Jean Baptiste Biloa | Soil Fertility | Best Academic Researcher Award

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Mr. Jean Baptiste Biloa |  Soil Fertility | Best Academic Researcher Award

University of Yaoundé 1,  Cameroon

Professional Profile: Jean Baptiste Biloa is an expert in soil sciences with a focus on soil fertility, plant nutrition, and environmental modeling. He has extensive experience in research, teaching, and consulting on international projects, particularly in soil analysis, natural resource management, and geomatic tools.

Profile:

Academic Background:

  • 2019: PhD in Agro-pedology (defense pending), University of Yaoundé 1

  • 2015: Master’s in Earth Sciences, University of Yaoundé 1

  • 2014: Bachelor’s in Earth Sciences, University of Yaoundé 1

Certifications:

  • 2021: Certificate in Environmental Technology

  • 2020: Certificate of Appreciation – Inspire Hackathon Innovation Award

  • 2019: Certificate in Open Data Management for Agriculture, Nutrition, and Land (GODAN/FAO)

  • 2019: Certificate in Global Access to Agricultural Research (AGORA) – Research for Life

  • 2019: Certificate in Agricultural Data Management, Sharing, and Services for Agricultural Development (FAO)

Professional Experience:

  • 2023 – 2024: Soil Resources Expert, Soil, Water, and Climate Project (ProSEC), German Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR)

  • 2022 – 2023: Temporary Lecturer, University of Ebolowa, ENSET, and ISABEE

  • 2016 – 2023: Consultant and Student, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA)

  • 2018 – 2023: Consultant, GEOLAB SOLUTION & KOM

Technical Skills:

  • Environmental Modeling: Hydrus 1D, SWAT, AquaCrop

  • Mapping: Global Mapper, Surfer, Google Earth

  • Data Analysis: XLSTAT, R, JMP SAS, JAMOVI, ODK, Kobo Collect

  • Soil Management: Soil classification (WRB, CPCS, Soil Taxonomy, FAO)

  • Mineral Prospecting: Artisanal and semi-mechanized techniques, GPS usage

Scientific Publications:

  • “Influence of cocoa farm age, slope, and shade rate on cocoa soil fertility” (2025)

  • “Soil organic carbon and nutrient content across agricultural systems in the forest-savannah transition zone of Cameroon” (2025)

  • “Soil carbon and nutrient (NPK) content in tropical shifting cultivation systems under indigenous agricultural management practices: a review” (2025)

  • “Bioassay as a proxy for soil fertility and quality diagnosis in cocoa agroforestry systems” (2025)

  • “Variability of soil organic carbon and nutrient content across land uses and agriculturally induced land use changes in the forest-savannah transition zone of Cameroon” (2024)

Professional Affiliations:

  • President, Cameroonian Association for Soil Studies (ACES)

  • Member, GODAN (Global Open Data for Agriculture and Nutrition)

  • Member, APS2 (Association for the Protection of Soil and Subsoil)

  • Member, Research4Life and the Global Soil Partnership (GSP)

  • Member, European Sustainable Phosphorus Platform (ESPP)

Publication:

  • Influence of cocoa farm age and slope, and shade rate on cocoa soils fertility

Rahma Ines Zoghlami | Soil Systems | Best Researcher Award

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Assist. Prof. Dr. Rahma Ines  Zoghlami | Soil Systems | Best Researcher Award

Assistant Professor at  National Institute for Agricultural Research, Tunisia

Dr. Rahma Inès Zoghlami is a dedicated agricultural researcher and project manager specializing in sustainable agriculture, food security, climate change, and disaster risk assessment. She holds a Doctorate in Agricultural Sciences and currently serves as an Assistant Professor in Soil Sciences at the National Institute of Agricultural Research in Tunis.

Profile:

🧑‍🏫 Professional Skills:

  • Leadership: Proven ability to manage and guide research teams.

  • Grant Writing & Fundraising: Skilled in securing funds for agricultural initiatives.

  • International Collaboration: Extensive experience in managing global research projects.

  • Project Management: Successful execution of initiatives like CambiFarm and ISFERALDA.

  • Research Methodologies: Proficient in both qualitative and quantitative research methods.

  • Data Analysis: Expertise in using statistical tools for insightful decision-making.

  • Stakeholder Engagement: Effective collaboration with government and NGOs in Tunisia.

🌍 Key Projects & Contributions:

🌱 CambiFarm Project (PRIMA)

As the Coordinator, Rahma led the integration of biochar, biogas, and cyanobacteria fertigation technologies to develop smart circular farming systems. This project aimed to foster sustainable agriculture through innovative technologies.

🌾 Tunisian Agricultural Project (OAMS)

Rahma coordinated this project focusing on the use of biochar and chipped ramial wood as fertilizers for barley cultivation to combat erosion and enhance soil productivity.

🌱 ICARDA Agroecology Initiative

Rahma served as an invited expert in the Agroecology project, contributing to sustainable food system resilience and equity through transdisciplinary research.

🌴 ISFERALDA Project (PRIMA)

As an invited expert, Rahma contributed to the development of organic amendments using date palm residues, improving soil fertility through composting and pyrolysis.

🏆 Awards & Recognition:

  • Recognized for leadership in sustainable agriculture and food security initiatives.

  • Expert in managing international research collaborations and impactful agricultural projects.

Publication Top Notes:

  • Addressing Soil Fertility Challenges in Arid Agriculture: A Two-Year Evaluation of Combined Soil Organic Amendments Under Saline Irrigation
    Soil Systems | February 2025 | Author
    DOI: 10.3390/soilsystems9010016

  • Using Date Palm Residues to Improve Soil Properties: The Case of Compost and Biochar
    Soil Systems | June 2024 | Author
    DOI: 10.3390/soilsystems8030069

  • Assessment of Earthworm Viability and Soil Health after Two Years of Raw and Composted De-Inking Paper Sludge Amendment
    Agriculture | February 2023 | Author
    DOI: 10.3390/agriculture13030547

  • Soil Physicochemical Changes as Modulated by Treated Wastewater after Medium-and Long-Term Irrigations: A Case Study from Tunisia
    Agriculture | December 2022 | Author
    DOI: 10.3390/agriculture12122139

  • Evaluation of Composted Organic Wastes and Farmyard Manure for Improving Fertility of Poor Sandy Soils in Arid Regions
    Agriculture (Switzerland) | 2021 | Author
    DOI: 10.3390/agriculture11050415

  • Variation of Soil Properties with Sampling Depth in Two Different Light-Textured Soils after Repeated Applications of Urban Sewage Sludge
    Journal of Environmental Management | 2021 | Author
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.113355

  • Short-Term Effects of Biosolid Application on Two Mediterranean Agricultural Soils and Durum Wheat Yield
    Agronomy | April 2021 | Author
    DOI: 10.3390/agronomy11040709

  • Carbon Mineralization, Biological Indicators, and Phytotoxicity to Assess the Impact of Urban Sewage Sludge on Two Light-Textured Soils in a Microcosm
    Journal of Environmental Quality | 2020 | Author
    DOI: 10.1002/jeq2.20011

  • Impact of Urban Sewage Sludge on Soil Physico-Chemical Properties and Phytotoxicity as Influenced by Soil Texture and Reuse Conditions
    Journal of Environmental Quality | 2020 | Author
    DOI: 10.1002/jeq2.20093

 

 

Jianling Fan | Soil Fertility | Best Researcher Award

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Prof. Dr. Jianling Fan |  Soil Fertility | Best Researcher Award

Professor at School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology, China

Prof. Dr. Jianling Fan is a Professor at the School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology. He holds a Ph.D. from the Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Dr. Fan has a strong research background in soil carbon and nitrogen transformation, ecosystem carbon cycle modelling, and environmental effects. He worked as a postdoctoral research fellow at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (2014-2017) and became a full professor at Nanjing University in 2018. Dr. Fan has made significant contributions to soil science, receiving over 3,300 citations and being named among the World’s Top 2% Scientists by Stanford University in 2023-2024.

Profile:

Academic & Professional Background 🎓

Prof. Dr. Jianling Fan holds a Ph.D. from the Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences. He completed his NSERC Post-doctoral Research Fellowship at the Swift Current Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (2014-2017). Since 2018, he has served as a full professor at Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology. His research primarily focuses on soil carbon and nitrogen transformations and ecosystem carbon cycle modelling. He was named among the Top 2% Scientists globally by Stanford University in 2023-2024.

Research Interests 🌍

  1. Soil Carbon & Nitrogen Transformation: Studying their environmental impacts, particularly related to greenhouse gas emissions.

  2. Ecosystem Carbon Cycle Modelling: Focused on improving carbon cycle estimations for large-scale agricultural systems.

Research Contributions & Achievements 🌿

  • Research Projects: Completed 9 research projects (5 as Principal Investigator and 4 as main researcher), with 3 ongoing projects.

  • Citations: 3389 citations with an H-index of 32 (Google Scholar).

  • Publications: Authored 52 SCI journal articles and 26 in CNKI (Chinese).

  • Patents: Holder of 7 Chinese patents.

  • Books: Published various books related to soil science and carbon cycling.

Consultancy & Collaborations 🤝

Prof. Dr. Fan collaborates extensively with scientists from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and many research institutions in China. He has also engaged in 2 consultancy/industry projects.

Professional Memberships 🔗

  • Soil Science Society of China

  • American Society of Agronomy (ASA)

  • Crop Science Society of America (CSSA)

  • Soil Science Society of America (SSSA)

  • Canadian Society of Soil Science

Innovations & Groundbreaking Research 🌟

  • Dr. Fan has made pioneering contributions to understanding the effects of atmospheric nitrogen and sulphur deposition on soil organic carbon and greenhouse gas emissions. His studies have led to improved carbon input estimation methods in agricultural ecosystems.

  • He developed energy analysis systems incorporating soil organic carbon changes, overcoming limitations of existing methods and expanding their applications.

Awards & Recognition 🏆

Prof. Dr. Fan’s groundbreaking work has earned him recognition in Stanford University’s Top 2% Scientists List (2023-2024), marking him as one of the leading experts in his field.

Citations:

  • Total Citations: 3389

  • Citations Since 2020: 2551

  • H-index: 32

  • H-index Since 2020: 28

  • i10-index: 42

  • i10-index Since 2020: 39

Publication Top Notes:

  • Root distribution by depth for temperate agricultural crops
    J Fan, B McConkey, H Wang, H Janzen
    Field Crops Research, 189, 68-74, 510 citations, 2016

  • Wheat straw-derived biochar amendment stimulated N2O emissions from rice paddy soils by regulating the amoA genes of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria
    Y Lin, W Ding, D Liu, T He, G Yoo, J Yuan, Z Chen, J Fan
    Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 113, 89-98, 210 citations, 2017

  • Importance of heterotrophic nitrification and dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium in a cropland soil: evidences from a 15N tracing study to literature synthesis
    Z Chen, W Ding, Y Xu, C Müller, T Rütting, H Yu, J Fan, J Zhang, T Zhu
    Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 91, 65-75, 185 citations, 2015

  • Nutrient addition reduces carbon sequestration in a Tibetan grassland soil: Disentangling microbial and physical controls
    R Luo, Y Kuzyakov, D Liu, J Fan, J Luo, S Lindsey, JS He, W Ding
    Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 144, 107764, 164 citations, 2020

  • Excessive sulfur supply reduces cadmium accumulation in brown rice (Oryza sativa L.)
    JL Fan, ZY Hu, N Ziadi, X Xia, CYH Wu
    Environmental Pollution, 158(2), 409-415, 156 citations, 2010

  • Effect of long-term compost and inorganic fertilizer application on background N2O and fertilizer-induced N2O emissions from an intensively cultivated soil
    W Ding, J Luo, J Li, H Yu, J Fan, D Liu
    Science of the Total Environment, 465, 115-124, 140 citations, 2013

  • Nitrogen and phosphorus enrichment accelerates soil organic carbon loss in alpine grassland on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau
    R Luo, J Fan, W Wang, J Luo, Y Kuzyakov, JS He, H Chu, W Ding
    Science of the Total Environment, 650, 303-312, 138 citations, 2019

  • Carbon sequestration in an intensively cultivated sandy loam soil in the North China Plain as affected by compost and inorganic fertilizer application
    J Fan, W Ding, J Xiang, S Qin, J Zhang, N Ziadi
    Geoderma, 230, 22-28, 124 citations, 2014

  • Influence of 20–year organic and inorganic fertilization on organic carbon accumulation and microbial community structure of aggregates in an intensively cultivated sandy loam soil
    H Zhang, W Ding, X He, H Yu, J Fan, D Liu
    PLoS One, 9(3), e92733, 104 citations, 2014

  • Effect of application of dairy manure, effluent and inorganic fertilizer on nitrogen leaching in clayey fluvo-aquic soil: A lysimeter study
    J Fan, J Xiao, D Liu, G Ye, J Luo, D Houlbrooke, S Laurenson, J Yan, …
    Science of the Total Environment, 592, 206-214, 99 citations, 2017

  • Soil autotrophic and heterotrophic respiration in response to different N fertilization and environmental conditions from a cropland in Northeast China
    Z Chen, Y Xu, J Fan, H Yu, W Ding
    Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 110, 103-115, 96 citations, 2017

  • Dominant effects of organic carbon chemistry on decomposition dynamics of crop residues in a Mollisol
    Y Xu, Z Chen, S Fontaine, W Wang, J Luo, J Fan, W Ding
    Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 115, 221-232, 88 citations, 2017

  • Nitrogen fertilization stimulated soil heterotrophic but not autotrophic respiration in cropland soils: A greater role of organic over inorganic fertilizer
    Z Chen, Y Xu, Y He, X Zhou, J Fan, H Yu, W Ding
    Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 116, 253-264, 81 citations, 2018

  • Grazing improves C and N cycling in the Northern Great Plains: A meta-analysis
    X Wang, BG McConkey, AJ VandenBygaart, J Fan, A Iwaasa, …
    Scientific Reports, 6(1), 33190, 78 citations, 2016

  • Crop rotation, tillage system, and precipitation regime effects on soil carbon stocks over 1 to 30 years in Saskatchewan, Canada
    É Maillard, BG McConkey, MS Luce, DA Angers, J Fan
    Soil and Tillage Research, 177, 97-104, 77 citations, 2018

  • Increasing crop yields and root input make Canadian farmland a large carbon sink
    J Fan, BG McConkey, BC Liang, DA Angers, HH Janzen, R Kröbel, …
    Geoderma, 336, 49-58, 73 citations, 2019

  • Thirty-year amendment of horse manure and chemical fertilizer on the availability of micronutrients at the aggregate scale in black soil
    J Fan, W Ding, Z Chen, N Ziadi
    Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 19, 2745-2754, 70 citations, 2012

  • Harvest index–yield relationship for estimating crop residue in cold continental climates
    J Fan, B McConkey, H Janzen, L Townley-Smith, H Wang
    Field Crops Research, 204, 153-157, 65 citations, 2017

  • Organic fertilizers have divergent effects on soil N2O emissions
    T He, J Yuan, J Luo, W Wang, J Fan, D Liu, W Ding
    Biology and Fertility of Soils, 55, 685-699, 60 citations, 2019

  • Extreme rainfall and snowfall alter responses of soil respiration to nitrogen fertilization: a 3‐year field experiment
    Z Chen, Y Xu, X Zhou, J Tang, Y Kuzyakov, H Yu, J Fan, W Ding
    Global Change Biology, 23(8), 3403-3417, 60 citations, 2017

Swabir Alhassan Musah | Soil Health | Best Researcher Award

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Mr Swabir Alhassan  Musah |  Soil Health |  Best Researcher Award

PhD student at  University of Georgia,  United States

Swabir Alhassan Musah is a passionate researcher pursuing a Ph.D. in Crop & Soil Sciences (Soil Fertility & Management) at the University of Georgia. He holds an M.Sc. in Plant & Environmental Sciences from Clemson University and a Master Certificate in International Development & Global Agriculture from China Agricultural University. Swabir’s research focuses on soil fertility, plant nutrition, and biogeochemistry, with a commitment to enhancing global food security through sustainable agricultural practices. He is an active member of the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America.

Profile:

🎓 Education & Research:

Swabir Alhassan Musah is a dedicated researcher currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Crop & Soil Sciences (Soil Fertility & Management) at the University of Georgia, Tifton. He holds an M.Sc. in Plant & Environmental Sciences (Soil Health & Biogeochemistry) from Clemson University and a Master Certificate in International Development & Global Agriculture from China Agricultural University. His academic journey began with a B.Sc. in Agricultural Science (Crop & Soil Science) from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science & Technology, Ghana.

🔬 Research Focus & Experience:

Swabir’s research expertise spans soil fertility, plant nutrition, soil health, and biogeochemistry. His work includes soil nutrient analysis, enzymatic activities, carbon and nitrogen assessment, and cover crop residue decomposition. He has served as a Graduate Research Assistant at both the University of Georgia and Clemson University, contributing to projects on soil texture, stability, and nutrient management.

👨‍🏫 Professional Experience:

As a Teaching Assistant at the University of Georgia, Swabir coordinates laboratory sessions and supports undergraduate education. He previously contributed to farmer education and climate-smart agriculture initiatives with Okuafo Foundation in Ghana and volunteered as a science teacher at Al-Azhariya Islamic Senior High School.

🏆 Awards & Honors:

Swabir’s accolades include 5th place in the 5-Minute Rapid Oral Competition at the 2024 ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual Meeting and 3rd place in the Poster Competition at Clemson University’s Graduate Research Symposium. He also won the Virginia Soil Health Coalition 4 The Earth Photo Contest in 2022.

🌐 Professional Affiliations:

He is a member of the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America.

💡 Skills:

Swabir is proficient in Microsoft Office, data collection and analysis, project management, and public speaking.

Publication:

  • Integrating Winter Cover Crops Did Not Change Cotton Lint Yield Responses to Nitrogen Fertilization in Sandy Soils