The cohort of PhD students funded by the Sue White Fund for Africa has a new member.
Mavuto Banda, under the supervision of Prof Jerry Knox began his project with an induction at Cranfield University in December 2019. Mavuto, who is based in Malawi, is also supported by the Douglas Bomford Trust in his project: Improving irrigation water management for sugarcane production in Sub Saharan Africa.
The industrial sponsor of the project, Illovo Sugar (Africa), faces increasing competition for available irrigation resources in Malawi and a requirement to increase efficiency of water use. The project aims to evaluate the feasibility of precision irrigation technologies to improve crop yield and optimise water consumption. The outcomes should achieve improved productivity and enhanced catchment management.
