Keston Njira

Dr Keston Njira is a senior lecturer in soil microbiology in the Crop and Soil Sciences Department at the Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

He obtained his PhD in 2016 from Sokoine University Agriculture (Tanzania). The areas of emphasis for his PhD studies were on soil microbial ecology and integrated soil fertility management (ISFM), and he wrote his thesis on exploiting biological nitrogen fixation and mycorrhizal activities in pigeon pea and cowpea, and in legume-maize short rotations.

He also holds an MSc (Soil Science) and a BSc (Biology) from the University of Malawi. Currently, he teaches both undergraduate and postgraduate courses including Soil Microbiology, Soil Biology & Biochemistry, Integrated Soil Fertility Management (ISFM), Soil Organic Matter Dynamics and Soils & Chemical pollution. He currently coordinates departmental research projects and seminars.

He is also a co-principal investigator of the Malawi Agro-ecological Intensification (AEI) Hub for Maize and Legume Systems, a project funded by McKnight Foundation. Dr Keston Njira has a number of areas of research interests, and has published a number of refereed articles (browse his orcid: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7195-8310)

Areas of research experience and interest:
* Biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) in grain legumes and its role in ISFM
* Mycorrhizal fungal symbioses in maize and legume-based systems
* Biofertilizers/inoculants
* Agroecology and sustainable agricultural intensification
* Agronomic bio-fortification and crop quality
* Soil pollution and bioremediation of contaminated soils
* Integrated soil fertility management