One Planet Meeting Participant Profiles
Alan Duncan,
([email protected]), ILRI,
#tags: livestock; feed;
partnerships
Alfred Kambwiri,
([email protected]),
Civil Society Agriculture
Network, Malawi, #tags:
climate smart agriculture;
rural livelihoods; policy and
advocacy
Alistair McCormick ,
([email protected].
uk), University of
Edinburgh, #tags:
photsynthesis; yield;
phenotyping; imaging
I have a technical background in livestock nutrition and worked for
many years at the Macaulay Institute (now James Hutton Institute)
on various aspects of plant-herbivore interactions. While at the
Macaulay I developed some work on livestock systems in the
Karakoram region of Pakistan funded by the EU. In 2007 I joined ILRI
to lead a project on livestock feed in smallholder systems. At ILRI my
eyes were opened to the huge issues facing poor livestock producers
in the developing world. I came to understand that barriers to
change were as often related to humans and institutions as to
technical issues. My work moved into the area of innovation systems
and participatory methods. I have done a lot of work on multistakeholder processes in smallholder livestock systems and have led
the development of the widely used FEAST tool which helps to
inform better livestock feed intervention strategies
Alfred Mexon Kambwiri, PhD student (Community Development),
Mzuzu University, Malawi, holds an Msc degree in Environmental
Sciences and a Bsc in Agriculture, University of Malawi. He is
presently, the Director of Programs, with CISANET, a local agriculture
policy and advocacy hub of CSOs in Malawi. Alfred has expertise in
climate change management including climate smart agriculture,
community mobilisation, policy and advocacy and water resources
management. His major research interest is in how scientific
innovation would reduce rural community vulnerability to climate
change, thereby improving community development especially for
the rural communities in Africa.
Dr Alistair McCormick is a Group Leader in the Institute of Molecular
Plant Sciences and SynthSys at the University of Edinburgh. He holds
an MSc from the University of Stellenbosch and a PhD from the
University of KwaZulu-Natal, which he gained while at the South
African Sugarcane Research Institute on crop source-sink dynamics.
Alistair’s lab works on fundamental and applied aspects of
photosynthesis and growth in higher plants and micro-algae. His
research includes finding novel ways to improve the efficiency of
photosynthetic carbon capture in plants and developing tools for
dynamic phenotyping of plant growth architecture and
performance. The latter includes a novel low-cost 3D plant imaging
system (within the Edinburgh Predictive Plant consortium;
http://predictiveplant.uk/).
Amon Murwirwa,
([email protected]),
University of Zimbabwe,
#tags: GIS; earth
observation
Bob Rees,
([email protected]),
SRUC, #tags: nitrogen;
carbon sequestration; land
use
Professor Bob Rees is Head of SRUC’s Carbon Management Centre, and a
Professor in Agriculture and Climate Change. His work focuses on understanding
and mitigating greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture. As a soil and
environmental scientist, Bob has research interests in nitrogen and carbon
cycling and soil management in a range of crop and soil systems. He has had
significant involvement in EU funded research programmes, recently coordinating Legume-Futures an EU Framework project on the role of legumes in
farming systems, and was a participant in the Animal Change NitroEurope and
Greengrass research projects. He has over 100 research publications, and has
collaborated extensively on projects on greenhouse gas emissions from subSaharan Africa. He was a leading scientist to the Agricultural UK Greenhouse Gas
Platform programme aimed at improving the reporting and mitigation of
greenhouse gas emissions from UK agriculture and MinNo, a research
programme studying the intensity of nitrous oxide emissions from UK arable
cropping. He is an the Assistant Editor for the journal Soil Use and Management,
and an advisor on several international research programmes.
Damaris Odeny,
([email protected]),
ICRISAT, #tags:
Damaris Achieng Odeny is a genomics scientist currently in charge of molecular
breeding activities of ICRISAT mandate crops in eastern and southern Africa.
Research interests:





Development of molecular tools for more efficient breeding of
underutilized African crops
Understanding molecular mechanisms involved in host-pathogen/pest
relationships in dryland crops
Establishing simple/in vitro methods for rapid screening of complex traits
in crops
Understanding the evolution of Africa’s most devastating plant parasites
including Striga and Alectra weeds
Understanding the genetics and physiological mechanisms responsible for
enhanced micronutrient content in the grains of dryland cereals and
legumes
Darren Slevin,
([email protected]),
University of Edinburgh,
#tags: crop modelling;
satellite data; data
assimilation
Dr Darren Slevin is currently a Postdoctoral Research Associate in Global Crop
Yield Modelling. Funded by The Data Lab, this project is a collaboration between
the University of Edinburgh and Global Surface Intelligence, an Edinburgh-based
data services company. My research interests include terrestrial carbon cycle and
crop modelling, remote sensing, big data and data assimilation techniques.
Dave Ross,
([email protected]),
Agri-EPI, #tags: precision
farming; sensors; remote
sensing
Emmanuel Okogbenin,
([email protected]), African
Agricultural Technology
Foundation, #tags:
Molecular breeding;
Technology transfer and
climate smart agriculture
I have interests in broad areas of research and development related to genetic
improvement, agronomy and crop physiology targeting primarily biotic and
abiotic stresses for climate smart agriculture. As cassava scientist for many years
I led several molecular breeding initiatives in cassava to understand and improve
productivity traits and genetic resistance to pests and diseases. Broadening of
the genetic base of crops in Africa and gene mining to enhance value addition
potential for crops is another major interest for me. I am also engaged in
technology transfer to improve African agricultural value chain including
promoting public-private partnerships for its sustainability.
Felix Ngetich Kipchirchir ,
([email protected]),
University of Embu, #tags:
organic fertilizer; GHG emissions
I am a soil scientist by training with a wealth of experience in tropical farming
systems gained through working and interacting with smallholder farmers both
as an extension officer and as a researcher. Specifically, my areas of interest
are: application of GIS and remote sensing in enhancing productivity of tropical
farming systems, restoration of degraded lands (soil carbon and soil erosion
aspects) and reversal of declining soil fertility through adoption of
environmentally friendly and affordable technologies such as integrated soil
fertility management (ISFM) and promotion of soil and water conservation
technologies. More details can be found in researchgate
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Felix_Ngetich3.
Fiona Borthwick,
([email protected]),
SRUC, #tags: social network
analyssi; behaviour change;
food security
Dr Borthwick is a researcher in the ‘Policy, Innovation and Behavioural Change
Team’ team at SRUC. Dr Borthwick’s work is interdisciplinary, working with a
range of research departments at SRUC, the University of Edinburgh, and
partners in various agricultural sectors to enhance Knowledge Transfer
Exchange (KTE) and support behaviour change. Examples include the Scottish
Government, Defra, Chatham House, The International Centre for
Parliamentary Studies, as well as industry representatives such as input
suppliers, machine rings, supermarkets, farm representatives like the NFU, and
farmers themselves. Current topics include IPM in Barley, sustainable diets, and
nutrient use efficiency’.
Francesco Fava,
([email protected]), ILRI, #tags:
earth observation; mutlti-;
from-to-local; plant and
livestock
Francesco is an environmental/remote sensing scientist at the Sustainable
Livestock Systems Program of the International Livestock Research Institute
(ILRI), Kenya. Ph.D. in Agricultural Ecology at the University of Milan in 2009, he
brings over 10 years of experience in the development and implementation of
remote sensing applications (mostly vegetation), including rangeland
monitoring and assessment, land cover change analysis, precision agriculture,
field/airborne hyperspectral spectroscopy in crop/plant physiology, etc.).
Francesco’s interest is toward multi-disciplinary/multi-scale research aimed at
designing technological innovations bringing real benefits and impacts to
farmers and livestock keepers. His current research activities focus on
developing robust and operational approaches for drought risk management in
the pastoral areas of sub-Saharan Africa using different EO data sources and
mobile-based/crowdsourcing technologies, with the aim of supporting
sustainable Index-insurance programs as well as Early Warning Systems and
Emergency Responses strategies in African drylands.
Frank Mnthambala,
([email protected]),
Agrosolutions, Malawi, #tags:
plant nutrition; photosynthesis;
orphan crops
Agronomy and soil science. Expert in conducting field trials, data collection and
analysis. Now interested in modeling and predictive crop research.
Geoff Simm,
([email protected]),
University of Edinburgh, #tags:
livestock systems; breeding to
reduce GHG intensity; matching
genotype to systems
Sustainable livestock breeding / sustainable use of livestock genetic resources
Geoffrey Banda,
([email protected]),
University of Edinburgh, #tags:
innovation ecosystems;
technology transfer; financing
innovation
Expertise in:
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
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Matching genetic resources and systems
Interdisciplinary research on agricultural systems
Natural sciences – training in biology (microbiology and molecular
genetics) and biotechnology (advanced plant biotechnology and
virology).
- Industry - quality assurance and production in the food
processing/manufacturing industry.
- Financial Services -Corporate Banking and Structured Trade Finance:
Financing and risk analysis of enterprises in: agriculture (especially seed
production systems), agro-processing, manufacturing (including
fertilisers production), fabrication, engineering and services.
- Social sciences: I combine my natural science, industry and banking
background to do interdisciplinary work on innovation in life sciences
spanning health and agriculture.
Interest in:
- Financing innovation and industry development
- Innovation Systems (National, Regional, Sectoral, Technological and
Agricultural) and how they influence governance and uptake of new
technologies/innovations
- Business models, value chains and innovation ecosystems especially for
emerging technologies with no regulatory or innovation infrastructural
precedence/foundations.
Julius Adewopo,
([email protected]), IITA,
#tags: UAVs; yield; GIS
I possess multi-disciplinary expertise in geospatial sciences (GIS and remotesensing), Soil science, and Forestry. Currently, I utilize UAV for in-season yield
prediction and yield gap assessment in smallholder maize-based systems. My
research interest includes the application of remote sensing tools and
techniques for near real-time agronomic monitoring and yield assessment at
scale. Through this, I hope to evaluate the underpinning biophysical constraints
to optimal crop productivity in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) farming systems, with a
goal of guiding investment decisions for sustainable agricultural development in
the continent. Related to this, I also hope to further advance knowledge about
soil carbon dynamics across SSA’s major agroecologies.
Karen Halliday,
([email protected]),
University of Edinburgh, #tags:
climate controlled plants;
integrative thinking; gender
Scientific Interests
Kevin Zowe Mganga,
([email protected]), South
Eastern Kenya University, #tags:
carbon; soil; pasture
Kenyan who holds a PhD (Soil Science, University of Göttingen), MSc and BSc
(Rangeland Management, University of Nairobi). My research themes are
drawn from Soil Biology, Rangeland Management and Plant-Soil interactions
especially in the arid and semi-arid environments in Africa. Currently, my
research interests include; 1) quantifying the contribution of indigenous forage
grasses in restoring ecological functions in degraded African drylands by
monitoring changes in microbial indicators of soil quality and 2) investigating
the impact of land use changes on soil C cycling and sequestration in different
soil types in tropical Africa.
1. Determining the molecular and metabolic adjustments that enable
plants respond to seasonal and climatic variability
2. Identifying effective ways to minimising lodging and the detrimental
effects of dense-planting
3. Quantitative time-resolved plant phenotyping; using modelling
approaches to scale from molecular to whole plant levels and beyond
Kindie Tesfaye,
([email protected]),
CIMMYT, #tags: geospatial
analysis; precision agriculture;
crop modelling
Plan and conduct scientific experiments, analyze and interpret data and publish
results in the areas of climate, climate and cropping system modeling, climate
change impact assessment, climate risk management, soil-plant-wateratmosphere relations, plant physiology, and agricultural water management;
collect bio-physical, socio-economic and environmental data; model farming
systems and environmental interactions; calibrate, evaluate and apply cropping
systems and bioeconomic models, downscale climate data from Global
Circulation Models (GCMs), carryout system analysis from different perspectives;
conduct geospatial analysis and develop technology extrapolation domains; lead
multi stakeholder processes for innovation, offer consultancy and short-term
training services; offer graduate courses and supervise graduate research, and
work in a team and manage interest of diverse groups.
Leonard Rusinamhodzi,
([email protected]),
CIMMYT, #tags: systems
analysis; nutrient management;
crop-livestock interactions
Leonard Rusinamhodzi holds a PhD in Production Ecology and Resource
Conservation from Wageningen University. He work involves advanced analyses
to study the effects of sustainable intensification on system productivity, soil
quality, water and nutrient use efficiency across east and southern Africa.
Leonard has extensive experience in participatory research in smallholder
farming systems, with a deep understanding of the complex barriers to improved
crop productivity. Leonard is particularly interested in learning and managing
science that develops and uses tools that combine social, economic and biophysical aspects of farmers to improve productivity and reduce hunger for
smallholder farmers in Africa and beyond.
Lutz Merbold,
([email protected]), ILRI,
#tags: biogeochemistry;
research knowledge uptake by
farmers; what falls under one
planet theme
My research focuses on the detailed understanding of greenhouse gas (GHG)
exchange in ecosystems worldwide, including wetlands, woodlands, forests,
savannas, grasslands and livestock systems. By applying micrometeorological
methods such as the eddy covariance technique I aim to define major
meteorological as well as biological factors influencing ecosystem GHG
exchange and link the biogeochemical cycles of carbon, nitrogen and
water. Besides studying the ecosystem scale, I am further interested in
exchange of GHGs at the process level (leafs, soils and animals using GHG
chambers) and larger scales (regional to global) using modeling (empirical,
semi-empirical and process-based biogeochemical models) and remote sensing
approaches, while linking environmental aspects to productivity. Beyond the
quantification of GHG exchange I am driven by a simple question: “How do
ecosystems function now and how will they function in the future?”
In addition to fundamental research I am motivated to educate undergraduate
and graduate students in environmental sciences but also to apply recent
research findings in the real world e.g. by doing environmental assessments of
agricultural production systems in developing countries.
Matolo Nyamai ,
([email protected]),
KALRO, #tags:
Matthew Williams (not present
but involved in meeting
development)
([email protected]), #tags:
primary production,
ecosystem modelling,
earth observation of the land
surface
Menas Wuta,
([email protected]),
University of Zimbabwe, #tags:
GHG emissions; water
harvesting; integrated soil
fertility management
Prof Mathew Williams is Head of the Global Change Research Institute, in the
School of GeoSciences. His group researches primary production and terrestrial
carbon cycling across managed and natural ecosystems. Prof Williams has
pioneered the use of model-data fusion approaches to upscale process
understanding from plant to planet. His group link field data via models to earth
observations, soil maps, climate data and management information to
construct diagnostic analyses of plant processes. Prof Williams is a PI for the UK
National Centre for Earth Observation, and is a member of the European Space
Agency Biomass mission advisory group.
Mike Njuguna,
([email protected]),
Africa Harvest Biotech Foundation
International, #tags: agricultural
technology; smallholder farming
Dr. Michael Njuguna is the Director Food and Nutritional Security
Programmes, at Africa Harvest. He has worked with rural communities to
develop innovative approaches that support rural agricultural small
enterprise development. His research interest includes biofortification to
enriched sorghum with micro nutrients, technology adoption and
integration of food security to sound ecosystem management. He has
managed projects supporting farmers in semi-arid regions of Africa to grow
crops that are resilient to adverse climatic conditions. He has worked with
communities to protect fragile ecosystems by rehabilitating degraded
landscapes through soil and water conservation, soil fertility management
and promotion of agro-forestry.
Mizeck Chagunda,
([email protected]),
SRUC, #tags: livestock productivity;
innovation; remote monitoring
One key problem facing modern livestock production in both large intensive
and smallholder farming systems is on how to deal with the apparent
antagonistic relationships and trade-offs that exist among biological and
environmental traits. The questions are, how to identify and utilise
indicators that help to predict observed phenotypes and associations? How
to effectively apply technologies in either defining novel traits or exploring
new ways of measuring old traits for early and proactive management and
optimising improvement strategies? Which genotypes are appropriate for
which production systems? How to quantify difficult to measure traits such s
enteric methane and other greenhouse gases (GHG) in different ruminant
production systems? To answer these and similar questions my research is
aimed at contributing to the development of efficient genetic improvement
systems that improve productivity while protecting the environment.
Patricia Mayuni,
([email protected]),
Department of Animal Health and
Livestock Development, Malawi,
#tags: reducing GHG emissions;
build capacity of livestock
producers; mentor women animal
scientists
Patricia Mayuni is the first woman Deputy Director in the Department of
Animal Health and Livestock Development in the Ministry of Agriculture
Irrigation and Water Development in Malawi. Holder of a Master of Animal
Studies from the University of Queensland, Australia (2007) and currently a
PhD student in Animal Science at the Lilongwe University of Agriculture and
Natural Resources. Focusing on “Evaluation of productivity and carbon
emissions of different dairy cattle breeds and feeding practices in
smallholder farms in Malawi” Patricia is directly responsible for Livestock
Extension Programmes in Malawi , she oversees Livestock Government
Farms , and coordinates ANGR.
Peter Ballantyne,
([email protected]), ILRI,
#tags:
Peter Doerner,
([email protected]),
University of Edinburgh, #tags: root
system architecture; remote
sensing of plant and soil
"wellness"; soil mitigation
- Root system architecture, its role in determining plant productivity,
especially in adverse conditions, and its genetic control. Root phenotyping at
different scales;
- Plant growth control mechanisms, with a focus on linking physiology with
growth mechanisms;
- Sustainable agriculture methods.
Tim Arnold,
([email protected]), UoE/NPL,
#tags: measurement; earth
observation; modelling
I develop and use high-precision ground-based atmospheric measurements
(tall tower networks) that are sensitive to greenhouse gas emissions on local
to regional scales. Emissions can be quantified from these measurements
using atmospheric transport models within mathematical inversion
frameworks. Developing novel measurement methods and improving the
quality of information within these frameworks holds promise to reduce
emissions estimate uncertainties and help focus climate change mitigation
efforts, including within the agricultural sector.
Timothy Gondwe,
([email protected]),
Lilongwe University of Agriculture
and Natural Resources (LUANAR),
#tags: animal breeding
Tor-Gunnar Vagen,
([email protected]), ICRAF, #tags:
Valerio Giuffrida,
([email protected]),
University of Edinburgh, #tags:
plant phenotyping; image analysis;
computer visioning
Professor Timothy Gondwe (PhD), is an Animal Breeding expert, with key
focus on Applied Animal Breeding and AnGR conservation and development
in low input systems.
Research areas include research and outreach in smallholder dairy, village
poultry, goats and pig production and breeding. Current area of interest: to
systematically develop locally adaptable breeds or composites, targeting village
chickens and goats, and enhancing animal recording to guide livestock
management and breeding. The thrust is to improve livestock genetically while
conserving the livestock genetic resources for low input and climate change
compatibility.