Ghent University Welcomes Samson Olanipekun

In March 2022, Samson Olanipekun, a research scientist at the Institute of Agricultural Research & Training (IAR&T), Ibadan, Nigeria, arrived at Ghent University for a 3-month secondment as part of the H2020 MSCA-RISE INSA project. Samson is a crop agronomist with focus on crop yield improvement through the use of good agronomic practices such as fertilizer.  

Samson Olanipekun will take advantage of his time in Ghent to write a review paper on Agronomic Nitrogen Use (ANU) and Nitrogen Use Efficiency (NUE), with a focus on nitrogen inputs by legume crops.  His research will synthesise a diverse literature that includes studies and recommendations on ensuring fertiliser use efficiency, crop intensification and nutrient management techniques aimed at improving crop yield.

Sustainability of the agricultural sector in Africa requires the scaling up and adoption of holistic solutions including good agronomic practices, as well as a political and social environment that facilitates this transition (e.g. advisory services, financing mechanisms, policies and markets). To this end, the INSA project will evaluate the current state of nitrogen in focused study regions, and relate it to the agronomic efficiency of applied nitrogen, taking into consideration various scenarios of nitrogen management. Data generated by Ghent University and IAR&T will help to reconcile agricultural development with the wise-use of nitrogen resources. To promote multi-stakeholder partnerships in Africa and knowledge sharing, the INSA project is building linkages with a range of on-the-ground organisations, and will develop a platform for sharing experiences and results between participants from various countries.

Samson’s secondment provides an opportunity for IAR&T and Ghent University to establish new cross-continental collaborations and share knowledge on African agricultural systems and NUE. He is being hosted by Professor Pascal Boeckx in the Isotope Bioscience Laboratory (ISOFYS), Department of Green Chemistry and Technology. In addition to researchers in this Department, Samson will also meet with social scientists from the University of Ghent to discuss the social impact of Nitrogen in Europe and Africa.