About The Staff Member

Dickson Osei Darkwah is a scientist with expertise in mutation breeding, tissue culture, genetic diversity studies, heritability and genetic coefficient estimates, molecular characterisation and plant physiology. He holds an MPhil in Crop Science with Plant breeding and Genetics specialization from the University of Ghana and BSc. Agriculture from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST). He has a professional Certificate in Project Management form the Graduate School of Governance and Leadership (GSGL). He had an opportunity to be trained in Oil Palm Tissue Culture at the Advanced Breeding and Biotechnology Center (ABBC) of the Malaysia Palm Oil Board (MPOB).

Darkwah served at the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) at the Adansi South District, New Edubiase in the Ashanti Region. Before joining CSIR –OPRI he served as Agronomist at the Obooma Farm Product Ltd. In 2011, he joined the Research team of the Crop Improvement Division of the Oil Palm Research Institute. He worked very hard in his Division assisting research scientist to carry out their numerous projects including mutation breeding, developing dwarf palms, tissue culture, germplasm evaluation and data collection. In the year 2014, he had a study leave to pursue MPhil Crop Science with specialization in Plant breeding and genetics. He is back to the station after completion and currently handling new and ongoing projects. Notable among them is the screening for mutants in M2 population of oil palm planted at the field, third cycle selection, and evaluation of germplasm and selection of superior accessions to be incorporated into the main breeding programme, fluctuation of heating durations and the use of plant hormones to enhance the germination capacity of oil palm among others.

Darkwah has ten scientific publications comprising of referred journal papers, technical reports and conference papers.