Farmer Field School Week 3: Hands-On Land & Soil Preparation Training in Saint Lucia

Building a successful crop starts with proper land preparation! For Week 3 of the World Vegetable Center-supported Farmer Field School, participants gathered to gain practical skills in soil health, field mechanization, and irrigation setup tailored for tomato production.

The session brought together 32 stakeholders, including 14 local farmers, 4 agriculture students, 3 members of the Taiwanese Technical Mission, 3 Ministry of Agriculture Extension and Research Officers, and CARDI technical staff.

Key Field Activities & Demonstrations:

• Soil Health & Testing: Hands-on soil testing instruction facilitated by Greg Mitchell from the Ministry of Agriculture’s Research & Development Division.
• Ploughing & Tillage: Interactive demonstration by the Taiwanese Technical Mission on operating handheld ploughs for efficient land preparation.
• Bed Construction & Mulching: Field exercises covering proper bed sizing, ridging, and practical application of plastic mulch to preserve soil moisture and suppress weeds.
• Irrigation & Planting: Setting up drip irrigation lines followed by live seed sowing and seedling transplanting on designated test plots.

By combining scientific soil management with modern field techniques, local growers are taking important steps toward higher yields and improved climate resilience.