BUAN PhD student Mr Leonard Megameno Nuugulu has enhanced agricultural research capacity through a doctoral exchange visit at Louisiana State University (LSU) in the United States. Mr Nuugulu is a PhD candidate in the Crop and Soil Science Department at the Botswana University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (BUAN), where he studies nitrogen and water dynamics in spider plant (Cleome gynandra L.), locally known as Rothwe. His research focuses on the plant’s adaptation to combined drought and nitrogen stress and is supervised by Prof. Utlwang Batlang, with co-supervision from Prof. Otsoseng Oagile and Prof. Flora Pule-Meulenberg.
The exchange program was hosted by the LSU AgCenter and supported through a collaborative partnership involving BUAN, the University of Namibia (UNAM), and the Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM). Aligned with RUFORUM’s mandate to advance agricultural research, training, and innovation across Africa, the visit formed a key component of Mr Nuugulu’s doctoral training in horticulture. It also contributed directly to strengthening institutional research capacity across the participating universities.
During his time at LSU, Mr Nuugulu received advanced training and hands-on experience in soil fertility and plant nutrition, addressing agricultural challenges relevant to Botswana and the wider Southern African region. His work included laboratory and field experiments on maize, rice, soybean, and sugarcane. He gained expertise in soil and plant tissue nutrient analysis, fertilizer and biostimulant trials, variable rate nitrogen management using digital tools such as GREENSEEKER sensors and drone-based NDVI imaging, as well as studies on silicon amendments, residue management, and traditional burning practices in sugarcane systems. Additional research included inorganic nitrogen dynamics, carbon-nitrogen ratios, surface runoff water quality, and nanourea evaluations, equipping him with practical skills in precision agriculture and digital nutrient management.
Beyond research, Mr Nuugulu actively participated in academic outreach, including farmers’ field days and interactions with researchers, students, and agricultural practitioners. He presented his work at major scientific conferences in the United States, showcasing research on nitrogen use efficiency at Iowa State University as part of an LSU postgraduate team that secured third place in a national Hackathon Postgraduate Challenge. He also presented research on sugarcane productivity at the American Society of Sugar Cane Technologists Florida and Louisiana Joint Conference. These engagements strengthened his ability to communicate research findings to academic and applied audiences while raising his professional profile internationally.
The exchange was supervised by Dr Brenda Tubana of the LSU AgCenter, under whose mentorship Mr Nuugulu collaborated with international researchers from multiple countries. This environment provided exposure to advanced experimental design, data analysis techniques, and soil fertility management practices. It also laid a foundation for ongoing scholarly collaboration between BUAN, UNAM, and LSU, supporting sustainable and innovative approaches to agricultural research in Africa.
Since returning to BUAN, Mr Nuugulu is finalising his PhD thesis, reflecting on the exchange as a transformative experience that deepened his expertise in advanced soil and plant analysis, digital agricultural technologies, and sustainable farming systems. The knowledge and skills acquired continue to inform his research on drought and nitrogen stress in spider plant. He remains committed to sharing insights through teaching, collaborative research, and extension activities, supporting the shared vision of BUAN, UNAM, and RUFORUM to promote resilient, research-driven agricultural systems that enhance Africa’s food and nutritional security.
