Research Leadership in Soil Health and Fertiliser Systems

We have a long and established track record in soil health and fertiliser research, delivering innovative, collaborative, and interdisciplinary programmes that inform practice and support farmers, agribusinesses, policymakers, and key stakeholders in Malawi and internationally.

Our work is driven by a strong commitment to practical impact. By combining scientific excellence with field-based understanding, we provide evidence-based advice that supports sustainable soil management, improved crop productivity, and enhanced farm profitability.

Interdisciplinary Expertise and Long-Term Knowledge

Our team brings together expertise from a broad range of scientific disciplines, enabling us to address complex agricultural and environmental challenges from multiple perspectives. We are also the custodians of unique and irreplaceable long-term datasets, which underpin much of our research, advisory services, and knowledge-exchange activities.

These long-term data resources allow us to:

• Track changes in soil health and fertility over time
• Evaluate the long-term impacts of fertiliser and management practices
• Support robust modelling, forecasting, and decision-making

Collaborative Research for Sustainable Impact

Our technical staff maintain active national and international collaborations that ensure our research remains relevant, forward-looking, and aligned with real-world needs. Through these partnerships, our research and knowledge-exchange activities continue to promote sustainable, multi-purpose soil health and fertiliser systems, helping to maximise crop yields and net returns while protecting environmental resources.

Our Research Programmes

The Soil and Integrated Systems (SIS) framework has identified four strategic outcomes, supported by seven key thematic research areas, each with defined subsidiary topics of interest. These themes were developed through close engagement with stakeholders to ensure alignment with industry, policy, and farming priorities.

Much of our work is highly interdisciplinary, drawing on skills and methodologies across our scientific teams. Several cross-cutting themes such as remote sensing, woodland creation, and carbon and other greenhouse gas fluxes are addressed through cross-programme collaboration, reflecting the scale and complexity of these challenges.