My Journey

My journey in agricultural research began at the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), Nigeria, where I studied Crop, Soil and Pest Management. My early research examined the residual effects of the herbicide diuron on Amaranthus cruentus, before my interests increasingly shifted toward soil fertility, nutrient management, and crop productivity. I continued at FUTA for my master’s degree in Soil Fertility Management, graduating with Distinction. My master’s research combined field experimentation with the CERES-Maize model to evaluate maize responses to organic fertilizer rates, an experience that introduced me to the value of using agricultural models alongside field observations.

Alongside my academic work in Nigeria, I became increasingly involved in translating agricultural science into practice. Through MyAgricWorld, which I founded in 2015, I worked with farmers and agribusiness stakeholders across Nigeria and other West African countries on soil assessment, fertilizer recommendations, crop production, and agricultural decision-making. This experience strengthened my interest in research that does not end with scientific publication but can also inform practical management decisions.

In 2023, I began my Ph.D. in Plant and Environmental Science at New Mexico State University. My doctoral research expanded my work from crop and soil fertility management into agroecosystem biogeochemistry, with emphasis on soil organic carbon, nitrogen cycling, greenhouse gas emissions, cover crops, compost, and climate-smart management in semi-arid agricultural systems. I now integrate field measurements, laboratory analyses, environmental monitoring, and process-based models such as DayCent, APSIM, DSSAT, and DNDC to investigate agricultural systems across spatial and temporal scales.

This progression from field agronomy and soil fertility in Nigeria to soil biogeochemistry and agricultural systems modeling in the U.S., continues to shape how I approach research: combining field evidence, quantitative tools, and practical agricultural knowledge to address questions of soil health, productivity, and environmental sustainability.