Sep 2022
Host: the WDRC Students Committee
Speaker 1: Dr. Kennedy Odokonyero, Interfacial Lab, WDRC, BESE
Title: Bio-inspired Materials for Improving Crop Productivity in Desert Agriculture
Abstract:
In
regions with arid and semi-arid climates, irrigated agriculture is a
crucial facilitator of food-water security. Due to high temperatures and
dry winds in these regions, excessive evaporative loss of water from
the topsoil is inevitable. The nutrient-deficient desert sandy soils are
also prone to substantial percolation, which exacerbates water stress
thereby hindering crop productivity. To compensate for this, gigascale
freshwater withdrawals are the only resort, which are simply
unsustainable. Therefore, sustainable precision agriculture technologies
are needed to dramatically enhance the efficiencies of water and
nutrients' utilization and improve productivity in arid regions. To
address these complex challenges, our group has pioneered two
bio-inspired soil amendment technologies: (i) Superhydrophobic sand
(SandX) and (ii) enriched biochar. I will present results of our
multiyear experimental studies under controlled environmental conditions
as well as field-scale trials under normal and reduced irrigation
scenarios. Spectators will gain mechanistic insights into the workings
of our tech portfolio, i.e., how it improves irrigation efficiencies and
crop yields under harsh arid conditions.
Bio:
Kennedy
Odokonyero earned his PhD in Agricultural Science from the University
of Tasmania in Australia and an MS in Agro-environmental Management from
Aarhus University in Denmark. During his PhD, he worked at the
International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) in Colombia and
held a Visiting Research Scientist position at the Biosciences Eastern
and Central Africa-International Livestock Research Institute
(BeCA-ILRI) in Nairobi, Kenya. His research focused on tuning
plant-microbial interactions via environmental stresses for crop yield
enhancement. In 2018, Kennedy joined Prof. Himanshu Mishra's team as a
Postdoc Fellow. Since then, he has hybridized his plant science training
with iLab's expertise in bio-inspired materials engineering and
contributed to fundamental and translational research on the effects of
SandX and biochar and their combinations on plant health under varying
irrigation scenarios. He co-invented wax-coated jute bags technology to
combat post-harvest losses in developing countries.
Speaker 2:
Javier Blanco-Sacristán, Climate and Livability Initiative, BESE
Title: Assessment of mangrove distribution and afforestation potential in the Red Sea
Abstract:
Mangrove
ecosystems represent one of the most effective natural environments for
fixing and storing carbon (C). Mangroves also offer significant
co-benefits, serving as nurseries for marine species, providing
nutrients and food to support marine ecosystems, and stabilizing
coastlines from erosion and extreme events. Given these considerations,
mangrove afforestation and associated C sequestration has gained
considerable attention as a nature-based solution to climate adaptation
(e.g., protect against more frequent storm surges) and mitigation (e.g.,
offsetting other C-producing activities). To advance our understanding
and description of these important ecosystems, we leverage Landsat-8
andSentinel-2 satellite data to provide a current assessment of mangrove
extent within the Red Sea region and also explore the effect of spatial
resolution on mapping accuracy. We establish that Sentinel-2 provides a
more precise spatial record of extent and subsequently use these data
together with a maximum entropy (MaxEnt) modeling approach to: i) map
the distribution of Red Sea mangrove systems, and ii) identify potential
areas for future afforestation. From these cur-rent and potential
mangrove distribution maps, we then estimate the carbon sequestration
rate for the Red Sea (as well as for each bordering country) using a
meta-analysis of sequestration values surveyed from the available
literature. For the mangrove classification, we obtained mapping
accuracies of 98 %, with a total Red Sea mangrove extent estimated at
approximately 175 km2. Based on the MaxEnt approach, which
used soil physical and environmental variables to identify the key
factors limiting mangrove growth and distribution, an area of nearly 410
km2 was identified for potential mangrove afforestation
expansion. The factors constraining the potential distribution of
mangroves were related to soil physical properties, likely reflecting
the low sediment load and limited nutrient input of the Red Sea. The
current rate of carbon sequestration was calculated as 1034.09 ± 180.53
Mg C yr−1, and the potential sequestration rate as 2424.49 ± 423.26 Mg C yr−1.
While our results confirm the maintenance of a positive trend in
mangrove growth over the last few decades, they also provide the upper
bounds on above ground carbon sequestration potential for the Red Sea
mangroves.
Bio:
Currently postdoctoral
fellow at KAUST. Worked as postdoctoral research at the University of
Exeter. PhD on Environmental Science at the University of
Milano-Bicocca. MsC in Conservation and Management of Biodiversity and
BsC on Biology at the University of Granada, Spain.