Magbosi Land Water Research Centre
slariBackground
Magbosi Land, Water and Environment Research Centre (MLWERC), is one of the constituent centres of the Sierra Leone Agricultural Research Institute (SLARI). It coordinates the Institute’s land, water and environment research program. This program is designed to generate and promote innovative technologies related to land, water and environment while empowering stakeholders.
MLWERC is situated in the former Integrated Agricultural Development Project (IADP) office space, now popularly called Camp Charlie, at Mile 91 in the Tonkolili District of northern Sierra Leone. This is in accordance with a provision in the SLARI Act of 2007, which states in its seventh schedule that “the Magbosi Land and Water Research Centre is hereby established and vested with all previous IDA project buildings and tenements”. The MLWERC compound spans approximately 126 acres, providing land for field experiments and demonstration activities. MLWERC is located in a typical derived grassland savanna resulting from the degradation of tree cover or forested land. As is usual with savanna ecologies, the soils at MLWERC are generally sandy with a thin organic layer. This makes them less fertile and less suitable for most crops. However, this challenge offers an opportunity for developing soil fertility improvement and soil conservation technologies that will benefit farming communities.
Mandate
MLWERC coordinates the land, water and environment program of SLARI to enhance sustainable productivity, commercialization and competitiveness of the agricultural sector.
Strategic Result Area.
There are five strategic results areas for MLWERC. These include:
- Appropriate land, water and environment technologies and innovations for enhancing agricultural product value chains generated and promoted.
- Appropriate land, water and environment contribution for enhancing agricultural product value chains, markets and marketing strategies developed and promoted.
- Appropriate land, water and environment policy options for enhancing agricultural product value chains facilitated and advocated.
- Capacity for implementing land, water and environment research for enhancing agricultural product value chains strengthened.
- Appropriate mechanisms for managing, sharing and upscaling land, water and environment knowledge, information and technologies established and operationalized.
Programs
The land, water and environment research is divided into five programs that are expected to contribute significantly to upgrading and promoting priority agricultural product value chains:
- Improvement on the contribution of integrated soil fertility management on agricultural product value chains.
- Improvement on the contribution of soil and water management to agricultural product value chains.
- Improvement on the contribution of irrigation and drainage to agricultural product value chains.
- Improvement on the contribution of soil survey, land evaluation and land use planning on agricultural product value chains.
Improvement on the contribution of sustainable environmental management and climate change mitigation to agricultural product value chains.
Infrastructure
MLWERC has a total of 32 buildings that include a quadrangle-shaped office and laboratory building, eighteen residential buildings for senior staff, four residential buildings for junior staff, two warehouses, one garage, two transformer stores, two generator rooms and two security posts. However, only 40% of the office space and seven senior staff quarters are currently occupied. Research equipment includes one soil auger, two meter rulers, two scales, one manual rain gauge, and an automatic weather station (WatchDog). The center is currently allocated two vehicles and two motor bikes to aid official travel and transportation of materials. However, one the vehicles is not roadworthy and require either replacement or total maintenance. There are two water wells and are currently functional. To meet with the center’s electricity needs, a 7.5 kVA solar facility has been rehabilitated in the administrative building.
Research and Project
Since 2013, several research activities, ranging from soil conservation and fertility improvement to water-use efficiency and climate change adaptation, have been carried out at the experimental sites of MLWERC. From January to December 2024, administrative and the following field research activities, including a project with UNOPs, were implemented.
Donor Funded Project
- UNOPS- Small Grant:
Project Title: Enhancing Soil, Water and Crop Management Practices For Improved Agricultural Productivity and Food Security in Moyamba District, Sierra Leone
- Training farmers on soil and water management practices
- Training farmers on in-season crop management practices
- Training of Farmers on Compost Making and Application of Organic Compost as an Alternative to Agricultural Chemicals
