The SARChI Chair in Phytomicrobiome and Circular Agriculture investigates plant-associated microorganisms as primary drivers of ecosystem functionality and sustainable agriculture.
Core Research Pillars
- Bioprospecting Resilient Endophytes for Climate-Smart Agriculture: Harnessing beneficial plant endophytes to enhance crop growth and induce resistance against severe abiotic stresses (drought, heat, salinity, and nutrient-poor soils).
- Plant–Pollinator Microbial Exchanges: Pioneering a novel tripartite paradigm (plants, endophytes, and pollinators) to examine microbial exchange between honeybees and flowering crops and its effects on pollinator fitness and plant health.
- Plant Microbes as Drivers of Chemical Ecology: Utilising beneficial endophytes to stimulate the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites in indigenous South African medicinal plants.
- Plant Microbes in Renewable Energy & Circular Economy: Innovating bioprocesses that replace animal manure with plant micro-inoculants and agricultural biomass (e.g., bioaugmented anaerobic digestion of water hyacinth) for clean biogas generation and soil amelioration.
- Postharvest Loss Mitigation: Applying pre-harvest biofertilization and antagonist endophytes to protect perishable crops (such as tomatoes) against pathogens and extend shelf life.
The Chair will also host the prestigious 21st Biennial African Association for Biological Nitrogen Fixation (AABNF) Conference in Potchefstroom in 2027.
Human Capital Development & Global Collaborations
Prof. Rasheed Adeleke (Chair holder) has a strong commitment to empowering historically disadvantaged scholars and emerging researchers. He has supervised over 40 postgraduate students (MSc and PhD) and mentored 12 postdoctoral fellows.
The Chair bridges multidisciplinary expertise across NWU’s Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences and Faculty of Health (School of Pharmacy). It maintains active research partnerships with prominent local and international institutions.
Local partners
International partners
Prof. Rasheed Adegbola Adeleke is the DSI-NRF SARChI Research Chair holder in Phytomicrobiome and Circular Agriculture at North-West University. Educated in Nigeria, South Africa, and Canada, he has completed advanced research fellowship programmes across South Africa, the United States (Cornell University Borlaug Fellow), and Germany.
With over 20 years of research experience in plant microbial ecology, Prof. Adeleke specialises in plant-beneficial microorganisms—specifically endophytes, mycorrhizal fungi, and plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR).
Before joining NWU as an Associate Professor and later being appointed Full Professor in 2022, he served as a Senior Researcher at the Agricultural Research Council (ARC-ISCW), where he established one of the institution's most productive microbiology units. He is the founder and head of the Phytomicrobiome and Circular Agriculture research entity at NWU.
Contact details
Prof. Rasheed Adegbola Adeleke
Chair holder
Email: rasheed.adeleke@nwu.ac.za
Phone: +27 (0)18 299 2495
Office: Building E2, Department of Microbiology, Potchefstroom Campus, North-West University
