EXCEL Africa News: 2026 Phosphorus Fellowship Recipients Announced
The African Plant Nutrition Institute (APNI) has announced the 2026 finalists for the African Phosphorus Fellowship. Supported through APNI’s partnership with Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) and OCP Nutricrops, this initiative was implemented to encourage scientific programs relevant to understanding and improving phosphorus (P) management in African agro-ecosystems.
Awards are conferred to full-time scientists working in an African NARES institution (National Agricultural Research and Extension System) or African university. Each Fellowship receives $5,000 (U.S. dollars). Since its establishment in 2020, this EXCEL Africa initiative has distributed a total of USD $145,000 to 29 research programs across Africa.
This year’s recipients include:
Dr. Awouminassi Marcellin Atatkoun – Researcher at the Faculty of Agronomy, University of Parakou, Benin
Project: Optimizing 4R Phosphorus Placement and Residue Management under No-Tillage Maize Systems to Improve P Use Efficiency, Soil Health and Climate-Smart Productivity in Northern Benin
Dr. Atakoun’s project addresses a critical challenge in smallholder maize systems: the inefficient use of phosphorus (P) fertilizer under nutrient-poor, climate-vulnerable and residue-limited conditions. The project will evaluate how P placement strategies, including broadcast application, localized micro-dosing and band placement, interact with crop residue retention under no-tillage management.
The study will generate field-based evidence on maize yield, P uptake, P-use efficiency, soil available P distribution, soil organic carbon, microbial biomass P, phosphatase activity and economic returns. Its intended impact is to develop a locally adapted, low-cost and farmer-relevant P management recommendation that improves fertilizer efficiency, restores soil health and supports climate-resilient maize production in Northern Benin. The project is highly relevant to sustainable intensification, food security and improved P stewardship in African agroecosystems.
Dr. Becky Aloo – Lecturer and Head of the Intellectual Property Management Office, University of Eldoret, Kenya
Project: Microbe-Facilitated Phosphorus Availability, Crop Uptake and Growth in High P-Fixing Soils of Africa: A Meta-Analysis and Experimental Validation
Dr. Aloo’s research will address the critical challenge of low phosphorus (P) availability across sub-Saharan Africa, where rapid P immobilization occurs, reducing fertilizer-use efficiency and crop productivity. The study will combine a meta-analysis of existing evidence across Africa with an experimental validation in Western Kenya to evaluate the effectiveness of P-solubilizing bacteria in enhancing soil P availability, plant growth, uptake, and use efficiency, with particular focus on maize and sorghum.
The project is expected to generate robust evidence on the potential of microbial approaches to phosphorus management under high P-fixing soils, support the development of locally relevant microbial technologies for improved phosphorus-use efficiency, and contribute to sustainable agriculture in Africa.
Dr. Tafesse Kibatu Shikur – Assistant Professor in Biotechnology and Horticulture, Dilla University, Ethiopia
Project: Synergistic Effects of Coffee Husk Vermicompost and Biochar on Phosphorus Use Efficiency on Enset Seedling Establishment and Teff Crop in Acidic Agroforestry Soils of Gedeo Zone, Southern Ethiopia
Dr. Kibatu Shikur’s research project will evaluate the synergistic effects of coffee husk vermicompost and biochar on phosphorus (P) use efficiency for enset seedlings and teff in acidic Nitisols of the Gedeo Zone. Using a Farmer Research Group (FRG) approach the experiment will test eight treatments including full/reduced DAP combined with vermicompost and biochar. The project will generate the first evidence of vermicompost-biochar synergy on P efficiency for these crops. Findings will contribute to Ethiopia’s Fertilizer and Soil Health Roadmap and national discussions on DAP reduction strategies by generating site-specific fertilizer recommendations.
Smallholder farmers will benefit from reduced fertilizer costs through a 50% reduction in DAP application, while improved enset establishment and teff yield and grain nutritional quality will enhance food security and income. Environmentally, recycling coffee husk waste into biochar and vermicompost will convert waste into valuable resources, with biochar contributing to carbon sequestration and improved soil health.
Dr Daouda Guebre – Lecturer and Researcher in Agro-pedology, Ziniaré University Centre of Joseph Ki-Zerbo University, Burkina Faso
Project: Microbe-Facilitated Phosphorus Availability, Crop Uptake and Growth in High P-Fixing Soils of Africa: A Meta-Analysis and Experimental Validation
Dr Guebre’s research aims to optimize the use of Burkina’s natural phosphate in sorghum–cowpea systems cultivated on acidic Sudano-Sahelian soils, by identifying cowpea varieties capable of better mobilizing phosphorus (P) and improving productivity and ecosystem services.
The long-term aim of the initiative is to restore soil fertility, reduce dependence on chemical inputs and improve biodiversity and agricultural resilience.
Dr. Emmanuel Asibi Aziiba – Research Scientist at the CSIR–Savanna Agricultural Research Institute (CSIR-SARI), Ghana
Project: Unlocking Residual Soil Phosphorus through Legume Intensification and Residue Retention in Maize-Based Cropping Systems of Northern Ghana
Dr. Aziiba’s project will investigate how legume integration and retention of crop residues can improve the availability and utilization of residual soil phosphorus (P) in maize-based systems. The project will assess changes in soil P availability and related soil fertility indicators, crop growth and yield, and P-use efficiency under selected legume and residue-management practices.
The study will generate practical evidence on how farmers can better utilize residual soil P while reducing dependence on additional mineral P fertilizer. The findings are expected to contribute to more efficient nutrient management, improved soil fertility, increased crop productivity and profitability, and more sustainable maize-based production systems in northern Ghana.
The project will also provide opportunities for farmer engagement and knowledge exchange to facilitate the adoption of appropriate phosphorus management practices.