Consultant – Stable isotope use for water stress in coffee and banana

Organizational Setting

The Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications implements the IAEA's Major Programme 2, "Nuclear Techniques for Development and Environmental Protection". This Major Programme comprises individual programmes on food and agriculture, human health, water resources, environment and radiation technologies. These programmes are supported by laboratories in Seibersdorf, Monaco and Vienna. The Major Programme's objective is to enhance the capacity of Member States to meet basic human needs and to assess and manage the marine and terrestrial environments through the use of nuclear and isotopic techniques in sustainable development programmes.

The Joint FAO/IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture assists Member States of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the IAEA in using nuclear techniques and related technologies to improve food security, alleviate poverty and promote sustainable agriculture. The Joint Centre consists of five Sections, each with an associated laboratory (located in Seibersdorf, 45 km south-east of Vienna), in the areas of\: animal production and health; plant breeding and genetics; insect pest control; soil and water management and crop nutrition; and food and environmental protection.

The Soil and Water Management and Crop Nutrition Section and Laboratory assist Member States in developing improved soil and water management practices for sustainable intensification of agricultural production systems, the conservation of natural resources and the effective use of external inputs through applied and adaptive research and development activities, technology transfer and capacity building

Main Purpose

To provide technical expertise to the Peaceful Uses Initiative project on "Enhancing climate change adaptation and disease resilience in banana coffee production systems in East Africa". Over the past years, progress has been made with the development of stable isotope based and other techniques to detect and quantify drought stress in coffee and banana. These methods have mainly been tested in greenhouse or control conditions. Coffee and banana in East Africa are typically cultivated in highly complex, mixed home gardens. To allow the use of these methods in realistic farming conditions and support smallholder farms, further validation is required. The consultant will design and initiate validation and upscaling experiments in-the-field in Tanzania/Uganda. The consultant will provide technical expertise to the processing and analysis of samples and data from validation and upscaling experiments in-the-field in Tanzania/Uganda. Furthermore, data and results obtained in the project should be publicly disseminated and made available to member states through the publication of scientific papers. This will be a second important objective for the consultancy.

Functions / Key Results Expected

• Provide technical input to  ongoing experiments on the optimization of isotope-based stress detection techniques for banana or coffee
• Develop a strategy for the upscaling of drought stress detection techniques in coffee and banana
• Design and initiate validation and upscaling experiments for the use of stable isotope and other drought stress detection techniques in coffee and banana
• Process and analyse samples and data from validation and upscaling experiments in-the-field in Tanzania/Uganda
• Disseminate outcomes through the preparation of scientific publications

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Required Skills and Expertise

•    Application of Isotopes and Radiation in Biology and Environmental Studies

Assets Skills and Expertise

•    Agricultural Water Management

Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor's Degree - University degree in agricultural sciences, with focus on soil and water management and related disciplines, and expertise in application of stable carbon isotopes in tropical crops
• Proven record on the use of stable isotopes in tropical perennial crops (e.g. banana or coffee), for assessing drought stress and/or water use efficiency
• Experience with agronomic trials in the tropics
• Competent in experimental design and data analysis (R Programming Language)
• Experience in drafting scientific publications

Remuneration

The remuneration for this consultancy is a daily fee of up to a maximum of € 180, based on qualifications and experience. In case duty travel is required within the assignment, a daily subsistence allowance (DSA) and travel costs are provided. Health coverage and pension fund are the responsibility of the incumbent.