Prof. Issac K. Asante

Contact info ikasante@ug.edu.gh

About

Isaac K Asante is a Professor of Genetics. He started his life career with the Ghana Education Service as a Certificated A-Four Year teacher from 1975-1984. He pursued his university education career at the University of Ghana in the then Department of Botany where he was awarded the following academic degrees simultaneously: Bachelor of Science (Hons.) Botany major and Zoology minor 1984-1987; Master of Philosophy in Botany with specialization in Genetics and Plant Breeding (1989-1991) and Doctor of Philosophy in Botany with specialization in Genetics and Plant Breeding. He was a former Scientist Officer (Cassava Breeder) in the year 1996-1998 with the Crops Research Institute of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research Institute at Kumasi where in 1996 he had the opportunity to attend a Workshop in Advanced Breeding of Root and Tuber Crops at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA).Pro
fessor Asante teaches genetics and biometry at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels in the Department of Plant and Environmental Biology. He is an Associate faculty at the West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement (WACCI), College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon where he lectures postgraduate students in plant genetics. Isaac has broad experience in undergraduate dissertation and postgraduate thesis supervision. He supervises PhD research in plant breeding at WACCI. He also supervises PhD students of the Institute of Environment and Sanitation Studies (IESS), College of Basic and Applied Sciences. In collaboration with some Senior Members of the Crop Science Department and the Department of Chemistry, Isaac supervises postgraduate research in plant breeding and environmental chemistry, respectively. 
He serves as an External Examiner for the Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Coast and also the Department of Applied Biology, University of Development Studies.
Professor Asante serves as an Assessor for promotions for the Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology in the School of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Coast, the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC). He is also an External Examiner for postgraduate theses at the Schools of Graduate Studies, University of Cape Coast and the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. He also serves as an Internal Examiner for postgraduate theses at the School of Graduate Studies at the University of Ghana.
He also has a rich experience in university administration. He served as Head of Department, at the Department of Botany, University of Ghana for eight (8) years (2006 to 2012; 2014 to 2016). He was the Coordinator, Office of Students with Special Needs, University of Ghana, Legon (2012 to 2014).
Professor Asante was an Honorary Fellow of the University of Aberdeen for the year 2004. In the year 2004 he won a University of Ghana Research and Conferences Supplementary Grant; he also won a USDA funding (6-month Funding at IITA2003 to 2004) and in 2002 he won a Third World Academy of Science Research Grant.

Education

BSc, MPhil & PhD (Ghana)

Research Interest

  • Cowpea population genetics
  • Cowpea association mapping 
  • Cowpea mutagenesis

Publications

SELECTED ACADEMIC PUBLICATIONS

  1. Azigwe, C, Asante, I. K, Oppong-Adjei, Felicia (2020). Effect of gamma irradiation on chlorophyll content in the cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp). Ghana J. Sci. 61 (2), 13-17.
  2. Kamanda I., Blay E. T., Asante I. K., Danquah A., Ifie B. E., Parkes E., Kulakow P.,Rabbi I., Conteh A., Kamara J. S., Mensah H. K., Whyte J. B. A., Sesay Sayo, . (2020) Genetic diversity of provitamin-A cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) in Sierra Leone. Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution
  3. Alidu, M. S., Asante, I. K., & Mensah, H. K. (2020). Evaluation of nutritional and phytochemical variability of cowpea Recombinant Inbred Lines under contrasting soil moisture conditions in the Guinea and Sudan Savanna Agro-ecologies. Heliyon, 6(2), e03406.
  4. A. Donkor, Osei-Fosu, P., Dubey, B., Kingsford-Adaboh, R., Ziwu, C., Asante, I. (2016) Pesticide Residues in Fruits and Vegetables in Ghana: A Review. Environmental Science and Pollution Research 23 (19), 18966–18987. DOI: 10.1007/s11356-016-7317-6.
  5. A. Donkor, Osei-Fosu, P., Dubey, B., Kingsford-Adaboh, R., Ziwu, C., Asante, I. (2016) Pesticide Residues in Fruits and Vegetables in Ghana: A Review. Environmental Science and Pollution Research 23 (19), 18966–18987. DOI: 10.1007/s11356-016-7317-6
  6. A. Donkor, Osei-Fosu, P., Dubey, B., Kingsford-Adaboh, R., Ziwu, C., Asante, I. (2016) Pesticide Residues in Fruits and Vegetables in Ghana: A Review. Environmental Science and Pollution Research 23 (19), 18966–18987. DOI: 10.1007/s11356-016-7317-6
  7. A. Donkor, Osei-Fosu, P., Dubey, B., Kingsford-Adaboh, R., Ziwu, C., Asante, I. (2016) Pesticide Residues in Fruits and Vegetables in Ghana: A Review. Environmental Science and Pollution Research 23 (19), 18966–18987. DOI: 10.1007/s11356-016-731
  8. Solomon Abera Bariagabre, Isaac K. Asante, Christopher Gordon, Ted Yemoh Ananng (2016). Cactus Pear (Opuntia ficus-indica L.) a Valuable Crop for Restoration of Degraded Soils in Northern Ethiopia. International Knowledge Platform Vol. 6, No. 8
  9. P. Osei-Fosu, A. K Donkor, S. Nyarko, N. K. Nazzah, I. K. Asante, R. Kingsford-Adabo, N. A. Akorful 2014. Monitoring of pesticide residues of five notable vegetables at Agbogbloshie market in Accra, Ghana. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment. 186(11)
  10. Asante, I.K. (2008) Genetic structure and bottleneck studies at the malate dehydrogenase and the phosphoglucoisomerase [glucose-6-phosphate isomerase] gene loci of the neem (Azardirachta indica). Ghana J. Sci. 48: 77-84.
  11. Asante, I.K. and Dixon, A.G.O (2006). Field screening of Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) Germplasm for Desirable Traits by the Use of Augmented Design. West African Journal of Applied Ecology. Vol. 10: 1-8.
  12. Asante, I.K., Laing, E., Danquah, E.Y and Offei, S.K (2003). Genetic structure at the isocitrate dehydrogenase and malate dehydrogenase enzyme loci in cowpea (Vignaunguiculata (L). Walp) accessions. Ghana Journal of Agricultural Science. Vol. 36: 53-63
  13. Asante, I.K. (2000). Allozyme frequency distribution patterns at two gene loci of phosphoglucomutase and one gene locus of fumarate hydratase enzymes in nine cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L) Walp) landraces in three agroecological zones. Journal of the Ghana Science Association.  Vol. 2 (3). 136-143.
  14. Asante, I.K. and Laing, E. (1999). Seed coat inheritance in the cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L) Walp). Ghana J. Sci. 39: 77-81.
  15. Asante, I.K. and Laing, E. (1998). Linkage studies in the cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L) Walp) seed characters. Ghana Journal of Science. 38: 97-102.
  16. Asante, I.K. and Laing, E. (1998). Environmental predictors of three cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L) Walp) yield sub-characters. Ghana J. Sci. 38: 101-106.
  17. Asante, I.K. and Laing, E. (1998). Some aspects of Mendelian inheritance in the cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L) Walp). Ghana J. Sci. 38: 33-37. 
  18. Asante, I.K. (1998). Evidence of association between a quantitative character and a major gene in the cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L) Walp). Ghana J. Sci.38: 93-95.
  19. Asante, I.K. (1997).  F2 linkage with disturbed single factor segregation in the cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L) Walp). Ghana J. Sci.37: 3-7.
  20. Asante, I.K. and Laing, E. (1996). F2 linkage analysis in the cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L) Walp). Ghana J. Sci. 31-36: 87-94.