dr.ir. J (James) Ajal

James Ajal’s research at the Centre for Crop Systems Analysis focuses on investigating crop and soil management that modify soil microbiome to facilitate the mortality or germination suppression of Striga seeds. The work is part of the PROMISE project that aims to minimise yield losses associated with the parasitic weeds Striga hermonthica and Striga asiatica in the cereal-based cropping system in sub-Saharan Africa.

James' previous work, as a Postdoctoral researcher at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (2022-2024), focused on the importance of plant functional traits on plant-plant interactions in general and crop-weed interaction in particular. Within this theme, he studied how crop management and the environment influence crop phenotypic traits, weed traits and weed species composition in high-input arable and small-holder systems. The main collaborations were within IMPULSE, NetIVA and DIVERSOW projects.

He has a PhD in Biology specialising in Ecology from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala (2017-2021), MSc in Plant Sciences from Wageningen University and Research (2014-2016) and a BSc in Agricultural Science and Entrepreneurship from Uganda Christian University (2008-2012). For his PhD (within the DIVERSIfy project), he evaluated nitrogen economy and other ecological benefits of intercrops, with particular attention to species functional traits.