Lelethu Mdoda | Climate change | Best Researcher Award

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Dr Lelethu Mdoda | Climate change | Best Researcher Award

Senior Lecturer at  University of KwaZulu-Natal,  South Africa

Dr. Lelethu Mdoda is a Senior Lecturer at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, specializing in Agricultural Economics. He earned his PhD at 25 from the University of Fort Hare, focusing on market participation and value chain integration among smallholder farmers in South Africa.

Profile:

🎓 Academic Background:

  • PhD in Agriculture – Agricultural Economics (2017) – University of Fort Hare
    • Thesis: Market participation and value chain integration among smallholder farmers in Eastern Cape
  • MSc in Agriculture – Agricultural Economics (2015) – University of Fort Hare
    • Dissertation: Farmers’ awareness of climate change and its effects on productivity
  • BSc in Agriculture – Agricultural Economics/Economics (2013) – University of Fort Hare

🔬 Research Focus & Expertise:

Dr. Mdoda specializes in agricultural policy, climate change adaptation, smallholder economies, food security, and rural development. His expertise extends to agribusiness, value chains, sustainability, and resource economics. He has extensive experience in applied econometric modeling, data analysis, and market research.

📚 Professional Career & Contributions:

  • Senior Lecturer at the University of KwaZulu-Natal
  • Published over 30 peer-reviewed journal articles
  • NRF Rating: Y2
  • Active in mentoring, research, and project management

🌍 Professional Memberships & Leadership:

  • President of the African Farm Management Association (AFMA)
  • Member of AEASA, IAAE, and IFAMA

🏆 Awards & Recognitions:

  • DAAD German Scholarship (2016)
  • NRF Bursary for MSc (2015)
  • Best Agricultural Student Award (2007)
  • Travel Grants from IFAMA (2016, 2017)

🤝 Community Engagement & Projects:

  • Founder & Executive Director of #HaySureLesner Foundation – Youth mentorship, drug abuse awareness, and career guidance
  • Nguni Project – Market coordination for livestock farming
  • Keiskamahoek Market Day – Supporting smallholder farmers with market access
  • WRC Project – Enhancing smallholder irrigation farming in Eastern Cape

Publication Top Notes:

  • Factors affecting the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) by livestock farmers in the Eastern Cape province
    L Mdoda, L Mdiya
    Cogent Social Science 8 (1), 2026017 (43 citations, 2022)

  • Factors affecting subsistence farming in rural areas of Nyandeni Local Municipality in the Eastern Cape Province
    S Qange, L Mdoda
    South African Journal of Agricultural Extension 48 (2), 92-105 (43 citations, 2020)

  • The direct and indirect economic contribution of small-scale black agriculture in South Africa
    M Aliber, L Mdoda
    Agrekon 54 (2), 18-37 (36 citations, 2015)

  • RETRACTED: Factors impacting sugarcane production by small-scale farmers in KwaZulu-Natal Province-South Africa
    Z Thibane, S Soni, L Phali, L Mdoda
    Heliyon 9 (1) (30 citations, 2023)

  • Analysis of profitability of smallholder irrigated food plots in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa
    L Mdoda, A Obi
    Journal of Agribusiness and Rural Development 3 (53), 225–232 (23 citations, 2019)

  • Socio-economic factors affecting home gardens as a livelihood strategy in rural areas of the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa
    L Mdiya, L Mdoda
    South African Journal of Agricultural Extension 49 (3), 1-15 (21 citations, 2021)

  • Adoption drivers of improved open-pollinated (OPVs) maize varieties by smallholder farmers in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa
    M Sigigaba, L Mdoda, A Mditshwa
    Sustainability (20 citations, 2021)

  • Profit efficiency in family-owned crop farms in Eastern Cape Province of South Africa: A translog profit function approach
    N Mujuru, A Obi, S Mishi, L Mdoda
    Agriculture & Food Security 11 (20), 2-9 (18 citations, 2022)

  • Determinants of Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) technologies adoption by smallholder food crop farmers in Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality, Free State
    A Makamane, J Van Niekerk, O Loki, L Mdoda
    South African Journal of Agricultural Extension 51 (4), 52-74 (14 citations, 2023)

  • Use of information systems (Mobile phone app) for enhancing smallholder farmers’ productivity in Eastern Cape Province, South Africa: Implications on food security
    L Mdoda, M Christian, I Agbugba
    Journal of the Knowledge Economy 15 (1), 1993-2009 (13 citations, 2024)

 

Subir Kumar Nag | Climate Change | Best Researcher Award

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Dr Subir Kumar Nag | Climate Change |  Best Researcher Award

Principal Scientist at  ICAR-Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute,  India

Dr. Subir Kumar Nag is a Principal Scientist at the ICAR-Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute, Barrackpore, India. With a strong background in agricultural chemistry and soil science, he holds a Ph.D. from ICAR-IARI and a Diploma in Management from IGNOU. Dr. Nag has held various positions in ICAR, including Scientist and Senior Scientist, and has contributed extensively to research in pesticide residue analysis, ecosystem health, and organic feeding systems for livestock. He has received prestigious awards such as the Lal Bahadur Shastri Young Scientist Award and Fellowship Awards from both the Range Management Society of India and the Inland Fisheries Society of India.

Profile:

Education:

  • B.Sc. (Agriculture) Hons.
  • M.Sc. (Agr.) in Agricultural Chemistry & Soil Science
  • Ph.D. in Agricultural Chemicals (ICAR-IARI)
  • Diploma in Management (IGNOU)

Awards & Fellowships:

  • Lal Bahadur Shastri Young Scientist Award, ICAR (1999-2000)
  • Best Paper Awards (2010, 2011)
  • Fellowship Award (2017, 2024) from the Range Management Society of India & Inland Fisheries Society of India

Research Focus:

  • Pesticide residue analysis in feed, fodder, and milk
  • Monitoring pesticide and metal contamination in aquatic environments
  • Organic feeding systems for livestock production
  • Carbon sequestration and GHG emissions from wetlands
  • Endocrine disruption in fish due to emerging contaminants

Research Projects:

  • Led several projects on pesticide residue monitoring, ecosystem health, and the impact of pollutants on aquatic life.
  • Worked on improving livestock production through better resource management and quality assurance.

Teaching Experience:

  • Guided three Ph.D. students

International Experience:

  • Postdoctoral Research, CSIRO, Australia (2010)
  • NAIP Training on Carbon Sequestration, Ohio State University, USA (2013-2014)

Citations:

Citations: 1,003
Documents: 946
h-index: 16

Publication Top Notes : 

  • Wetlands function as carbon sink: Evaluation of few floodplains of middle Assam, northeast India in the perspective of climate change
    Nag, S.K., Ghosh, B.D., Das, B.K., Sarkar, U.K.
    Journal of Environmental Management, 2025, 373, 123841
  • An appraisal of carbon capture and sequestration in few selected wetlands of West Bengal
    Nag, S.K., Ghosh, B.D., Sarkar, U.K., Das, B.K.
    Environment, Development and Sustainability, 2024, 26(2), pp. 4229–4244
  • Trophic transfer patterns of arsenic in freshwater ecosystem layers in arsenic-endemic Ganges Delta and its potential human health risk
    Das Sarkar, S., Naskar, M., Sahu, S.K., … Das, B.K., Mohanty, B.P.
    Environmental Science and Pollution Research International, 2023, 30(60), pp. 126178–126194
  • Endocrine disruptive toxicity of cypermethrin in Labeo catla: Involvement of genes and proteins related to the HPG axis
    Ganguly, S., Adhikari, A., Sadhukhan, D., … Nag, S.K., Das, B.K.
    Science of the Total Environment, 2023, 901, 165958
  • Ameliorative effect of natural floating island as fish aggregating devices on heavy metals distribution in a freshwater wetland
    Sarkar, D.J., Das Sarkar, S., Santhana Kumar, V., … Samanta, S., Das, B.K.
    Environmental Pollution, 2023, 336, 122428
  • Emerging contaminant triclosan incites endocrine disruption, reproductive impairments and oxidative stress in the commercially important carp, Catla (Labeo catla): An insight through molecular, histopathological and bioinformatic approach
    Adhikari, A., Das, B.K., Ganguly, S., … Sadhukhan, D., Raut, S.S.
    Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part – C: Toxicology and Pharmacology, 2023, 268, 109605
  • Changes in seed yield and oil quality of flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) for industrial use in response to nitrogen and potassium fertilization
    Mitra, S., Adhikary, B., Islam, S., … Mondal, A., Kar, G.
    Archives of Agronomy and Soil Science, 2023, 69(15), pp. 3619–3636
  • Assessment of environmental and human health risk from pesticide residues in river Gomti, Northern India
    Nag, S.K., Sajina, A.M., Sahu, S.K., … Saha, K., Bandyopadhyay, S.
    Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 2023
  • Comparative assessment of carbon sequestration potential of different types of wetlands in lower Gangetic basin of West Bengal, India
    Nag, S.K., Das Ghosh, B., Nandy, S., … Sarkar, U.K., Das, B.K.
    Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 2023, 195(1), 154
  • Impact assessment of an invasive macrophyte community on ecosystem properties: A Mass Balance Approach for Chilika lagoon, India
    Swain, P.R., Parida, P.K., Panikkar, P., … Nag, S.K., Das, B.K.
    Ecological Informatics, 2022, 69, 101592