1. General Background

Increased crop production is mainly achieved through the management of the soil in a sustainable way. A fertile soil is needed to boost crop production. Soil research is an essential tool for sustainable land management, formulation of judicial fertilizer recommendations, advisory services as well as designing appropriate soil management and agronomic practices.

Mekelle Soil Research Center was established on February 2013 based on the development urgency and need in soil science research to increase soil and crop productivity. It is one of the research centers of Tigray Agricultural Research Institute (TARI). It consists of five case teams: Soil Fertility Research, Soil Microbiology Research, Soil Resources Survey and Mapping Research, Analytical Soil Laboratory and Administration & Finance.

Mission: “To conduct scientific research on soil resources that enables sustainably higher crop and forage production and provide analytical services in the required quality and quantity to give  soil, plant and water analytical and management recommendations ”

 Vision:“To become the center of excellence in soil research and to generate soil resources management technologies and enable farmers to use a soil and crop specific fertilizer recommendations by 2037”

 Mandate : Southern Zone of Tigray, South Eastern Zone of Tigray, Eastern Zone of Tigray and some parts of Central Zone of Tigray (K.Tebben and T.Abergelle)

2. Thematic areas

2.1. Soil Fertility and Plant Nutrition Research

• Site/Context Specific fertilizer recommendation
• Soil Properties and their effect on nutrient availability and plant nutrition
• Organic farming and environmental sustainability
• Integrated Soil Fertility Management Research, ISFM
• Nutrient Use Efficiency and interaction effect of nutrients
• Research on Soil pollution and its impact on soil fertility and environment
• Micronutrients and nutrition research
• Management of soil chemical properties & climate change

2.2. Soil Biology Research

• Bio-fertilizer Research
• Soil mycorrhiza and plant nutrition research
• Research on earthworms and vermicomposting
• Microbial Biodiversity research on different soil types and agricultural land use systems

2.3. Soil Resource Survey and Land Evaluation research

• Soil characterization and classification
• Soil diagnostic approach and application of pedometrics
• Geochemical process and soil landscape modelling
• Mapping and generating geospatial soil information
• Geo database development
• Land use system and land suitability classification

3.4. AnalyticalLaboratory Research and Testing Services

• Soil chemical and physical properties analysis
• Plant and water chemical analysis
• Soil micro-biology lab analysis
• Laboratory Quality Management System, Assurance and Control

3. Achievements

Since its establishment and before, the soil related best practices generated are:

• Through the support of the Regional Agricultural Research Fund (RARF), the center was able to assess soil fertility status in major soils, agro-ecology and crops of Tigray region. Based on the assessment survey it was able to identify soil and crops deficient nutrients in the different agro-ecologies of Tigray.
• Through the support of Agricultural Transformation Agency (ATA) and participation of Mekelle Soil Research Center researchers in soil fertility survey, soil fertility map of Tigray region for each district was developed. Deficient nutrients in each district and proposed formulas for the use of blend fertilizers were developed
• Site specific fertilizer rate and response mainly for wheat and barley for the major nutrients (Nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and sulfur) were developed. Besides nitrogen rate requirement of wheat and barley after leguminous precursor crops were determined. 
• Soil test based phosphorus fertilization for wheat, barley and teff were developed
• Acidic soil management options were developed for the acidic soils found in Tsegede district
• Bio-fertilizers production using Rhizobia strains for the major legume crops (Faba bean, Field pea, Lentil and Chick pea)
• The center has introduced earth worm for the production of vermi-compost. Vermi-compost was produced from the introduced earth worm. Experiments are under way as vermi-compost is a new technology of soil fertility amendment in Tigray. Shade for mass production for vermi-compost was constructed.
• Indicative results on the use of other soil fertility management practices such as Biochar, Compost Tea and Bio-slurry were obtained as a bench mark for further research endeavors
• The center is rigorously working on the assessment of high pH soil in the Raya azebo district. The endeavor will continue in other likely districts so as to develop management strategies for high pH soils. 
•  Our Soil Laboratory is Accredited in ISO/IEC 17025:2005 in five parameters (N, P, OC, CEC and soil moisture content) by Ethiopian National Accreditation Office (ENAO)