Danstone Aboge

SHORT BIO

Danstone Aboge is a PhD researcher in the department of Plants and Crops in the Faculty of Bioscience Engineering of Ghent University. I have over six  years of research experience in under-utilized food resources to support their integration into the Kenyan food system.  My current research integrates plant breeding, agronomy and nutrition.  I am also a tutorial fellow in the school of agricultural and food sciences of Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology. I hold a Bachelor of Science in Food Security and Master of Science in Food Security and Sustainable Agriculture. I am also a scientific author in refereed journals and a peer reviewer for two international Journals. Research description: Quinoa farming presents a sustainable and profitable pathway towards a greater food security and better livelihoods in Kenya.  The crop has huge genetic variability and wide adaptability  to a range of abiotic and biotic stresses  making it a potential solution to farmers in Kenya  threatened by climate change and poor soils , and where dominant cereals like maize would struggle. My research will evaluate growth, yield and nutritional performance of diverse quinoa accessions in two agro-ecological locations within the Lake Victoria Basin of Kenya to assess  genotype by environment interaction, and map genes linked to traits of agronomic importance.  The goal is to identify  superior and  adapted genotypes for advancing towards release for farmers cultivation, and to generate genetic information to facilitate further breeding.