THIS week, NAREI in Focus will continue to enlighten readers, particularly our farmers, about the various services we offer free of cost. Under the spotlight is the Soil Management and Farm Mechanisation Department. This department was created to offer a high quality of soil and land use services to all farmers and stakeholders in the agricultural community of Guyana. Its primary role is to present crop production as a potential source of wealth at both family and farm level.

What are our objectives?
* To provide a mechanism for sustainable production of fruits and vegetables through studies in nutrient balance.
* To optimise the use of locally available amendments in crop production.
* To boost the use of agricultural land with appropriate cropping systems.
* To provide Technical Packages for the production of exotic crops in Guyana; as well as year-round crop production in a protective environment.

What are some of our projects?
* Soil Fertility.
1. Nutrient Studies in cherry and Sour-sop Cultivation and Production.
2. Use of locally available liming materials on local soils.
3. Use of charcoal as a soil amendment on marginal soils in Hinterland Regions.

* Land Evaluation.
1. Land Resource Assessment for Agricultural Production in Guyana.
2. Cultivation of Acacia on mine-spoils for the improvement of Soil Fertility and Land Reclamation.
3. Cultivation of exotic crops (e.g. onion, Irish potato, carrot) under Shaded Conditions.
4. All year production of vegetables (e.g. cabbage, pepper, poi) under Shaded Conditions.

* Water Management and Protective Agriculture.
1. Production of leafy (e.g. lettuce) and fruit (tomato) vegetables using hydroponics.
2. Production of yellow split peas under shaded conditions.
3. Moisture requirements for crop production under Shaded Conditions.

* Soil Fertility and Soil Micro-Biology.
1. The use of mycorrhiza substrate preparation for crop production.
2. The Use of Sunn Hemp in management of nematodes under shaded vegetable production.
3. The use and evaluation of the efficacy of rhizobium strains on legumes under shaded conditions.

* Soil Mechanisation
1. The use of grass mulch to develop a plough layer on raised clay beds.
2. The use of soil sterilisation in crop production.