CarbonXtras Soil Campaign Blends Field Science with Nature’s Frontiers

The CarbonXtras Project team continued its nationwide soil-sampling campaign this week, moving across farms, conservation areas, and farming communities in northern and central Ghana. Led by Dr. Jagadeesh Yeluripati (James Hutton Institute), Dr. Caleb Melenya Ocansey (CSIR–CRI and DIPPER Lab), and Dr. Beáta Emőke Madari (Embrapa, Brazil), the mission focused on collecting high-quality baseline data to support Ghana’s real-time Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) system for climate-smart agriculture.

Work began in the Tolon District near Tamale, where the team visited local farms to collect soil samples across multiple depths. From shaded plots to narrow farm paths, no section was overlooked as sampling continued through Navrongo, Kintampo, and Ejisu near Kumasi, ensuring consistent datasets across diverse agroecological zones.

Following fieldwork in Navrongo, the team made a stop at Mole National Park, where science briefly gave way to adventure. Wildlife sightings were fleeting—antelopes bolted, monkeys disappeared into the canopy, and birds scattered at the slightest movement. Guides explained that the cool morning hours often keep animals hidden. Still, the team was rewarded with a rare sighting of one of Mole’s oldest elephants, moving calmly through the bush, seemingly unfazed by its audience.

“Moments like this remind us that climate, land, and ecosystems are deeply connected,” one team member reflected quietly during the visit.

After stakeholder engagements in Kintampo with officials from the Ministry of Food and Agriculture and local farmers, the campaign concluded with a visit to the Kintampo Waterfall. A canopy walk offered sweeping views of the cascading water and surrounding forest, a refreshing pause after days in the field, and a moment clearly enjoyed by the team.

As CarbonXtras continues to track soil health, carbon storage, and greenhouse-gas emissions across Ghana, these field journeys underscore the project’s broader mission: grounding climate-smart solutions in real landscapes, real farms, and real ecosystems. The project is supported by the Climate Smart Agriculture Partnership (UK–Brazil–Africa), funded by the FCDO and delivered by Innovate UK.