Smallholder farmers in Ethiopia have limited resources and inadequate knowledge of good agricultural and storage practices, resulting in frequent mycotoxin contamination of staple crops. Information on the health impacts of mycotoxins and the relationships between farming practices and contamination remains fragmented. Generating evidence on contamination levels, associated health burdens, and management practices is therefore essential to inform policies that protect public health and supp ...

Insects have evolved genetic pathways that determine whether they develop as a male or female. These pathways also shape physical and behavioural differences in their pheromone communication systems to facilitate how they share and process information. Research into how these pathways regulate these differences has primarily been limited to the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, which utilizes a so-called dedicated labelled-line system to perceive and process pheromones. Hymenoptera – ants, ...

This thesis assesses river exports of nutrients, plastics, and chemicals to coastal waters worldwide across sub-basins in the 21st century under socio-economic disparities and climate-driven hydrological changes. Using the new MARINA-Multi model, results show that in 2010, diffuse sources contributed by >95% to river exports of nitrogen and macroplastics, while point sources contributed by about 40% to river exports of phosphorus and microplastics globally. Future multi-pollutant scenarios ...

This thesis investigates how Streptococcus suis adapts to host environments and identifies vulnerabilities that could inform new antimicrobial strategies. Using transposon mutagenesis and host-derived fluids, we uncovered conditionally essential genes that support growth in activated porcine serum and cerebrospinal fluid, highlighting key roles for purine biosynthesis, membrane homeostasis, and amino acid transport. We then dissected membrane-stress responses and revealed a coordinated regu ...

Land degradation remains a pervasive global challenge, undermining ecosystem functions and threatening rural livelihoods. Its impacts are particularly severe for smallholder farmers, who account for nearly one-third of global food production and provide the primary source of food calories in many low-income countries. Addressing both the current and anticipated land degradation is therefore not only a local imperative but also a global priority, situating land restoration at the core of sus ...

The Green Revolution increased global food production, but intensive agriculture now relies heavily on fertilizers and pesticides, resulting in soil degradation, pollution, resource depletion, and biodiversity loss. Sustainable agriculture therefore requires not only maintaining crop yields but also supporting multiple soil functions, such as biomass production, nutrient cycling, carbon storage, and disease suppressiveness, simultaneously, a concept known as soil multifunctionality. These f ...

The invention of plastic has revolutionized our world by providing a readily available,---moldable material which is light, strong and durable. However, excessive use of plastics has led to universal pollution of our planet. Over time plastic waste and products---can degrade, leading to release of microscopic particles called microplastics and---nanoplastics(MNPs). MNPs are abundant in our food, the water we drink and the air we---breathe and in turn human exposure is unavoidable. Oral inge ...

Automated phenotyping is a rapidly evolving interdisciplinary field focused on high-throughput, non-invasive phenotype collection to support breeding and management decisions in aquaculture. Current development primarily targets production traits, leaving a gap in traits linked with metabolism, health and physiological well-being. These traits are complex and difficult to measure, but advancements in AI-based prediction models combined with imaging technologies provide opportunities. This t ...

Fresh fruit and vegetables are essential components of a healthy diet, yet their health benefits depend not only on availability but also on nutritional quality, sensory appeal, and postharvest storability. Controlled environment agriculture (CEA), including high-tech greenhouses and vertical farms, enables precise regulation of environmental conditions and thus can be used to improve crop quality while maintaining yield. This thesis aimed to investigate how preharvest strategies shape qual ...

Maize is a major staple crop in Ghana and across Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), yet yields remain far below their potential due to persistent soil fertility constraints, inefficient fertilizer use, and reliance on blanket recommendations that fail to capture site-specific variability. Mechanistic models such as QUEFTS have advanced understanding of crop–nutrient relationships, but their application in SSA is limited by high data requirements and weak consideration of farmer risk and socioeconomi ...