Back to Home

Tool list

🔒 Secure Version (login required): EN DE FR ES IT

Land Evaluation Tool EN DE FR ES IT

  • Crop suitability (maize, cassava, cotton, peanut and cashew)
  • Region-specific analysis with adjustable inputs

The land evaluation tool is fully based on the framework for land evaluation by the FAO (1976). According to this framework, different crop, soil, and climate information is combined in order to establish a biophysical rating on a relative scale of 0 – 100, with 100 being the best rating. By parameterizing this scale, quantitative information on, for example, expected yields can also be calculated. The tool is mainly intended to allow for ex-ante checks of agricultural innovations in order to identify suitable intervention regions.

Suitability for micro dosing application EN DE FR ES IT

  • Evaluates site-specific fertilizer application
  • Focus on smallholder farming systems

In order to demonstrate how such an application could work, the micro-dosing technology was parameterized. Micro-dosing refers to the hill-placed fertilization of crops in small amounts (several kg per hectare). This technology was primarily developed for subsistence farmers with limited investment capacity.

Micronutrient Chain Tool EN DE FR ES IT

  • Identifies areas at risk of human micronutrient deficiency
  • Connects geology & soil to food-chain nutrient flow

A third tool addresses the micro-nutrient chain. The micro-nutrient chain is a concept that hypothesizes that micro-nutrient deficiency in human nutrition among subsistence households is related to the natural environment. The parent rocks provide, at the landscape scale, the micro-nutrient stock; soils make a portion of it available to plants and crops, which in turn nurture livestock and the human population. The tool allows identification of potential regions where specific micro-nutrient deficiencies may be expected.

Point Calculator Tool EN DE FR ES IT

  • Calculate land suitability for individual points using field or laboratory data
  • Works with existing Land Evaluation and Micro Dosing parameterizations

The Point Calculator allows users to evaluate land suitability at specific locations using measured soil and climate data rather than raster-based spatial datasets. Users can either click on the map to extract values from the existing data layers or manually enter field and laboratory measurements such as soil pH, organic carbon content, clay percentage, and precipitation. The tool applies the same FAO-based classification algorithms as the Land Evaluation Tool and produces a suitability score on a 0–100 scale. Results can be added to the map as point features for comparison across multiple locations.

Transport Cost Calculator EN DE FR ES IT

  • Calculates transport costs along road networks between production sites and markets
  • Uses OpenStreetMap road data with pgRouting for realistic route calculation

The Transport Cost Calculator estimates the cost of transporting agricultural products from a production location to a market or other destination. Users select a start and end point on the map, choose a product type and quantity, and the tool calculates the shortest route along the actual road network using OpenStreetMap data. The resulting cost estimate considers distance, product weight, and local transport pricing. The calculated route is displayed on the map together with a cost breakdown, helping farmers and planners evaluate the economic viability of market access from different production sites.