Dr. Daniel K. Dzidzienyo

PhD, Molecular Biology, Nottingham

Deputy Director, Administration, Teaching, and Learning (ATL), WACCI

Senior Lecturer, Biotechnology Centre,University of Ghana

Deputy Centre Leader, WACCI-Africa Centre of Excellence (ACE) project

 

 
 

 


Profile                   Grant Funded Research                   Research and Teaching                   Pulications

 

Research Focus

Research interest includes the applications of innovative techniques for the genetic improvement of crop plants and the use of modern molecular techniques for improving the quality of staple crops particularly root and tuber crops for food and nutrition security in Africa.

 

Teaching

Courses taught at the University of Ghana

Postgraduate

  • WACI 719      Plant Molecular Biology                              2020 – date

  • WACI 708      Plant Cell Tissue Culture                             2020 – date

  • CROP 615      Plant Tissue Culture                                     2020 – date

  • CROP 703      Plant Cell Tissue Culture                             2020 – date

  • CROP 704      Laboratory Instrumentation                         2017 – date

  • WACI 608      Seed Trade, Policies and Regulations          2017 – date

  • CROP 630      Molecular Plant Pathology                           2016 – date

  • WACI 607      Crop Improvement and Biotechnology        2015 – date

  • CROP 616      Principles of Gene Manipulation                 2013 – date

  • CROP 613      Molecular Genetics                                      2013 – 2015

  • WACI 703      Biotechnology in Plant Breeding                 2013 – 2019 

 

Undergraduate

  • AGRC 312      Principles of Biotechnology                        2013 – date

  • CROP 433       Molecular Biology                                      2013 – date

 

Diploma

  • HORT 021      Crop Improvement                                       2015 – 2019

 

Supervision

PhD Thesis Supervision Committees

NAME

TITLE

YEAR OF COMPLETION 

Diallo Chiaka

Genetic Analysis of Grain Yield and Related Traits in Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) Under Phosphorus Deficient Field Conditions in Southern Mali

2017

Dieni Zakaria

Genetic Analysis of Resistance of Cowpea (Vignaunguiculata (L.) Walp.) to Alectra vogelii Benth. In Burkina Faso

2017

Bathe Diop

Genetic Characterization of Tolerance to Ferrous Iron Toxicity in West African Rice Cultivars

2017

Kayondo Siraj Ismail

Genetic Analysis and Selection Strategies for Improvement of Farmer Preferred Traits in Cassava

2017

Akaogu Ijeoma Chinyere

Genetic Analysis of Drought Tolerant Early Maturing White Maize (Zea mays L.) Inbreds with Striga Resistance Genes from Zea diploperennis

2017

Kumba Yannah Karim

Genetic Analysis for High Starch, Dry Matter Content and Storage Root Yield in Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz)

2017

Ousmane Seyni Diakite

Breeding Sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] for High Quality Stover for Niger

2018

Saba Baba Mohammed

Genetic Improvement of Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp) for Phosphorus Use Efficiency

2018

Essohouna Modom Banla

Characterization of Cultivated Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) and Genetic Analysis of Late Leaf Spot Resistance in Togo

2018

Gmakouba Tighankoumi

Genetic Improvement of Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) for Cassava Mosaic Disease Resistance in Togo

2019

Bassirou Sani Boubacar Gaoh

Genetic Studies on Grain Iron and Zinc concentration and Agronomic Traits in West African Pearl Millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.] Germplasm

2019

Asare Kwabena Bediako

Genetic Improvement of Locally Adapted Groundnut Varieties for Resistance to Pre-Harvest Aflatoxin Contamination in Ghana

2019

Vangahun Juliana Mariama

Genetic Studies of Salinity Tolerance of Mangrove Rice Varieties in Sierra Leone

2019

Uchendu Ugochukwu Kelechi

Genome-Wide Association Mapping and Stability Analysis of Root Mealiness in Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz)

2021

Sikiru Adeniyi Atanda

Development of Efficient Protocols for Training Population Design and Resource Allocation for Genomic Selection in CIMMYT Tropical Maize Breeding Programme

2021

Aboagye Benjamin Danso

Breeding groundnut (Arachis hypogaea) for resistance to the Late Leaf Spots Disease in Ghana

2022

Okwu Queen Udodirim

Breeding for Improved Starch Quality Traits in Cassava

2022

ABAH Simon Peter

Genomic Assisted Cassava Breeding for Early Storage Root Formation and Bulking Under Invasive and Non-Invasive Phenotyping System

2023

MBE Joseph Okpani

Genomic Studies for Nitrogen Utilization Efficiency in Cassava (Manihot Esculenta Crantz) 

2023

MREMA Emmanuel Frank

Breeding for Resistance to Cassava Brown Streak Disease

2024*

WEMBABAZI Enoch

Genetic Analysis of Texture and Related Properties of Cassava Storage Roots

2024*

Abiodun Olayinka

Genetics of Plant Architecture and its Effect on Yield in Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz)

2024*

Solomon Otu Ayeboafo

Development of Cassava Mosaic Disease Resistance varieties through mutation induction and genetic transformation

2024*

Abincha Wilfred Magangi

Genomic and Transcriptomic Investigations for

Cassava Biofortification with Pro-vitamin A

Carotenoid in Kenya

2025*

Opuni Muhammed

Genome wide association studies of nitrogen use efficiency and yield related traits in rice landraces and wild relatives

2025*

Omotola Dorcas Olaoye

Genetic studies of cassava product (Gari) quality traits

2026*

Joseph Pascal Sene

Genetic improvement of sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L) Moench] for post flowering

drought tolerance

2026*

*Expected year of graduation

 

MPhil Thesis Supervision Committees

NAME

TITLE

YEAR OF GRADUATION 

Benjamin Aboagye Danso

Introgression of Cowpea Aphid resistance gene into susceptible cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) (L.) Walp) Cultivars through Marker Assisted Backcrosses

2016

Iddrisu Baba Adam

Morphological and Molecular Characterization of Sorghum (Sorghum biocolor (L.) Moench) Cultivars in the Northern Ghana

2016

Amihere Kwame Blay Nwaleh

The Role of Quality Seed in Rice Production – A case study of the Dawhenya Irrigation Scheme

2018

Gariba Yakubu Samuel

Assessment of Four Plant Extracts as Mazie Seed Storage Protectants Against Sitophilus zeamais and Prostephanus truncatus in Ghana

2018

Mariama Hamidu

Effect of Seed Extraction Methods and Seed Storage Temperatures on the Quality of Garden Egg (Solanum aethiopicum) Seeds

2018

Kwakyewaa Nuako

Priming of Rice Seeds for Improvement in Germination and Adaptation to Drought Stress

2019

Tsamenyi Harrison

Evaluation of F2 Populations of Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) Genotypes for Drought Tolerance and High Yield

2019

Johnson Antwi Adom

Assessment of the Quality of Marketed Certified Vegetable Seeds in Original Package and those Repackaged at Retailers’ end in the Ashanti Region of Ghana

2019

Koomson Isaac Appiah-Asare

The Groundnut Seed System and Adoption of Improved Varieties in Northern Ghana

2020

Joyce Kobia

Effects of Post-Emergence Herbicides on Seed Quality and Yield-Related Traits of Maize Inbred Lines

2021

Emmanuel Amponsah

Molecular Detection of Cassava Mosaic Begomoviruses and its Associated Satellites in Northern Ghana

2022

Hounnou Amele Aurore

Seed Viability and Phenotypic Diversity of World Vegetable Center’s Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L.) Collection

2023

Francis Mirara

Effects of Bacillus Amyloliquefaciens D203 in the Management of Rice Blast Disease Magnaporthe Oryzae (Anamorph) Pyricularia Grisea in Rice in Kenya

2023

Konadu Jonathan Attah

Isolation and molecular characterization of Aspergilus niger and Aspergillus flavus in store maize (Obatanpa and Pannar maize) in Ghana

2024*

Jessica Naa Offeibea Dodoo

The effects of seed priming and storage environments on seed germination and seedling establishment of Cleome gynandra L

2026*

Samuel Wristberg

Assessment of some seed quality parameters of retailed maize and soyabean seeds after certification in the five northern regions of Ghana

2026*

*Expected year of graduation

 

Undergraduate Thesis Supervision Committees

NAME

TITLE

YEAR OF GRADUATION 

George Nii O. Sackey

Morphological and Molecular Characterization of some Rice Accessions using SSR Markers

2015

Ocloo Edem

Screening of some Cassava Germplasms for Cassava Mosaic Disease

2015

Sey Dominic Kobina

Phenotypic and Molecular Screening of Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) Germplasm for Resistant to Cassava Bacterial Blight

2016

Ofoe Rapheal

Morphological and Molecular Characterization of Xanthomonas campestris infecting Mango Ghana

2016

Obirih-Opareh Jennifer

Developing High Nodulating Bacteria for Soyabean (Glycine max (L.) merr) using Transposons Mutagenesis

2016

Mercy Korkor Azanu

Molecular Screening of some Tomato Accessions for Tomato Yellow Leaf Curl Disease (TYLCD) Resistance Gene

2017

Galley Christopher

Molecular Characterization of Selected Maize Hybrids in Ghana using Simple Sequence Repeat 

(SSR) Markers

2017

Abbey Abraham Anartey

Molecular Identification of Xanthomonas campestris pv. Mangiferae indica and Evaluation of Mango (Mangifera indica L.) Germplasms for Resistance to the Bacterium in the Coastal Savanna Zone of Ghana

2017

Lawrence Afenyi Arhin

Genetic Diversity of Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) Using SSR Marker

2017

Asare Benedict Tetteh

Molecular Characterization of Maize Inbred Lines for Resistance to Maize Streak Virus Disease

2019

Basakeng Baayor Peter

Agro-morphological Characterization of some Biofortified Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) Accessions

2023

Asare Joseph Osei

Evaluation of Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) Genotypes for Yield and Morphological Traits

2023