The in-person training on basic laboratory procedures has the ultimate aim to reinforce the analytical capacity of the members of the African Soil Laboratory Network (AFRILAB), ensuring that soil samples are analyzed with better accuracy and precision by the testing institutions operating in the region. More in details, the core of the training will be dedicated to quality assurance and quality control in the laboratory, promoting the good practices that are needed to ensure data reliability. The training has also the scope to provide recommendations on health and safety measures in the laboratory. In addition to that, practical sessions in the laboratory will be included as well. The scope is to strengthen the capacity of technicians in determining few basic soil chemical and physical parameters adopting harmonized SOPs.

AGENDA

Day 1: 23 October 2023

Senegalese Agricultural Research Institute (ISRA)

8:00 - 8:40 AM: Opening ceremony, presentation of the SoilFER project

Mr. Lifeng Li, Director of the Land and Water Division, FAO

Ms. Nerissa Cook, Deputy Assistant Secretary, U.S. Department of State, Bureau of International Organization Affairs

Ms. Bintia Stephen Tchicaya, Senior Policy Officer, FAO Subregional Office for West Africa

Mr. Pierre Morand, Head of the Research Institute for Development (IRD) in Dakar

Ms. Emma Rochelle-Newall, Head of ECOBIO department of IRD

Mr. Madiama Cisse, Scientific Director of the Senegalese Agricultural Research Institute (ISRA)

Mr. Moncef Meddeb, Science and Technology Attaché, French Embassy

Mr. Bernard Bourlès, Head of the team IMAGO of IRD

Ms. Lesego Mooketsi-Selepe, Chair of AFRILAB

Moderator: Mr. Adin Bloukounon Goubalan, FAO Office for West Africa

8:40 - 9:00 AM: Updates from the Global Soil Partnership (GSP)

Mr. Yuxin Tong, FAO

9:00 - 10:00 AM: Updates from the Global Soil Laboratory Network (GLOSOLAN), the African Soil Laboratory Network (AFRILAB), presentation of the workshop

Ms. Lesego Mooketsi-Selepe, AFRILAB Chair

Mr. Filippo Benedetti, FAO

10:00 - 10:30 AM: Coffee break

10:30 AM - 12:00 PM: Plenary session I

Outcomes of the GLOSOLAN PT 2022 and how to take action in case of bad results

Mr. Christian Hartmann, IRD

Mr. Michael Watts, BGS

12:00 - 1:30 PM: Lunch

1:30 - 3:20 PM: Plenary session II

Launch of the AFRILAB PT 2023

Mr. Christian Hartmann, IRD

Mr. Michael Watts, BGS

Presentation of the training program of the week and division in groups

Mr. Filippo Benedetti, FAO

3:20 - 3:40 PM: Coffee break

3:40 - 5:30 PM: Plenary session III

Logistics about Dakar: safety, currency, transportation

Ms. Hanane Aroui Boukbida, IRD

Presentation of participants and experience sharing on GLOSOLAN/AFRILAB

Moderator: Mr. Abdourahman Elh Moudi Moustapha, GLOSOLAN vice-Chair

5:30 - 6:00 PM: transportation to Dakar city centre

6:00 - 8:00 PM: Social gathering - walking tour in the city and plenary dinner at Plateau Dakar

• Day 2: 24 October 2023

IRD (French Research Institute for Development)

8:00 AM - 3:30 PM: Parallel training sessions (English and French)

Health and safety in the laboratory and disposal of reagents

Instrument calibration and control

Preparation of internal reference material

Sample preparation and lab organization

Participants will be divided into four groups (two English-speaking and two French-speaking) and will follow the parallel session on a rotational basis by visiting the trainers in different rooms on different times, so that all participants will be trained on the same topics, but in different order.

10:00 - 10:15 AM: Coffee break

12:00 - 1:30 PM: Lunch

3:30 - 4:00 PM: Coffee break

4:00 - 5:00 PM summary of the day (English and French)

• Day 3 and day 4: 25-26 October 2023

IRD (French Research Institute for Development)

8:00 AM - 4:00 PM: Parallel training sessions (English and French)

Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for:

• Soil organic carbon (SOC) using Walkley-Black method

• Soil pH • Soil electrical conductivity (EC)

• Total carbon and nitrogen by Dumas

• Soil bulk density

Participants will be divided into four groups (two English-speaking and two French-speaking) and will follow the parallel session on a rotational basis by visiting the trainers in different rooms on different times, so that all participants will be trained on the same topics, but in different order.

10:00 - 10:15 AM: Coffee break

12:00 - 1:30 PM: Lunch

3:30 - 4:00 PM: Coffee break

4:00 - 4:30 PM summary of the day (English and French)

4:30 - 6:30 PM (day 3 only): Discussion session on salt-affected soils analysis

This elective session is open to participants from countries affected by salt-affected soils, as it will focus on the determination of key parameters to monitor soil salinity and sodicity.

• Day 5: 27 October 2023

ISRA experimental field

7:00 - 11:00 AM: Presentation of the experimental site and field activities (sampling strategy, collection of samples, observation and description of soil profiles)

11:00 AM - 12:00 PM: Closing ceremony

12:00 - 13:00 PM: Lunch 3:00 - 5:30 PM: Debriefing of the organizing committee