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Laura Atuah

Horticulture

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About

Laura Atuah is a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Horticulture, KNUST, Kumasi, Ghana. She joined the Department since the year 2000.  She is an innovative and creative Horticulturist and soil scientist with extensive experience in teaching, training, research, and consulting in horticulture.  She has undergone several scientific and professional training programmes, such as, training in innovative research under a professional capacity building in Agricultural Research for Development (2005) Wageningen, the Netherlands.  She has good experience in interdisciplinary research and has been involved in a number of them. She also has training in Greenhouse management with extensive tours of greenhouses in Israel. She is keen on promoting protected cropping in Ghana, best nursery practices, formulation of soiless medium for use in Horticulture (suitable for greenhouse production) and the use of organic amendments (compost and biochar) for remediation purposes in landscape and in food production. Her passion is to use her knowledge in in -situ soil remediation to support the mining and industrial sector re-gain the use of natural land for purposes including food production. With her wide professional experience in agriculture, she co-ordinated the Ornamental Research Programme under a national programme dubbed Agricultural Services Sub-sector Investment Project (AgSSIP), Ghana (2001-2007). She further worked with a team of scientists to undertake national projects such as the construction of the Baba Yara football pitch for CAN 2008. Dr. Laura Atuah obtained her PhD in Soil Science (Dec 2010) from the University of Reading, United Kingdom, after obtaining an MPhil in Horticulture (2000) also from the same University.  Her first degree was in Agriculture (1994) from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, (KNUST) Ghana.

Research Summary

(inferred from publications by AI)

The researcher's work centers on advancing sustainable agricultural practices by integrating natural and bioregister-based techniques across various domains. This includes enhancing soil health through composting, Biochar usage, and root systems like Thuja occidentalis, improving soil fertility and reducing environmental impact, conserving resources while increasing crop yields, promoting socio-economic development, and mitigating urban heat islands with innovative solutions. The focus is on developing integrated farming methods in Africa to address challenges in soil health, resource management, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable agriculture.

Research Themes

All Papers

Improving soil health and closing the yield gap of cocoa production in Ghana – A review(2021)
Cocoa pod husk-derived organic soil amendments differentially affect soil fertility, nutrient leaching, and greenhouse gas emissions in cocoa soils(2024)
Lack of awareness prevents the use of compost and biochar as soil amendments by Ghanaian cocoa farmers(2025)
Effect of Biochar on Micronutrient Availability and Uptake Into Leafy Greens in Two Urban Tropical Soils With Contrasting Soil pH(2022)
An African perspective to biodiversity conservation in the twenty-first century(2025)
Standardizing the Quality of Composts Using Stability and Maturity Indices: The Use of Sawdust and Rice Husks as Compost Feed Stocks(2019)
Growth and yield response of lettuce to irrigation and growth media from composted sawdust and rice husk(2017)
Systems thinking creates opportunities for a circular economy and sustainable palm agriculture in Africa(2020)
Rooting Response of Thuja occidentalis L. to Different Soilless Media and Stem Propagation Techniques in Ghana(2018)
A comparison of the relative toxicity of bone meal and other P sources used as remedial treatments to the earthworm Eisenia fetida(2011)
Use of soil amendments for urban horticulture in the savannah and forest areas of Ghana(2015)
Use of soil amendments for urban horticulture in the savannah and forest areas of Ghana(2015)
Vegetative Propagation of Cashew (Anacardium occidentale L.) by Softwood Grafting in Ghana(2020)
Effect of compost-biochar mixes and irrigation on the growth and yield of Amaranthus (Amaranthus hybridus) under two growing temperatures(2016)
Sustainable Commercial Sod Production of Cynodon dactylon (Bermuda Grass) in Ghana: Assessing Growth, Visual, and Physical Quality(2024)
Evaluation of Chrysopogon Aciculatus (Ritz.) Trin. Seed for Sod Production in Ghana: An Assessment of Growth Performance and Post Harvest Quality(2023)
An Overview Of The Floriculture Industry In Ghana(2003)
Polymeric superabsorbent can be used in air layering of roses without being degraded(2006)
Thermal Performance of Setcreacea purpurea and Portulaca grandifora as a Green Roof Material Applied in a Tropical Climate(2019)
Redefining green roof systems with climbers: simulation of a conceptual model for thermal-radiative performance and plant vitality(2023)
Sustainable integrated fertiliser management in Ghanaian cocoa production systems(2020)

Collaboration Network

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About This Profile

This profile is generated from publicly available publication metadata and is intended for research discovery purposes. Themes, summaries, and trajectories are inferred computationally and may not capture the full scope of the lecturer's work. For authoritative information, please refer to the official KNUST profile.