Dr. John Wendt joined IFDC in 2011 and is the Deputy Director for Field Research, based in Nairobi, Kenya. He has more than 20 years of experience across the agricultural research-to-development continuum in diverse African environments (semi-arid Sahel, East African savannas, West African rainforests) involving multiple cereal, legume and root and tuber crops. His current area of focus is on balanced crop nutrition, which is addressing all crop nutrient deficiencies and soil acidity constraints through provision of balanced fertilizers and lime. His experience includes diverse management experience of multi-disciplinary teams of scientists, technical staff, grantees and stakeholders at project, program and research station levels. John has specific expertise in soil and plant analysis laboratory management, balanced crop nutrition, conservation agriculture practices, and integrated soil fertility management. Prior to his position at IFDC, John was Northern Area Projects Manager and head agronomist for ACDI/VOCA from 2008 to 2011 in Uganda. From 2001 to 2006, John was soil scientist and program and station administrator for the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA), also in Uganda. John was a postdoctoral fellow for the Rockefeller Foundation in Malawi from 1989 to 1993. He holds a doctorate in agronomy from Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA. He also earned a master’s degree in agronomy and a bachelor’s degree in agricultural engineering from Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA.
Selected Publications
Bationo, A., U. Singh, E. Dossa, J. Wendt, S. Agyin-Birikorang, F. Lompo, and P. Bindraban. 2020. “Improving Soil Fertility through Fertilizer Management in Sub-Saharan Africa,” IN Soil and Fertilizers: Managing the Environmental Footprint, Rattan Lal (Ed.), pp. 67‑102, CRC Press.