Femi Akinsanmi

Professor Femi Akinsanmi is a Professorial Research Fellow at the Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation (QAAFI), a research institute within The University of Queensland. His research focuses on crop protection, specifically studying the biology, epidemiology and ecology of economically significant diseases and insect pests in agricultural systems.

Professor Akinsanmi holds a Bachelor of Agricultural Science and a Masters (Research) from Obafemi Awolowo University, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Plant Pathology from The University of Queensland. His educational background has equipped him with expertise spanning agricultural science and plant pathology.

His research interests center around Plant Disease Epidemiology and Management, with specific focus on Diagnostics, Ecology, Biology and Management of Plant Diseases, and Host-Pathogen interactions. Professor Akinsanmi's work aims to facilitate innovative and sustainable management of crop pests using disruptive new tools that can be incorporated with less harmful existing control options in diverse farming systems.

Professor Akinsanmi's recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on macadamia diseases, particularly flower diseases, husk rot, abnormal vertical growth syndrome, and Phytophthora root rot. His research spans from fundamental studies of pathogen biology to applied field studies aimed at developing practical disease management strategies for growers.

He has secured substantial research funding from organizations including Horticulture Innovation Australia Limited, Grains Research & Development Corporation, and Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries. Current projects include 'An Integrated Disease Management program for the Australian almond industry' and 'Macadamia Industry Benchmarking and Industry Sustainability Insights.'

Professor Akinsanmi is actively supervising multiple PhD students working on various aspects of crop protection, particularly focusing on macadamia diseases, almond diseases, and walnut diseases. His supervision history shows successful mentorship of numerous PhD candidates who have researched topics ranging from Botryosphaeria branch dieback to husk spot resistance in macadamia breeding families.

Professor Akinsanmi leads a research group within QAAFI that focuses on crop protection, with particular emphasis on horticultural crops. His team employs a range of methodologies from traditional plant pathology techniques to molecular approaches and field epidemiology studies to address complex disease problems in agricultural systems.