Prof Angelinus Franke
Position
Professor
Department
Soil and Crop and Climate Sciences
Address
SOIL CROP AND CLIMATE SCIENCES
IB 54
UFS
Telephone
0514012212
Office
Agriculture Building: Block 10
Information

Short CV

PERSONAL DETAILS

First names        Angelinus Cornelius (Linus)

Family name      Franke

Date of birth      August 15, 1976

Place of birth     Zwartewaal, the Netherlands

Nationality        Dutch

 

CONTACT DETAILS

Telephone         +27 (0)76 889 4825  

Email                FrankeAC@ufs.ac.za

Home address   Generaal Conroy Straat 38, Bloemfontein, South Africa

 


ACADEMIC PROFILE

Throughout my career I have worked on a wide array of topics related to crop production, food security, climate change, and sustainability. Key tools I have used in my work include agronomic field trials, farmer surveys, crop and farm simulation modelling, and literature reviews.  Linking detailed crop research to wider questions regarding sustainability, rural development pathways, and societal issues is a key strength of mine. This is underpinned by the diverse and impact-full publications arising from my research. I enjoy interdisciplinary research and reckon this can greatly add to the impact of plant research on policies and societal debates.

I am currently responsible for the implementation of projects on ecological resource use efficiencies of potato production in South Africa, the development of agronomic practices for hybrid potato, grazing management impacts on soil carbon dynamics of grasslands, and through PhD student projects, research on smallholder farming systems in South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe, and on sustainable sugarcane production in Eswatini and Mauritius. 

I act as the Editor-in-Chief of the South African Journal of Plant and Soil. I have an H-index (Scopus) of 24, and brought the supervision of 8 PhD Students (4 as the main supervisor) to a successful completion. I regularly publish in farmers’ magazines and engage in radio interviews on contemporary agricultural topics.

In the last five years, I have acquired research funding from private sector entities such as Grain SA, Potato SA and Solynta BV (the Netherlands), as well as government-funded organisations such as the National Research Foundation (NRF), the Department of Science and Technology (DST), and the Regional University Alliance for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM)

In the last six years, I have taken up the role as Academic Department Head of Soil, Crop and Climate Sciences. The department harbours 17 academic and 12 support staff members spread over three sections (Agronomy, Soil Science and Agrometeorology). In this period, the department substantially increased its research outputs and external funding acquired from the private sector. Moreover, the three sections that were originally independent departments became increasingly integrated, which provided synergies in administration, teaching and research. An Academic Department Head is, among others, responsible for academic and strategic leadership in the department, financial management, recruitment, performance management and promotions of staff, curriculum revision and the development of new curricula, maintenance of experimental facilities, and representing and promoting the department to outsiders.

At the University of the Free State, I have developed new courses on climate-crop modelling and on assessing sustainability of agricultural production system. Through teaching and the development of learning materials, I have contributed to courses on statistical data analyses, climate change and variability, and socio-economic aspects of climate change. 

 

EMPLOYMENT HISTORY

2014 – Current   Department of Soil, Crop and Climate Sciences, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa

                     2022-current: Professor / Academic Department Head

                     2017-2021: Associate Professor / Academic Department Head

                     2014-2016: Senior Lecturer in the Agrometeorology section of the department

2010 – 2014    Plant Production Systems, Wageningen University and Research, the Netherlands

Researcher for the N2Africa project, a large development project funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation promoting the cultivation of grain legumes by smallholders across countries in sub-Saharan Africa

2007 – 2010    Agrosystems Research, Plant Research, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands

                     Researcher in the team Applied Ecology contributing to projects assessing the sustainability of crop production systems and the communication thereof to society.

2003 – 2006    Farming Systems Agronomist for the Guinea savannahs / Head of the Agronomy Unit, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan, Nigeria 

                     Responsible for the implementation and analyses of data from field trials in West Africa, implementation of research for development projects on soil fertility, crop-livestock integration and Striga hermonthica control.

1999 – 2002    Research Associate, Department of Crop Science, Scottish Agricultural College (nowadays Scotland’s Rural College), Ayr, U.K.

Employed on a project funded by the UK Department for International Development (UK DFID) studying the ecological and sociological impact of the Phalaris minor (small-seeded canary grass) weed epidemic in the rice-wheat systems of northern India.

 

EDUCATION

1999 - 2003       Ph.D., Glasgow University, U.K. 

My Ph.D. thesis was based on the above-mentioned research for a project on the Phalaris minor weed epidemic in northern India.

1994 – 1999      M.Sc. Biology, Wageningen University, Wageningen, the Netherlands.

My M.Sc. thesis at the Department of Theoretical Production Ecology presented experimental fieldwork and a simulation model to assess the impact of nitrogen fertilisation on light competition between wheat and the weed Stellaria media under organic management. I also did an internship in Russia, Belarus, and Georgia (Caucasus).

1988 – 1994      Grammar School, passed with distinction, St. Bernardinus College, Heerlen, the Netherlands.

 

Publications

Machakaire ATB, Steyn JM, Franke AC (2023) Photosynthesis rate, radiation and water use efficiencies of irrigated potato in a semi-arid climate using Eddy Covariance techniques. Journal of Agricultural Science 161: 217-229. Science 10.1017/S0021859623000175

Abelabu DB, Franke AC (in press) Research status of seed improvement in underutilized crops: prospects for enhancing food security. Journal of Agricultural Science

Nemadodzi EA, Franke AC, Mashingaidze N, Kotze E, Mavunganidze (2023) Maize fungal pathogens as affected by fertilisation and rotation with legumes. Crop Protection 165: 106154. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cropro.2022.106154

Adelabu DB, Franke AC (in press) Status of underutilized crop production: its potentials for mitigating food insecurity. Agronomy Journal  https://doi.org/10.1002/agj2.21410

Mathinya VN, Franke AC, Van De Ven GWJ, Giller KE (2022) Productivity and constraints of small-scale crop farming in the summer rainfall region of South Africa. Outlook on Agriculture 51: 139-154. https://doi.org/10.1177/00307270221091839

Mararakanye N, Le Roux JJ, Franke AC (2022) Long-term water quality assessments under changing land use in a large semi-arid catchment in South Africa. Science of the Total Environment 818: 151670. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.151670

Franke AC, Kotzé E (2022) High-Density grazing in southern Africa: Inspiration by nature leads to conservation? Outlook on Agriculture 51: 67-74. DOI: 10.1177/00307270221075060  

Adelabu DB, Franke AC (2022) The beneficial effects of insect pollination and biochar seed coating on okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) seed quality at varying temperature conditions. Agriculture (Switzerland) 12: 1690.

Machakaire ATB, Steyn JM, Franke AC (2021) Assessing evapotranspiration and crop coefficients of potato in a semi-arid climate using Eddy Covariance techniques. Agricultural Water Management 255: 107029.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2021.107029

Franke AC (2021) Assessing the impact of climate change on crop production in southern Africa: a review. South African Journal of Plant and Soil 8: 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1080/02571862.2020.1844325

Baijukya FP, Van Heerwaarden J, Franke AC, van der Brand GJ, Foli S, Keino L, Seitz T, Servan L, Vanlauwe B, Giller KE (2021) Nutrient deficiencies are key constraints to grain legume productivity on “non-responsive” soils in sub-Saharan Africa. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems 5: 678955. https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2021.678955

Franke AC, Sekoboane IE (2021) Exploring variability in resource use efficiencies among smallholder potato growers in South Africa. Potato Research 64: 213-228. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11540-020-09473-x

Adelabu DB, Bredenhand E, van der Merwe S, Franke AC (2021) Soil fertilization synergistically enhances the impact of pollination services in increasing seed yield of sunflower under dryland conditions. The Journal of Agricultural Science: 1-14.  https://doi.org/10.1017/S0021859621000514  

Clark VR, Mukwada G, Hansen M, Adelabu S, Magaiza G, le Roux A, Bredenhand E, Otomo PV, Steenhuisen S-L, Franke A, van Tol J, Mathinya N, Makombe R (2021) The Afromontane Research Unit: Driving Connections and Capacity Building for the Sustainable Development of Southern African Mountains. Mountain Research and Development 41(2): P1-P5 https://doi.org/10.1659/MRD-JOURNAL-D-21-00038.1

Franke AC, Muelelwa LN, Steyn JM (2020) Impact of climate change on yield and water use efficiencies of potato in different production regions of South Africa. South African Journal of Plant and Soil 37(3): 244-253. https://doi.org/10.1080/02571862.2020.1736345

Mararakanye N, Le Roux JJ, Franke AC (2020) Using satellite-based weather data as input to SWAT in a data poor catchment. Physics and Chemistry of the Earth 117: 102871. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pce.2020.10287

Franke AC, Baijukya F, Kantengwa S, Reckling M, Vanlauwe B, Giller KE (2019) Poor farmers – poor yields: socio-economic, soil fertility and crop management indicators affecting climbing bean productivity in northern Rwanda. Experimental Agriculture 55: 14-34. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0014479716000028

Descheemaeker K, Ronner E, Ollenburg M, Franke AC, Klapwijk CJ, Falconnier GN, Wichern J, Giller KE (2019) Which options fit best? Operationalizing the socio-ecological niche concept. Experimental Agriculture 55: 169-190. https://doi.org/10.1017/S001447971600048X

Kermah M, Franke AC, Ahiabor BDK, Adjei-Nsiah S (2019) Legume-maize rotation or relay? Options for ecological intensification of smallholder farms in the Guinea savannah of northern Ghana. Experimental Agriculture 55: 673-691. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0014479718000273

Ezui KS, Leffelaar PA, Franke AC, Mando A, Giller KE (2018) Simulating drought impact and mitigation in cassava using the LINTUL model. Field Crops Research 219: 256-272. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fcr.2018.01.033

Van Vugt D, Franke AC (2018) Exploring the yield gap of orange-fleshed sweet potato varieties on smallholder farmers’ fields in Malawi. Field Crops Research 221: 245-256. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fcr.2017.11.028

Franke AC, van den Brand GJ, Vanlauwe B, Giller KE (2018) Sustainable intensification through rotations with grain legumes in sub-Saharan Africa: a review. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment 261: 172-185 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2017.09.029

Van Vugt D, Franke AC, Giller KE (2018) Understanding variability in the benefits of N2-fixation in soybean-maize rotations on smallholder farmers’ fields in Malawi. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment 261: 241-250 DOI: 10.1016/j.agee.2017.05.008 .

Kermah M, Franke AC, Adjei-Nsiah M, Ahiabor BDK, Abaidoo RC, Giller KE (2018) N2 fixation and N contribution by grain legumes under different soil fertility status and cropping systems in the Guinea savanna of northern Ghana. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment 261:201-210. DOI: 10.1016/j.agee.2017.08.028. 

Ezui KS, Franke AC, Ahiabor BDK, Tetteh FM, Sogbedji J, Janssen BH, Mando A, Giller KE (2017) Understanding cassava yield response to soil and fertilizer nutrient supply in West Africa. Plant and Soil 420: 331-347. DOI 10.1007/s11104-017-3387-6 

Kermah M, Franke AC, Adjei-Nsiah S, Ahiabor BDK, Abaidoo RC, Giller KE (2017) Maize-grain legume intercropping for enhanced resource use efficiency and crop productivity in the Guinea savanna of northern Ghana. Field Crops Research213: 38-50

Van Vugt D, Franke AC, Giller KE (2017) Participatory research to close the soybean yield gap on smallholder farms in Malawi. Experimental Agriculture 53: 396-415.

Fleisher DH, Condori B, Quiroz R, Alva A, Asseng S, Barreda C, Bindi M, Boote KJ, Ferrise R, Franke AC, Govindakrishan PM, Harahagazwe D, Hoogenboom G, Naresh Kumar S, Merante P, Nendel C, Olesen JE, Parker PS, Raes D, Raymundo R, Ruane AC, Stockle C, Supit I, Vanuytrecht E, Wolf J, Woli P (2017) A potato model inter-comparison across varying climates and productivity levels. Global Change Biology 23: 1258-1281.

Ezui KS, Franke AC, Leffelaar PA, Mando A, van Heerwaarden J, Sanabria J, Sogbedji J, Giller KE (2017) Water and radiation use efficiencies explain the effect of potassium on the productivity of cassava. European Journal of Agronomy 83: 28-39.

Steyn JM, Franke AC, van der Waals JE, Haverkort AJ (2016) Resource use efficiencies as indicators of ecological sustainability in potato production: a South African case study. Field Crops Research 199: 136-149.

Van der Waals JE, Steyn JM, Franke AC, Haverkort AJ (2016) Grower perception of biotic and abiotic risks of potato production in South Africa. Crop Protection 84: 44-55.

Ronner E, Franke AC, Vanlauwe B, Dianda M, Edeh E, Ukem B, Bala A, van Heerwaarden J, Giller KE (2016) Understanding variability in soybean yield and response to P-fertilizer and rhizobium inoculants on farmers’ fields in northern Nigeria. Field Crops Research 186: 133-145.

Ezui KS, Franke AC, Mando A, Ahiabor BDK, Tetteh FM, Sogbedji J, Janssen BH, Giller KE (2016) Fertiliser requirements for balanced nutrition of cassava across eight locations in West Africa. Field Crops Research 185: 69-78.

Haverkort AJ, Franke AC, Steyn JM, Pronk AA, Caldiz DO, Kooman PL (2015) A robust potato model: LINTUL-POTATO-DSS. Potato Research 58:313-327.

Franke AC, van den Brand GJ, Giller KE (2014) Which farmers benefit most from sustainable intensification? An ex-ante impact assessment of expanding grain legume production in Malawi. European Journal of Agronomy 58: 28-38.

Ojiem JO, Franke AC, Vanlauwe B, de Ridder N, Giller KE (2014) Benefits of legume-maize rotations: assessing the impact of diversity on the productivity of smallholders in Western Kenya. Field Crops Research 168: 75-85.

Haverkort AJ, Franke AC, Engelbrecht FA, Steyn JM (2013) Climate change and potato production in contrasting South African agro-ecosystems 1. Effects on land and water use efficiencies. Potato Research 56: 31-50.

Franke AC, Steyn JM, Haverkort AJ (2013) Climate change and potato production in contrasting South African agro-ecosystems 2. Assessing risks and opportunities of adaptation strategies. Potato Research 56: 51-66.

Van der Waals JE, Krüger K, Franke AC, Haverkort AJ, Steyn JM (2013) Climate change and potato production in contrasting South African agro-ecosystems 3. Effects on relative development rates of selected pathogens and pests. Potato Research56: 67-84.

Franke AC, Steyn JM, Ranger KS, Haverkort AJ (2011) Developing environmental principles, criteria, indicators and norms for potato production in South Africa through field surveys and modelling. Agricultural Systems 104: 297-306.

van Overbeek LS, Franke AC, Nijhuis EHM, Groeneveld RMW, da Rocha UN, Lotz LAP (2011). Bacterial communities associated with Chenopodium album and Stellaria media from arable soils. Microbial Ecology 62: 257-264.

Nziguheba G, Tossah BK, Diels J, Franke AC, Aihou K, Iwuafor ENO, Nwoke C, Merckx R (2010) Assessment of nutrient deficiencies in maize in nutrient omission trials and long-term field experiments in the West African Savanna. Plant and Soil 314: 143-157.

Franke AC, Berkhout ED, Iwuafor ENO, Nziguheba G, Dercon G, Vandeplas I, Diels J (2010) Does crop-livestock integration lead to improved crop production in the savanna of West Africa? Experimental Agriculture 46: 439-455.

Meerburg BG, Verhagen A, Jongschaap REE, Franke AC, Schaap BF, Dueck TA, van der Werf A (2009) Do nonlinear temperature effects indicate severe damages to US crop yields under climate change? Letter in PNAS 106(43): E120.

Franke AC, Lotz LAP, van der Burg WJ, van Overbeek L (2009) The role of arable weed seeds for agroecosystem functioning. Weed Research 49: 131-141.

Laberge G, Franke AC, Ambus P, Høgh-Jensen H (2009) Nitrogen rhizodeposition from soybean (Glycine max) and its impact on nutrient budgets in two contrasting environments of the Guinean savannah zone of Nigeria. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems 84: 49-58.

Franke AC, Laberge G, Oyewole BD, Schulz S, Tobe O (2008) A comparison of legume technologies and fallow, and their effects on soil fertility and maize in two distinct environments of the Guinea savannah. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems 82: 117-135.

Franke AC, Diels J, Schulz S., Oyewole BD, Tobe O (2008) The role of cattle manure in enhancing on-farm productivity, macro- and micronutrient uptake, and profitability of maize in the Guinea savannah. Experimental Agriculture 44: 313-328.

Franke AC, Singh S, McRoberts N, Nehra AS, Godara S, Malik RK, Marshall G (2007) Phalaris minor seedbank studies: seed production, longevity and seedling emergence as affected by tillage regime. Weed Research 47: 73-83.

Franke AC, Ellis-Jones J, Tarawali G, Schulz S, Hussaini MA, Kureh I, White R, Chikoye D, Douthwaite B, Oyewole BD, Olanrewaju AS (2006) Evaluating and scaling-up integrated Striga hermonthica control technologies among farmers in northern Nigeria. Crop Protection 25: 868-878. 

McRoberts N, Sinclair W, McPherson A, Franke AC, Saharan RP, Malik RK, Singh S, Marshall G (2005) An assessment of genetic diversity within and between populations of Phalaris minor using ISSR markers. Weed Research 45: 431-439.

Franke AC, Schulz S, Oyewole BD, Bako S (2004) Incorporating short-season legumes and green manure crops into maize-based systems in the moist Guinea savanna of West Africa. Experimental Agriculture 40: 463-479.

Franke AC, McRoberts N, Marshall G, Malik RK, Singh S, Nehra AS (2003) A survey of Phalaris minor in the Indian rice-wheat system. Experimental Agriculture 39: 253-265.

van Delden A, Lotz LAP, Bastiaans L, Franke AC, Smid HG, Groeneveld RMW, Kropff MJ (2002) The influence of nitrogen supply on the ability of wheat and potato to suppress Stellaria media growth and reproduction. Weed Research 42: 429-445.

 

 

 

 

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BLOEMFONTEIN CAMPUS FACULTY CONTACT

Elfrieda van den Berg (Marketing Manager)
T: +27 51 401 2531
E:vdberge@ufs.ac.za

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T: +27 58 718 5284
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