PhD Candidates

Kwame Asante

Kwame Asante is a PhD candidate in Agricultural Science at Wageningen University and Research, supervised by Prof. Martin Kropff. His thesis develops sensor-fusion algorithms combining satellite imagery, soil moisture probes and weather forecast data to optimise drip irrigation scheduling for smallholder maize farmers in northern Ghana and southern Mali, demonstrating 30-percent water savings without yield penalty in two growing seasons of field trials. Six publications in Agricultural Water Management and Field Crops Research cover algorithm validation and farmer adoption barriers. Kwame collaborated with the CIMMYT Drought Tolerant Maize for Africa programme and has been recruited to lead agricultural analytics at a precision agriculture startup operating in West Africa. His irrigation optimisation app has been downloaded by 4,000 extension agents.

Details

Advisor

Prof. Martin Kropff

Field

Agricultural Science

Institution

Wageningen University and Research

Skills

satellite imagery analysisPythonIoT sensorsMATLABcrop modellingprecision agricultureGIS

Thesis

Sensor-fusion irrigation optimisation for smallholder maize in sub-Saharan Africa

Transition Signals

CIMMYT Drought Tolerant Maize for Africa collaborationprecision agriculture startup recruitment in West Africa4000 extension agent app downloads