Ikenna Onyekwelu
Ikenna Onyekwelu
BioWRAP Team
Meet Ikenna Onyekwelu
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
I am an agricultural engineer and environmental geologist by training and have over seven years of teaching and research experience. My research explores ways to improve and model agroecosystem dynamics using spatially explicit process-based and statistical models. My research expertise broadly encompasses water resources management and environmental system modeling, agricultural water management and evapotranspiration modeling, sustainable cropping systems through the use of on-farm systems and mathematical models for climate variability and climate change impact assessments, statistical and machine learning methods for cropping system improvement, remote sensing and GIS applications for precision cropping system assessment, and the application of advanced techniques to mitigate and adapt cropping systems to changing climatic conditions.
Personal Website: https://sites.google.com/view/ikennao/home
ResearchGate
GitHub
FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions
We understand there are many questions you may have in regards to BioWRAP. Here are some answers to some frequently asked questions that we receive.
The long-term goal is to create a locally-sourced, customizable, spray-on biopolymer-based films to serve as soil cover that can be synchronized to crop growth cycles under differing climatic conditions and applied using precision agricultural equipment. The system would also support socioeconomic resiliency, positive bioeconomic cycles, biotechnology adoption, sustainable crop production, and soil health in EPSCoR states.
Transforming biopolymers into a local material will equitably distribute the costs and benefits of biotechnology adoption by crop producers and support rural workforce development. Creating a protective, but permeable spray-on biopolymer cover will provide physical weed suppression, enable crop producers to reduce herbicide use, protect soil ecosystem diversity, effectively manage field edges, help conserve natural resources, buffer waterways from agrochemical runoff, enhance land productivity, and increase crop production resiliency.
We hypothesize that adoption of BioWRAP technology will vary by region and producer characteristics, climate conditions, soil type, and underlying preferences will lead to differential adoption across regions and cropping systems. Our team plans to assess the potential market for BioWRAP using structured group discussions in locations where producers and purchasers/retailers to gain the most accurate assessment of the market potential of biodegradable biofilm technology.
Initial testing will include corn and soybeans. Application of the product may include autonomous spray platforms as well as field scale commercial sprayers.
