Biogeochemie der Agrarökosysteme

Mutez Ali Ahmed

Research Interests

I received my B.Sc (Agricultural Engineering, hons, Class one) and M.Sc. (Agricultural Engineering, Distinction) from Department of Agricultural Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Khartoum and PhD (summa cum laude) in Soil and Plant Hydrology from University of Göttingen. I am an Assistant Professor at the Department of Agricultural Engineering, University of Khartoum and currently on leave for Postdoctoral Research training at the Division of Soil Hydrology (University of Göttingen) and Chair of Soil Physics (University of Bayreuth).

The primary objective of my research is to understand the basis of crop adaptation to water-limited environment. I am particularly interested in identifying roots and rhizosphere traits that improve the acquisition of resources from the soil. My current work focuses on improving our basic understanding of water uptake by maize and sorghum, with an emphasis on traits affecting root hydraulic.

Curriculum Vitae

Education:
• PhD in Soil Hydrology, Title of thesis: Roots and rhizosphere traits affecting water uptake in maize (summa cum laude).
Division of Soil Hydrology, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Gremany. 2017
• M.Sc. in Agricultural Engineering with Distinction
Department of Agricultural Engineering, University of Khartoum, Khartoum, Sudan. 2012
• B. Sc. in Agricultural Engineering, Honours – Class One
Department of Agricultural Engineering, University of Khartoum, Khartoum, Sudan. 2009

Professional experience:
• 10/2017 - present: Researcher at the Chair of Soil Physic, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
• 06/2017 – present: Assistant Professor at the Department of Agricultural Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Khartoum, Khartoum, Sudan
• 03/2017 - present: Researcher at the Division of Soil Hydrology, University of Gottingen, Gottingen, Germany
• 04/2013 – 02/2017: PhD student at the Division of Soil Hydrology, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.
• 01/ 2012 - Present: Lecturer at the Department of Agricultural Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Khartoum, Khartoum, Sudan
• 03/2009 - 12/2011: Teaching Assistant at the Department of Agricultural Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Khartoum, Khartoum, Sudan

Awards and Honors:
• Best oral presentation by a young researcher at the 4th International Conference of Bio-hydrology 13-16 September, 2016, Almeria, Spain
• Best poster award of the division of soil system science at the European Geosciences Union (EGU), April 2016.
• Student Ambassador for the International Society of Root Research during the ISRR9 meeting, October, 2015, Canberra, Australia
• German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) scholarship under the programme: Research Grands for Doctoral Candidates from 04/2013- 09/2016
• German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) scholarship (A/11/07102) under the programme: Short Term Research Grants for research visits to Germany from 07/2011-12/2011
• German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) scholarship (A/09/04636) for master degree 10/2009-09/2011
• University of Khartoum prize for the best five students all round student passing out the University of Khartoum, presented by the president of the University of Khartoum, and Financial rewards that amount to 2 million Sudanese Dinars, 2009
• Khartoum University's Award for the student with the best academic performance in the Faculty of Agriculture of the University of Khartoum during the years 2004, 2006, 2007 and 2008
• Arab Authority for Investment and Agricultural Development's Award (AAIAD) for the student with the best academic performance in the Faculty of Agriculture of the University of Khartoum during the year 2005

Publications

Publications list:
1. Ahmed, MA; Zarebanadkouki, M; Meunier, F; Javaux, M; Kaestner, A; Carminati, A (2018) Root type matters: measurement of water uptake by seminal, crown and lateral roots in maize. Journal of Experimental Botany

2. Ahmed, MA; Sanaullah, M; Blagodatskaya, E; Mason-Jones, K; Jawad, H; Kuzyakov, Y; Dippold, M (2018) Soil microorganisms exhibit enzymatic and priming response to root mucilage under drought. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 116, 410-418

3. Meunier, F; Zarebanadkouki, M; Ahmed, MA; Carminati, A; Couvreur, V; Javaux, M (2017) Hydraulic conductivity of soil-grown lupine and maize unbranched roots and maize root-shoot junctions. Journal of Plant Physiology

4. Ahmed, MA, Zarebanadkouki M, Ahmadi K, Kroener E, Kostka S, Kaestner A and Carminati A (2017) Engineering rhizosphere hydraulics: pathways to improve plant adaptation to drought. Vadose Zone Journal.
https:// doi:10.2136/vzj2016.09.0090

5. Ahmed, MA, Banfield CC, Sanaullah M, Gunina A, Dippold MA (2017) Utilisation of mucilage C by microbial communities under drought. Biology and Fertility of Soils 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00374-017-1237-6

6. Carminati A, Benard P, Ahmed, MA and Zarebanadkouki M (2017) Liquid bridges at the root-soil interface. Plant and Soil. https://doi:10.1007/s11104-017-3227-8

7. Ahmadi K, Zarebanadkouki M, Ahmed, MA, Ferrarini F, Kuzyakov Y, Kostka JS, Carminati A (2017) Rhizosphere engineering: Innovative improvement of root environment. Rhizosphere 3:176-184.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rhisph.2017.04.015

8. Carminati A, Passioura JP, Zarebanadkouki M, Ahmed, MA, Ryan PR, Watt M, Delhaize E (2017) Root hairs enable high transpiration rates in drying soils. New Phytologist. http://dio:10.1111/nph.14715

9. Kroener E, Holz M, Zarebanadkouki M, Ahmed, MA, Carminati A (2017) Effects of mucilage on rhizosphere hydraulic functions depend on soil particle size. Vadose Zone Journal.

10. Benard P, Zarebanadkouki M, Hedwig C, Holz M, Ahmed, MA, A Carminati (2017) Pore-scale distribution of mucilage affecting water repellency in the rhizosphere. Vadose Zone Journal. https://doi:10.2136/vzj2017.01.0013

11. Ahmed, MA, Zarebanadkouki M, Kaestner A, Carminati A (2016) Measurements of water uptake of maize roots: the key function of lateral roots. Plant and Soil, 398: 59-77. https://doi:10.1007/s11104-015-2639-6

12. Ahmed, MA, Kroener E, Benard P, Zarebanadkouki M, Kaestner A, and Carminati A (2016) Drying of mucilage causes water repellency in the rhizosphere of maize: measurements and modelling. Plant and Soil, 407:161–171. https://doi:10.1007/s11104-015-2749-1

13. Carminati A, Kroener E, Ahmed, MA, Zarebanadkouki M, Holz M, and Ghezzehe T (2016) Water for Carbon, Carbon for Water. Vadose Zone Journal. https://doi:10.2136/vzj2015.04.0060

14. Carminati A, Zarebanadkouki M, Kroener E, Ahmed, MA, Holz M (2016) Biophysical rhizosphere processes affecting root water uptake. Annals of Botany 118:561–571. https://doi.org/10.1093/aob/mcw113

15. Zarebanadkouki M, Ahmed, MA, Carminati A (2016) Hydraulic conductivity of the root-soil interface of lupin in sandy soil after drying and rewetting. Plant and Soil, 398: 267-280. https://doi:10.1007/s11104-015-2668-1

16. Zickenrott IM, Woche SK, Bachmann J, Ahmed, MA, Vetterlein D (2016) An efficient method for the collection of root mucilage from different plant species – A case study on the effect of mucilage on soil water repellency. Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil science 179: 294-302. https://doi:10.1002/jpln.201500511

17. Ahmed, MA, Holz M, Woche SK, Bachmaan J, and Carminati A (2015) Effect of soil drying on mucilage exudation and its water repellency: a new method to collect mucilage. Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science, 178: 821-824. https://doi:10.1002/jpln.201500177

18. Kroener E, Ahmed, MA, and Carminati A (2015) Roots at the percolation threshold. Physical Review E, 91:042706. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.91.042706

19. Ahmed, MA, Kroener E, Holz M, Zarebanadkouki M, and Carminati A (2014) Mucilage exudation facilitates root water uptake in dry soils. Functional Plant Biology, 41:1129-1137. https://doi.org/10.1071/FP13330