Former Luanar Lecturer earns recognition
Former Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (Luanar) lecturer Dr Newton Lupwayi has been recognized by the Canadian Society of Soil Science (CSSS) for his significant contributions to soil science in Canada.
Lupwayi, a research scientist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada has been awarded the 2021 CSSS Fellow award.
According to the CSSS, Lupwayi is widely
known nationally and internationally
for his leading research on soil microbial community composition, diversity, and
functioning in agroecosystems.
Particularly, he evaluates the environmental
sustainability of crop nutrition and crop protection strategies by observing the
impacts of agricultural practices on the soil microbiome.
Lupwayi, who is the first African scientist to be recognized by the CSSS, has since dedicated the award to Malawi and Africa in general.
He has also called on Malawian farmers to, among other things, promote the use of organic manure and practise crop rotation to boost soil fertility.
Lupwayi has been a member of the CSSS for over 20 years and has been actively involved in CSSS Council.
He served as the Council secretary from 2006 to 2008.
He also served as editor and editor-in-
chief of the Canadian Journal of Soil Science from 2015 to 2016 and 2017 to 2018 respectively.
