Conducting research that is beneficial to both the environment, as well as people, continues to be the foremost objective of my academic career. My research is currently focused on the fungal foliar pathogen, Exserohilum turcicum, the causal agent of Northen Leaf Blight (NLB) - the foremost foliar disease affecting maize, sorghum, and other wild grass species.
In 2023, I completed my bachelor's of science in Biotechnology, with a focus on Microbiology and Genetics and went on to complete my honors in Plant Science (Biotechnology) in 2024 wherein I conducted the first baseline sensitivity study of the succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor fungicide, pydilfumetofen, against E. turcicum.
Currently, I am completing my MSc Biotechnology in the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, under the supervision of Dr Nsibo. My project aims to predict the effect of various climate change factors on the pathogenicity, maize host interactions, distribution and occurrence of E. turcicum throughout Africa. Additionally, I hope to elucidate how E. turcicum may adapt under future climactic conditions in Africa, and how this may influence the farmers, their agricultural practices, and NLB management strategies.
It is my hope that through my current project, we may be able to better inform maize farmers of the potential risk of E. turcicum in the future and best advise on how to adapt current agricultural and NLB management practices such that the burden of NLB under increasingly challenging climactic conditions may be controlled and minimized for the benefit of the African farmer.