Dr. Esperance Codija
Dr. Esperance Codija holds a PhD in Plant Breeding from Pan African University Life and Earth Science Institute, Nigeria. Currently employed as Research Associate, Esperance's line of research at the Laboratory of Biotechnology, Genetic Resources and Plant and Animals Breeding (BIORAVE) focuses on advancing agricultural practices in Benin and Africa to alleviate poverty and improve farmers' livelihoods.
Her work centers on innovative techniques in tissue culture and semi-autotrophic hydroponics to produce clean root tubers and virus-free banana seeds, ensuring rapid and reliable supply to farmers.
Esperance's work during her Short Research Stay
Dr. Codija focuses on various crops, including yam, which is a clonally propagated crop predominantly cultivated and consumed in Africa. Despite its significance, yam production faces numerous challenges, such as low productivity due to the scarcity of improved varieties resilient to adverse climatic conditions like prolonged drought.
During her Short Research Stay at the UGent laboratory of Applied In Vitro Plant Biotechnology, Esperance worked under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Ir. Stefaan Werbrouck. Her research involved evaluating drought resistance in cultivated yam using osmotic agents like polyethylene glycol under in-vitro conditions.
Selected Publications
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Codjia, E. D., Olasanmi, B., Agre, P. A., Uwugiaren, R., Ige, A. D., & Rabbi, I. Y. (2022). Selection for resistance to cassava mosaic disease in African cassava germplasm using single nucleotide polymorphism markers. South African Journal of Science, 118(1/2), Art. #11607. http://dx.doi.org/10.17159/sajs.2022/11607
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Codjia, E. D., Olasanmi, B., Ugoji, C. E., & Rabbi, I. Y. (2023). SNP-based marker-assisted selection for high provitamin A content in African cassava genetic background. South African Journal of Science, 119(11/12). https://doi.org/10.17159/sajs.2023/15115
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Oteyami, M., Codjia, E. D., Agbangla, C., Ahoton, L., Santos, C., Montcho, D., & Missihoun, A. (2018). Submergence tolerance in irrigated and rainfed lowland rice varieties: Agro-morphological basis for rice genetic improvement in Southern Benin. Open Access Library Journal, 5, e4304. https://doi.org/10.4236/oalib.11043