Consultant"s final report to CATIE and ROCAP on completion of soil analog subproject

A soil analog methodology agreed on by all of the leading soil scientists in the six participating countries was developed, and computer analysis was done on 200 selected soils series in Nicaragua, Honduras, and El Salvador. Results were presented at the second of two regional soils meetings, the first such meetings held in 15 years. Preliminary evidence is that the alternative soil analog methodology currently being tested for tropical soils at the Universities of Hawaii and Puerto Rico - namely, that soil families under the new taxonomy themselves constitute analogs - do not indicate similarity of series as well as the method developed under this project. As a result of the second meeting, a decision was made to reorganize the defunct Soil Science Society of Central America and to continue regional efforts to produce more sophisticated climate-soil analogs. CATIE will coordinate these programs. Preliminary documents analyzing the status of soil classification, fertility, and conservation in the six participating countries were prepared as a basis for developing a regional soil science proposal. The report concludes with suggestions to guide CATIE in determining the degree of technical assistance it might offer in the proposed regional activities.