Jean Baptiste Biloa | Soil Fertility | Best Academic Researcher Award

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

Saurabh Shekhar | Fertilizer Production | Best Researcher Award

Dr Saurabh Shekhar | Fertilizer Production | Best Researcher Award

Scientist at  CSIR-NML,  India

Dr. Saurabh Shekhar is a Senior Scientist in the Metal Extraction & Recycling Division at the CSIR-National Metallurgical Laboratory (CSIR-NML), Jamshedpur, India. With over a decade of experience in metallurgical research, he specializes in metal extraction, material synthesis, and waste management.

 

Publication Profile

Education:

  • Ph.D.: Materials and Metallurgical Engineering (CSIR-NML, AcSIR, 2023).
  • M.Tech: Materials and Metallurgical Engineering, specializing in Mineral Processing (CSIR-NML, AcSIR, 2014).
  • B.E.: Chemical Engineering (Haldia Institute of Technology, 2011).

Professional Achievements:

  • Research Funding: Successfully led 34 projects (18 completed, 16 ongoing) with a cumulative budget exceeding ₹10 crore.
  • Publications: Authored 13 SCI-indexed publications and over 10 conference proceedings.
  • Patents: Holder of 13 patents, including 4 granted.
  • Technology Transfer: Successfully transferred one innovative technology.

Awards and Recognition:

  • National Innovation Award (NRDC, 2020): Recognized for technology transfer with a ₹5 lakh prize.
  • S. Banerjee Award (2020): For excellence in in-house projects.
  • Additional Honors: Nine paper and poster awards at prestigious conferences such as NMD, MPT, and MetWaste.

Dr. Saurabh’s groundbreaking contributions to metallurgical science and his focus on sustainable practices make him a leader in his field.

Citation Metrics:

  • Publications: 13 SCI-indexed papers with 171 citations (156 since 2019).
  • h-index: 7 (since 2019: 7)
  • i10-index: 6 (since 2019: 6)
  • Patents: Filed 13 patents, with 4 granted.

Publication Top Note:

  • Physical and chemical characterization and recovery of potash fertilizer from glauconitic clay for agricultural application
    Applied Clay Science, 143, 50-56, 2017. (Citations: 55)
  • Physico-chemical treatment of glauconitic sandstone to recover potash and magnetite
    Journal of Cleaner Production, 147, 681-693, 2017. (Citations: 41)
  • A sustainable process for recovery of potash fertilizer from glauconite through simultaneous production of pigment grade red oxide
    Sustainable Materials and Technologies, 23, e00129, 2020. (Citations: 19)
  • Phosphonomethyl iminodiacetic acid functionalized metal organic framework supported PAN composite beads for selective removal of La(III) from wastewater: Adsorptive study
    Journal of Hazardous Materials, 425, 127802, 2022. (Citations: 18)
  • Valorisation of waste galvanizing dross: Emphasis on recovery of zinc with zero effluent strategy
    Journal of Environmental Management, 256, 109985, 2020. (Citations: 11)
  • Study of process efficiency for high-ash fine coal cleaning in a Kelsey centrifugal jig
    International Journal of Coal Preparation and Utilization, 38(5), 250-259, 2018. (Citations: 11)
  • Extraction of manganese through baking-leaching technique from high iron containing manganese sludge
    Materials Today: Proceedings, 46(3), 1499-1504, 2021. (Citations: 7)
  • Simultaneous extraction of copper and iron from chalcopyrite concentrate via surfactant-assisted chlorination leaching
    Materials Today: Proceedings, 2023. (Citations: 3)
  • Petro-Mineralogical and Geochemical Evaluation of Glauconitic Rocks of the Ukra Member (Bhuj Formation), Kutch Basin, India
    Clays and Clay Minerals, 70(1), 135-153, 2022. (Citations: 3)
  • Recovery of zinc as zinc phosphate and by-products from hydrometallurgical treatment of hot-dip galvanizing (Zn-Al) dross
    Materials Today: Proceedings, 46, 1532-1536, 2021. (Citations: 3)
  • A Clean Process for the Recovery of Potash Fertilizer from Glauconitic Rock via Hydrogen Gas Pre-treatment and Mild Acid Leaching
    JOM, 76(7), 3343-3353, 2024.
  • A clean process for the recovery of iron as value-added product from highly acidic chloride leach solution
    Materials Today: Proceedings, 2023.
  • Emulsion Mediated Low Temperature Pressure Leaching of Base Metals from Mixed Sulfide Minerals Through Enhanced Oxygen Mass Transfer
    Extraction 2018: Proceedings of the First Global Conference on Extractive Metallurgy, 2018.