Joyce Abrafi Opoku | Sustainable Agriculture | Best Researcher Award

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

 

Jinli Gong | Horticulture | Women Researcher Award

Dr. Jinli Gong | Horticulture | Women Researcher Award

Assistant Professor at Zhejiang Agriculture and Forestry University, China

Dr. Jinli Gong is a specialist in pomology, with a research focus on postharvest biology and the mechanisms of environmental signals regulating fruit coloration and ripening. She completed her Ph.D. at Huazhong Agricultural University and was a visiting researcher at Durham University, UK, in cell biology. Dr. Gong has led four research projects, published 21 peer-reviewed papers (SCI/Scopus), and holds three patents. Her notable contributions include the discovery of red and blue light-responsive mechanisms in citrus and the development of advanced techniques for studying plastid protein complexes.

Profile:

🎓 Education & Training:

  • Ph.D. in Pomology, Huazhong Agricultural University (2015–2021)

  • Research Exchange, Cell Biology, Durham University, UK (2019–2020)

🔬 Research Focus:

  • 🍊 Postharvest biology of horticultural fruits

  • 🌈 Environmental signal mechanisms in fruit coloration and ripening

🧪 Research Highlights & Innovations:

  • Identified red light-responsive proteins influencing citrus fruit coloration.

  • Developed advanced plastid isolation and visualization techniques in citrus.

  • Established real-time dynamic organelle imaging in citrus roots and fruits.

📊 Research Output:

  • 📄 21 Publications (SCI, Scopus)

  • 🔍 4 Research Projects

  • 🤝 6 Industry Consultancies

  • 🔏 3 Patents

  • 🔁 Reviewer: Journal of Experimental Botany, New Phytologist, Horticulture Research

  • 📈 Citations: ResearchGate Profile

Publication Top Notes:

  1. Autophagy positively regulates ethylene-induced colouration in citrus fruits
    Guo Y., Gong J., Cheng Y., Wang P.
    Plant Journal, 2025.

  2. Advances in the Relationship Between Cell Wall Metabolism and Physiological Diseases of Citrus Peel
    Zhang S., Zheng S., Wang X., Sun X., Gong J.
    (2025, Source details not available).

  3. Red and blue light promote tomato fruit coloration through modulation of hormone homeostasis and pigment accumulation
    Xu Y., You C., Xu C., Zhang C., Hu X., Li X., Ma H., Gong J., Sun X.
    Postharvest Biology and Technology, 2024.

  4. Tracking organelle activities through efficient and stable root genetic transformation system in woody plants
    Gong J., Chen Y., Xu Y., Gu M., Ma H., Hu X., Li X., Jiao C., Sun X.
    Horticulture Research, 2024.

  5. Combining BN-PAGE and microscopy techniques to investigate pigment-protein complexes and plastid transitions in citrus fruit
    Gong J., Zhang H., Zeng Y., Cheng Y., Sun X., Wang P.
    Plant Methods, 2022.

  6. Red light-induced kumquat fruit coloration is attributable to increased carotenoid metabolism regulated by FcrNAC22
    Gong J., Zeng Y., Meng Q., Guan Y., Li C., Yang H., Zhang Y., Ampomah-Dwamena C., Liu P., Chen C., Deng X., Cheng Y., Wang P.
    Journal of Experimental Botany, 2021.

  7. Differential regulation of red light- and ethephon-induced degreening in postharvest kumquat fruit
    Gong J., Yang H., Xu Y., Zeng Y., Liu P., Chen C., Wang P., Sun X.
    Postharvest Biology and Technology, 2023.

  8. Illuminating the cells: transient transformation of citrus to study gene functions and organelle activities related to fruit quality
    Gong J., Tian Z., Qu X., Meng Q., Guan Y., Liu P., Chen C., Deng X., Guo W., Cheng Y., Wang P.
    Horticulture Research, 2021.

  9. Transient expression assay and microscopic observation in kumquat fruit
    Gong J., Sun X.
    Bio-Protocol, 2024.

  10. Cytological and metabolomic analysis of Citrus fruit to elucidate puffing disorder
    Wang T., Zheng S., Ke F., Zhang S., Xiao J., Sun X., Zhang S., Zhang L., Gong J.
    Food Chemistry, 2024.

  11. Regulation of chlorophyll and carotenoid metabolism in citrus fruit
    Lu Y., Shen X., Li Y., Xu Y., Chen Y., Hu X., Li X., Sun X., Gong J.
    Horticultural Plant Journal, 2024.

  12. Diversity in plastids contributes to variation in fruit color
    Gong J., Li Y., Shen X., Xu Y., Hu X., Shen D., Chen C., Sun X.
    Scientia Horticulturae, 2024.