My research interest lies in understanding the effect of both temporal and spatial dynamics in resource use in different cropping systems through state of the art experimental techniques. I am also interested in application of process based crop simulation models to understand trees and crop interactions and effect of varying climatic conditions in agroforestry systems in the tropics.

DFG Project: Deepening the understanding of water use dynamics and drought resilience in cocoa agroforestry by improving the prediction of shade tree effects

Research foci and activities:

• Seasonal effect on above and below-ground resource use dynamics in mixed cropping and agroforestry systems in humid, sub-humid and semi-arid ecosystems. Focus on climate change adaption and resilience studies on perennial crops such as cocoa agroforestry in the humid regions of West Africa.
• Application of functional trait concept in agroforestry research. Understanding tree-crop interaction based on shade tree above and below-ground traits characteristics as well as impact of climatic variability.
• Application of advance phenotyping techniques to identify drought resilience crop cultivars for climate change adaptation.

Teaching:

• M.SIA.P19M.Mp: Experimental Techniques in Tropical Agronomy
• M.Agr.0001.Mp: Exercises: Linking Models and Experimentation (bi-lingual)
• M.SIA.P10.Mp: Tropical agro-ecosystem functions (one presentation)

Publications:

Abdulai, I., Hoffmann, M. P., Jassogne, L., Asare, R., Graefe, S., Tao, H. H., Muilermand, S., Vaasti, P., Van Astenc, P., Läderachl, P., Rötter, R. P., 2020. Variations in yield gaps of smallholder cocoa systems and the main determining factors along a climate gradient in Ghana Agricultural Systems 181, 102812
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2020.102812

Abdulai, I., Vaast, P., Hoffmann, M.P., Asare, R., Jassogne, L., Van Asten, P., Rötter, R.P., Graefe, S., 2018a. Cocoa agroforestry is less resilient to sub-optimal and extreme climate than cocoa in full sun. Glob. Chang. Biol. 24.
https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.13885

Abdulai, I., Vaast, P., Hoffmann, M.P., Asare, R., Jassogne, L., Asten, P. Van, Rötter, R.P., Graefe, S., 2018b. Cocoa agroforestry is less resilient to suboptimal and extreme climate than cocoa in full sun: Reply to Norgrove (2017). Glob. Chang. Biol. 24, e733–e740.
https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.14044

Abdulai, I., Jassogne, L., Graefe, S., Asare, R., Van Asten, P., Läderach, P., Vaast, P., 2018c. Characterization of cocoa production, income diversification and shade tree management along a climate gradient in Ghana. PLoS One 13, e0195777.
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0195777

Graefe, S., Meyer-Sand, L.F., Chauvette, K., Abdulai, I., Jassogne, L., Vaast, P., Asare, R., 2017. Evaluating Farmers’ Knowledge of Shade Trees in Different Cocoa Agro-Ecological Zones in Ghana. Hum. Ecol. 45, 321–332.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10745-017-9899-0

Abdulai, I., Krutovsky, K.V., Finkeldey, R., 2017. Morphological and genetic diversity of shea tree (Vitellaria paradoxa) in the savannah regions of Ghana. Genet. Resour. Crop Evol. 64.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10722-016-0434-8

Abdulai, I., M.P. Hoffmann, L. Jassogne, R. Asare, S. Graefe, H-H. Tao, S. Vaast, P. Van Asten, P. Läderach, R.P. Rötter, 2017. Assessing yield gaps in smallholder cocoa systems along a climatic gradient in Ghana. 3rd International Conference on Global Food Security 2017 (poster), 3-6 December 2017, Cape Town, South Africa.

Abdulai, I., Vaast, P., Jassogne, L., Hoffmann, M.P., Graefe, S., Asare, R., Dalaa, M.A, Asten, P. Van, Rötter, R.P., 2018b. Cocoa system productivity and response to severe drought along climate suitability transect in Ghana. Regional Cocoa Symposium: Next Generation of Cocoa Research for West and Central Africa, 8 – 10 Novemebr, 2016, Ibadan, Nigeria (oral presentation).

Abdulai, I., Jassogne, L., Graefe, S., Muilerman, S., Asare, R., Van Asten, P., Läderach, P., Vaast, P., 2015. Poster: Evaluation of yield gap and production factors in cocoa systems along a climatic gradient in Ghana. Tropentag conference, Berlin, Germany.
https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.10450.96966

Maria Angelica Montes and Issaka Abdulai (2012): Opportunities and challenges for tree crop integration in REED+: Cocoa crops in Ghana and Columbia. IN Fehrmann L and Kleinn C(eds) 2012: Proceedings of the 2nd International DAAD Workshop in Climate Change Research and Policy: Forests in climate change research and policy: the role of forest management and conservation in a complex international setting. Pietermaritzburg and Durban, South Africa. Cuvellier Verlag.Gottingen. 251pp.