Fungai Mukome, Ph.D.

Bio

Dr. Mukome has expertise in the areas of sustainable agriculture and environmental chemistry. He has researched soil amendments such as biochar, organic fertilizers and biosolids with his work resulting in multiple journal publications, several book chapters and a national biochar database.

Dr. Mukome is delighted to be able to combine his passions for the environment and Chemistry – “the central science”. It’s great to be able to bring his God given passion to a subject typically perceived as challenging and help students discover the beauty and role of chemistry in all things around us. He loves the challenge and the opportunity to help students realize “Chemistry is in everything” and give them a fresh perspective. He also revere the opportunity to be used by God to transform and shape lives of the students at Jessup whose experiences here will significantly impact their roles as tomorrow’s parents and teachers.

Work/Publications

Manuscripts and Reports

• Pereira, E. I. P., Suddick, E. C., Mukome, F. N. D., Parikh, S. J., Scow, K. M. and Six, J. (2015) Biochar alters nitrogen transformations but has minimal effects on nitrous oxide emissions in an organically managed lettuce mesocosm. Biol Fertil Soils 51:573–582
• Wang, D., Mukome, F. N. D., Scow, K. M., Yan, D., Wang, H. and S.J. Parikh. (2015) Phenylurea herbicide sorption to biochars and agricultural soil. J. Env. Sci. and Health Part B Pesticides Food Contaminants and Agricultural Wastes 50(8):544-551
• Silva, L. C. R., Pedroso, G., Doane, T. A., Mukome, F. N. D. and Horwath, W.R. (2015) Beyond the cellulose: Oxygen isotope composition of plant lipids as a proxy for terrestrial water balance. Geochem. Persp. Let. 1, 33-42.
• Gwenzi, W., Chaukura, N., Mukome, F. N. D., Machado, S., and Nyamasoka, B. (2015) Biochar production and applications in sub-Saharan Africa: Opportunities, constraints, risks and uncertainties. J. Environ. Manage. 150: 250-261
• Mukome, F. N. D., A.L.D. Kilcoyne, and S.J. Parikh. (2014) Alteration of biochar carbon chemistry during soil incubations: SR-FTIR and NEXAFS investigation. Soil Sci. Soc. Amer. J. 78:1632-1640. Parikh, S.J., F. N. D. Mukome, and X. Zhang. (2014) ATR-FTIR Spectroscopic Evidence for Biomolecular Phosphorus and Carboxyl Groups Facilitating Bacterial Adhesion to Iron Oxides. Colloids Surf. B, Biointerf. 119:38-46.
• Mukome, F. N. D., Zhang, X. E., Silva, L. C. R., Six, J. and Parikh, S. J. (2013). Use of chemical and physical characteristics to investigate trends in biochar feedstocks. Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry 61, 2196-2204.
• Mukome, F. N. D., Six, J. and Parikh, S. J. (2013). The effects of walnut shell and wood feedstock biochar amendments on greenhouse gas emissions from a fertile soil. Geoderma 200-201, 90-98.
• Mukome, F. N. D., Doane, T. A., Silva, L. C. R., Parikh, S. J., and Horwath, W. R. (2013). Developing testing protocols to assure the quality of fertilizer materials for organic agriculture. California Agriculture 67(4), 210-216.

Book Chapters

• Mukome, F. N. D., and Parikh, S. J. Chemical, Physical, and Surface Characterization of Biochar (2015) In book: Biochar: Production, Characterization, and Applications, Publisher: CRC Press, Editors: Yong Sik Ok, Sophie M. Uchimiya, Scott X. Chang, Nanthi Bolan
• Parikh, S.J., A.J. Margenot, F. N. D. Mukome, F. Calderon, and K.W. Goyne (2014) Soil Chemical Insights Provided through Vibrational Spectroscopy. Adv. Agron. 126:1-148. Webpage
• Mukome, F. N. D., Emberson, L. and Parikh, S. J. (2013). UC Davis Biochar Database