Joyce Abrafi Opoku | Sustainable Agriculture | Best Researcher Award

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Ms. Joyce Abrafi Opoku | Sustainable Agriculture | Best Researcher Award

Seventh-day Adventist College of Education, Asokore- Koforidua, Ghana

Joyce Abrafi Opoku is the Director of Professional Development, Research, and International Relations at the Seventh-day Adventist College of Education in Asokore-Koforidua, Ghana. With a research focus on sustainable agriculture and the propagation of difficult-to-propagate plant species, she has contributed significantly to applied agricultural science. Ms. Opoku has authored four publications and participated in additional collaborative research projects. Her dedication has earned her several recognitions, including the “Best Institutional Farmer” award in 2017 and both the “Principal’s Excellence Award” and “Milestone Achievement Award” in 2024. She has served in key academic and administrative roles, including Dean of Students’ Affairs, Head of the Science Department, and Unit Head of Agriculture. A committed member of several professional bodies, including the Horticultural Society of Ghana and the Agricultural Science Teachers’ Association of Ghana, Ms. Opoku continues to advance agricultural education and practice through research and leadership.

Profile:

🧪 Research Focus:

Joyce Abrafi Opoku’s research centers on the use of organic resources for sustainable agriculture and the enhancement of propagation methods for challenging plant species. Her contributions bridge scientific practice and community agriculture.

🏆 Achievements:

  • Best Institutional Farmer Award (2017) – National Farmer’s Day, New Juabeng North Municipality 🚜

  • Principal’s Excellence Award (2024) 🎓

  • Milestone Achievement Award (2024) 🌟

  • Authored four publications and contributed to additional works in progress 📄

🎓 Academic & Administrative Roles:

  • Former Dean of Students’ Affairs

  • Head of the Science Department

  • Unit Head of Agriculture

  • Committee Member – Appointments and Finance, SDA College of Education

🤝 Professional Memberships:

  • Horticultural Society of Ghana 🌼

  • Colleges of Education Teachers’ Association of Ghana (CETAG)

  • Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT)

  • Agricultural Science Teachers’ Association of Ghana (ASTAG)

Publication Top Notes:

  • Effect of Pre-Sowing Treatments on Seed Germination and Seedling Growth of Silver Butterfly Tree (Bauhinia rufescens)
    Current Agriculture Research Journal, 2018-12-28
    DOI: 10.12944/CARJ.6.3.13
    Contributors: J. A. Opoku, J. N. Amissah, M. E. Essilfie, J. C. Norman

  • Seed Germination Percentage and Growth Performance of Caesalpinia pulcherrima as Influenced by Different Pre-Sowing Treatments
    Journal of Forestry, 2018-07-31
    Contributor: Joyce Abrafi Opoku

 

Avtar Singh Bimbraw | Conservation Agriculture | Excellence in Research

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Dr. Avtar Singh Bimbraw | Conservation Agriculture | Excellence in Research

Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, Punjab, India

Dr. Avtar Singh Bimbraw served as a Senior Agronomist at the Punjab Agricultural University, contributing significantly to the field of agronomy through research, teaching, and extension activities. With a distinguished career spanning several decades, he played a pivotal role in advancing sustainable agricultural practices in Punjab. His expertise and dedication have left a lasting impact on the agrarian community and academic fraternity alike.

Profile:

🎓 Academic Qualifications:

  • Ph.D. in Agronomy, PAU, Ludhiana (1985) – OGPA 3.28/4.00

  • M.Sc. Dairying (Forage Production), NDRI, Karnal (1980) – 68.29%

  • B.Sc. Agriculture (Hons.), PAU, Ludhiana (1977) – OGPA 2.52/4.00

  • Matriculation, Punjab School Education Board (1970) – 61.1%

🛠️ Additional Training (India, 1–14 days):

Participated in 8 specialized trainings, including:

  • Seed production technologies

  • Agroforestry evaluation

  • Sugarcane seed certification

  • Global Positioning System (GPS) applications in agriculture

📅 Service Record at PAU:

  • Joined University Service: November 29, 1985 (Senior Research Fellow)

  • Assistant Professor: 1986–1992

  • Agronomist: 1992–2000

  • Senior Agronomist: 2000–2014

🏛️ Administrative Experience:

  • Director, RRS, Kheri (1992–1998)

  • Section Head, Forage Section (2001–2011)

  • Section Head, Tillage Schemes (2005–2008)

  • Section Head, Conservation Agriculture (2009 onward)

👨‍🏫 Teaching Contributions:

  • Taught diverse undergraduate and postgraduate agronomy courses (e.g., Agron.101, 201, 424, 521, 530, 603)

  • Supervised 7 M.Sc. and 2 Ph.D. students

  • Conducted practical courses under “Earn While You Learn” scheme

  • Served as external examiner for 5 universities

  • Participated in selection committees for various state and national appointments

🔬 Research Highlights:

  • Led multiple projects (8 total), with significant outcomes including:

    • Inclusion of Dill (Anethum graveolens L.) in Punjab’s Rabi Package of Practices

    • Intercropping systems with sugarcane (moong, mash, cabbage, mentha)

    • Direct Seeded Rice and Zero/No-Tillage cultivation technologies

    • Evaluation of varieties: sugarcane, cotton, gram, berseem, moong

    • Nutrient management and sowing window studies for legumes and cereals

🌱 Seed Production Achievements (1992–2001):

  • Produced and certified ~29,565 quintals of quality seeds (e.g., sugarcane, wheat, maize, pulses)

  • Strengthened farm infrastructure for seed production (e.g., seed grader, tractors)

  • Contributed significantly to PAU’s farm income and seed supply chain

📢 Extension & Outreach:

  • Participated in Kisan Melas, Divas, field days, camps, and radio/TV talks

  • Acted as resource person in refresher courses, summer schools, and district-level workshops

  • Regularly disseminated improved crop production technologies to farming communities

🏆 Notable Recognitions:

  • Subject Expert, Commonwealth Scholarship/Fellowship selection panel (2013)

  • Member, selection committees for various agricultural appointments and programs

Publication:

  • Response of Fodder Maize to Different Levels of Nitrogen Under Various Establishment Methods

Biruk Wubetie | Agri-Food System | Best Researcher Award

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Dr Biruk Wubetie | Agri-Food System | Best Researcher Award

Assistant Professor at Tottori University, Japan

Dr. Biruk Yazie Wubetie is an Assistant Professor at Bahir Dar University, Ethiopia, specializing in Agricultural & Environmental Sciences with a focus on Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture. His research explores the intersection of sustainable agriculture, food security, and environmental conservation, aiming to enhance nutritional outcomes through innovative agricultural practices.

Profile:

🎓 Academic Background:

  • Ph.D. in Agricultural Sciences (Global Dryland Science), Tottori University, Japan (2024)
    • Thesis: Agro-ecosystem based analysis of dietary intake and malnutrition in the Chemoga watershed, Ethiopia
    • Applied structural equation modeling (SEM) & multilevel analysis
  • Master of Public Health in Nutrition, Debre Markos University, Ethiopia (2020)
    • Thesis: Undernutrition among lactating mothers in rural Ethiopia
  • M.A. in Development Studies, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia (2013)
  • B.Sc. in Rural Development and Family Science, Hawassa University, Ethiopia (2009)

👨‍🏫 Teaching & Academic Experience:

  • Assistant Professor, Bahir Dar University (2024 – Present)
  • Lecturer & Researcher, Bahir Dar University (2018 – 2021)
  • Lecturer & Researcher, Debre Markos University (2010 – 2018)
  • Graduate Assistant, Wolaita Sodo University (2009 – 2010)

📌 Courses Delivered:
✅ Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture
✅ Rural Development Policies
✅ Research Methods & Supervised Research Projects

🔬 Research & Publications:

  • Published 9 peer-reviewed articles, with several in Q1-ranked journals indexed in Web of Science, PubMed, and Scopus.
  • Research focus: Malnutrition, agroecosystem-based dietary analysis, food security, and sustainable agriculture.
  • Notable publication:
    • Analysis of Malnutrition among Children under Five Years in Northwest Ethiopia using Structural Equation Modeling. Nutrients, 2024
    • Agroecosystem-Based Household Dietary Diversity Analysis in the Upper Blue Nile Basin. Environmental Development, 2024

🏆 Grants & Awards:

  • MEXT Scholarship, Japan (2021-2024)
  • Overseas Travel Grant, Tottori University (2022, 2023)
  • Best Student Award, Hawassa University (2007)

🌱 Research & Academic Contributions:

  • Expertise in quantitative and qualitative research, structural equation modeling (SEM), and multilevel analysis
  • Secured research funding for three projects, all completed and published in reputable journals
  • Supervised undergraduate and master’s students, ensuring timely research completion
  • Extensive experience in curriculum development, online learning platforms (Blackboard, Zoom), and student mentoring

Publication Top Notes:

1️⃣ Factors Influencing Consumers’ Choice of Street-Foods and Fast-Foods in China
📄 African Journal of Marketing Management, 10(4), 28-39 (2018)
👥 Authors: HB Atinkut, Y Tingwu, B Gebisa, S Qin, K Assefa, B Yazie, T Melese, et al.

2️⃣ Determinants of the Use of Hermetic Storage Bags for Maize Storage Among Smallholder Farmers in Northwest Ethiopia
📄 Advances in Agriculture, 2021(1), 6644039 (2021)
👥 Authors: TK Mekonen, BY Wubetie

3️⃣ Undernutrition and Associated Factors Among Lactating Mothers in Rural Yilmana Densa District, Northwest Ethiopia: A Community‐Based Cross‐Sectional Study
📄 Food Science & Nutrition, 11(3), 1383-1393 (2023)
👥 Authors: BY Wubetie, TK Mekonen

4️⃣ Determinants of Women’s Participation in Agricultural Extension Services Among Rural Women Farmers in Yilmana Densa District, Northwest Ethiopia
📄 Journal of Agricultural Extension, 20(1) (2019)
👥 Authors: BAAB Yazie

5️⃣ Analysis of Malnutrition Among Children Under Five Years Across Contrasting Agroecosystems of Northwest Ethiopia: Application of Structural Equation Modeling
📄 Nutrients, 16(8), 1208 (2024)
👥 Authors: BY Wubetie, A Tsunekawa, N Haregeweyn, M Tsubo, Z Nigussie, et al.

6️⃣ Cost-Benefit Analysis of Purdue Improved Crop Storage Bags for Maize Storage Among Smallholder Farmers in Northwest Ethiopia
📄 African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development, 22(9) (2022)
👥 Authors: T Kefale, Z Ayalew, Z Birhanie, BY Wubetie, D Baributsa

7️⃣ Agroecosystem-Based Analysis of Household Dietary Diversity and Its Linkage with Agricultural Production Diversification in the Upper Blue Nile Basin, Ethiopia: Multilevel Analysis
📄 Environmental Development, 100999 (2024)
👥 Authors: BY Wubetie, A Tsunekawa, N Haregeweyn, M Tsubo, Z Nigussie, et al.

8️⃣ Factors Affecting the Practice of Sustainable Land Management in East Gojjam Zone, Northwest Ethiopia
📄 Journal of Agricultural Extension, 20(2) (2019)
👥 Authors: BY Wubetie, BA Abebe

9️⃣ Assessment on Challenges and Prospects of the Community Livelihood in Upper Blue Nile, Chira Watershed, Northwest Ethiopia
📄 Unpublished/Conference Paper
👥 Authors: BY Wubetie, TK Mekonen, BA Abebe