5 minutes after successful upload.
8. Receive location-specific climate information (max/min temp, precipitation), FAO growing degree days for select crops, aridity indices and available water in the soil profile for use by plants. A full record of all data (including results) is accessible through the LandPKS project’s web-based data portal.

For Land Cover users, the application runs through a series of four 25 meter transects (in the four cardinal directions) asking the user to document all vegetation and other cover items at 5 meter increments for each transect. Users also document the highest plant height at each increment, as well as the existence of any plant canopy or basal gaps (>1 meter). In addition, users are prompted to count the number of individual species (user-defined) at each increment in order to calculate species density for the plot. Indicators such as vegetation/bare ground cover, plant cover, plant composition, canopy/basal gap percentages, and species density values are calculated and displayed on the phone (embedded equations; no internet connection required).

With these tools farmers, extension workers, development organizations, and national governments can access, share, and use the most up-to-date land information at local, regional, and national levels. The mobile apps and other LandPKS resources can be used to support local land management and land use planning to optimize food security, land restoration, climate change adaptation, and biodiversity conservation programs, and can also help validate remotely sensed imagery.

The result will be more efficient integration and dissemination of local and scientific knowledge about sustainable land management, and enhancement of agricultural productivity in a country where it is crucial.

Notes:

• The two apps are available for public download via the Google Play Store for Android smartphone users.
• RCMRD/SERVIR-Eastern and Southern Africa support included
  • Development of all geospatial datasets required as inputs to the model (data collection, GIS analyses, validation of results and analyses)
  • Building the capacity of stakeholders in order to promote better decision-making on land use and suitable land management practices
  • Engaging stakeholders to raise awareness on the importance of these tools and promote their use
  • Assisting in fieldwork to test the apps and training the stakeholders on the use of the apps