Julius Adewopo, a Geospatial Analyst at IITA-Rw anda, has won the 2019 Agropolis Louis Malassis International Scientific Prize for Agriculture and Food, in the “Young Promising Scientist” category.
Adewopo heads the project titled ICT4BXW in Rw anda, which focuses on the use of ICT for advancing the prevention and control of Banana Xanthomonas Wilt in Rw anda. BXW is a challenge to banana farming and addressing it will revert huge crop losses.
“The prize marks a new beginning for me, a call to a higher pedestal in the pursuit of my long-held vision. I am humbled by this calling to uphold the ideals of the Agropolis Foundation and to advance the legacies of Dr Malassis through research and collaboration that will further advance food security and agricultural sustainability globally,” said Adewopo.
Adewopo has managed research to address major challenges related to management intensification in diverse agroecosystems and support development of digital tools for agronomic decision making in smallholder farming systems.
He stated that the award comes as a motivation to continue to pursue his contribution to agricultural research at national and regional levels.
He continued, “I am quite honored by this recognition. I think the major vision of this award and this recognition is to inspire researchers to continue to advance the frontiers of science with a focus on advancing agricultural systems, improving food security at regional or national level. So, this award is a call to a higher level of engagement and commitment to really add value and advance the vision
of Louis Malassis and the Agropolis Foundation.”
Speaking on the impact of the award in his current engagement on BXW prevention in Rw anda, Adewopo added, “I think this is really important especially in Rw anda and Central Africa because most farmers depend on banana for their income and economic prosperity. I think by developing a system where we can truly monitor incidences and provide information on control, we will be securing the livelihoods of farmers; we will help farmers also make better and timely decisions about how to control the disease.”
Adewopo acquired multidisciplinary experience in natural sciences, geospatial applications, and corporate management prior to joining IITA. He earned his PhD in Soil Science from the University of Florida (UF) and
MSc in Forest Resources from the University of Arkansas at Monticello, both in the USA.
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