Mr. Keiwoma Mark Yila

Officer In Charge, KHCRC

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+232 76 505147

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Leadership

About Me:

Education & Training

Mr. Keiwoma Yila is a Research Officer in Agronomy. Mr. Yila holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Education from Njala University College (University of Sierra Leone) and a MSc in Crop Science and MPhil from Njala University. He is presently pursuing a PhD in Crop Science at Njala University. He joined the Sierra Leone Agricultural Research Institute in 2012 as Research Officer assigned to the Njala Agricultural Research Centre. He is presently the acting Officer in Charge for the Kabala Horticultural Crops Research Centre. Over the years, Mr. Yila has participated in several research projects that have identified appropriate:

  • Cassava intercropping technologies for improving crop productivity and climate change adaptation and mitigation on smallholder farms.
  • Orange-fleshed sweet potato genotypes with desirable end-user traits.
  • Mushroom species and substrates for increasing mushroom productivity.
  • Irish potato genotypes for cultivation in the Savannah highlands
  • Rainwater harvesting innovations for sweet potato productivity enhancement on sloping uplands
  • Planting date for diverse soybean genotypes in Sierra Leone.  

Mr. Yila has vast knowledge and experience in the design and execution of research and development projects in agriculture, development of training modules and training of farmers on sustainable land management and climate-smart crop production practices; programming questionnaires for electronic data capturing, data analysis using different software and writing of project reports repots. His current research interest is to identify sustainable land management practices that would improve crop productivity and climate change adaptation and mitigation on smallholder farmers.  Besides his work experience at SLARI, he has 4 years working experience with International Non-governmental organizations implementing relief and development projects in agriculture in Northern Sierra Leone and  10 years teaching experience at the Kelly’s Rural Agricultural and Vocational Secondary School, Hastings.

Integrated Actions for climate change adaptation and mitigation in Moyamba district. (February 2022 to September 2023)

Sustainable land management for climate change adaptation and mitigation in Moyamba  district (March 2021 to December 2022)

Enhancing Cocoa, Coffee, Cashew, Horticultural Crops, and Livestock Diversification, and  Income  Generation  for  Smallholder  Farmers  and  Export  in  Sierra  Leone  –Subproject:  Enhancing  horticultural  crop  diversification  and  income  generation  for  smallholder farmers and export in Sierra Leone November 2018  to November 2023)

Improving production and productivity of onion along the value chain (November 2018 – March 2020).

Increasing Orange Fleshed Sweet Potatoes (OFSP) production and processing for improved  food  and  nutrition  security  in  Sierra  Leone  (Helen  Keller  International  –  Irish  Aide).  October 2018 – Date

Support to Agricultural Research for Development of Strategic Crops in Africa (SARD-SC)  Agronomic Trials: (July 2016 to June 2017).

West  Africa  Agricultural  Productivity  Programme  in  Sierra  Leone  (WAAPP  –  SL): Sub Project: Enhancing productivity in cassava-based cropping systems in Sierra Leone.  

Putting nitrogen fixation to work for smallholder farmers in Africa (N2 Africa) Project: Subproject: Planting date effect on soybean yield and seed quality in Sierra Leone (January 2012 – December 2013)

Peer review journals

  1. Isata Kamanda, Mohamed Alkhaki Sesay, Hamid Gbawuru Marah, Olubumi Thomas. Mohamed Adama Jalloh, Keiwoma Mark Yila (2023). Factors influencing the potential growth of SMEs in Sierra Leone: A case study of the Sierra Leone Agro-processing Competitiveness Project SMEs. International Journal of Business and Social Science. Vol 14. N0. 1 pp 66 – 76
  2. Keiwoma M. Yila, Mohamed S, Lebbie, Abdul R. Conteh, Mohamed S. Kamara, Lamin I. Kamara, Mathew L. S. Gboku (2022).  Cassava-groundnut intercropping: A sustainable land management practice for increasing crop productivity and organic carbon stock on smallholder farms. Agricultural Science. 14, pp 73 – 87
  3. Keiwoma M. Yila, Mathew L. S. Gboku Mohamed S, Lebbie, Lamin I. Kamara, (2022). Changes in rainfall and temperature and its implication on crop production in Moyamba District, Southern Sierra Leone. Atmospheric and Climate Science, 13, pp 19 – 43
  4. Philip Jimia Kamanda, Edwin Julius Jeblar Momoh, Masa Veronica Motaung, Keiwoma Mark Yila (2022). Factors influencing adoption of the new Rice for Africa technologies by smallholder farmers in selected chiefdoms in Sierra Leone Agricultural Extension Journal. Vol 26(3) pp 23 – 33
  5. Kamanda Philip Jimia, Momoh Edwin J. J., Yila K. Mark, Mataung Masa Veronica. (2022) Adoption of NERICA varieties and their associated technologies by smallholder farmers in the Northern and Southern regions of Sierra Leone. International Journal of Agricultural Science, Research and Technology in Extension and Extension Systems. 12 (1) pp 57 – 64
  6. Augustine Mansaray, Abdul Babatunde Karim, T, B, R, Yormah, Abdul Rahman Conteh, Keiwoma Mark Yila. (2022). Effect of time of introduction of legume into cassava on the productivity of cassava in cassava-groundnut intercropping systems. Asian Journal of Advances in Agricultural Science. 18(2), pp 1 – 16
  7. Augustine Mansaray, Yila Keiwoma Mark, Moseray Moses Tamba, Quee, Dan David, and Conteh, Abdul Rahman. (2020). Yield and yield-related components of cowpea as influenced by planting date, cultivar, and spraying regime. Asian Journal of Agriculture and Allied Sciences. 3(1): 1-8,
  8. Augustine Mansaray, Yila Keiwoma Mark, Moseray M. T., Kamara A. Y. and Conteh A. R. (2020). Effect of cowpea cultivar, planting date, and application of insecticide in the management of cowpea insect pests in South Eastern, Sierra Leone. Journal of entomology and nematology. Vol. 12(2), pp 39 – 45.
  9. Keiwoma Mark Yila, Ernest Gibril Kamara, Augustine Mansaray, and Jenneh Fatima Bebeley. (2019).  Agronomic response of soybean to first and second cropping season cultivation in different agro-climatic zones in Sierra Leone. (2019). International Journal of Agronomy and Agricultural Research. Vol. 14, No. 6, pp. 59-68.
  10. Patrick Andrew Sawyerr, Osman Nabay, Keiwoma Mark Yila. (2019). Economic Evaluation of Rainwater Harvesting and Conservation (RWHC) Technologies for Sweet Potato Cultivation in Sierra Leone. International Journal of Agricultural Economics. Vol. 4, No. 3, 2019, pp. 94-100. DOI: 10.11648/j.ijae.20190403.12
  11. Nabay O., Conteh A. R., Samura A. E., Gboku M. L. S., Koroma M, Kassoh F. S., Yila K. M., Whyte J. B. A., Fornah D. S., Kamanda I., Quee D. D. and Massaquoi F. B. (2018). Economic Analysis of Gari Processing Systems in Sierra Leone. Asian Journal of Agricultural Extension, Economics & Sociology 26(3): 1-10
  12. Yila, K. M., Momoh, E. J. J., Ndoko, E. J., Mansaray, A., and Conteh, A. R. (2018).  Influence of planting date on phenology and yield of soybean genotypes in Sierra Leone. Journal of Bioscience and Agriculture Research. 16(02): 1365-1374 https://doi.org/10.18801/jbar.160218.169
  13. Kamara L, Kassoh F. A., Kamara E. G., Masssaquoi F. B., Yila K. M., and Conteh A. R. (2018) Evaluation of Improved Cassava Genotypes for Storage Root Yield and Post-Harvest Traits in the Njala Soil Series. Journal of Interdisciplinary Biosciences. 2(2): 12-20.
  14. Quee D. D., Yila K. M., Bebeley J. F., and Sesay J. V., (2018). Integrating Weed Control Methods to Increase Maize (Zea mays L.) Productivity in the Savannah Woodland Agro-Climatic Zone of Sierra Leone. International Research Journal of Agricultural and Food Sciences 3 (1), 1-11
  1. Kamara E. G., Olympio N. S., Asibuo J. Y.,  Kabbia M. K., Yila K. M., and Conteh A. R.  (2017). Effect of Calcium and Phosphorus Fertilizer on Seed Yield and Nutritional Quality of Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.). International Journal of Agriculture and Forestry 7(6): 129-133 DOI: 10.5923/j.ijaf.20170706.02
  2. Nabay, O., Whyte J. B. A., Gbaguidi, B. J., Tonakpon, V. G., Kassoh F. S., Bandabla T., Koroma M., Yila, K. M., Sesay L., Massaquoi A., and Bangura R. (2017). Assessing the Efficiencies and Competitiveness of the Fresh Cassava Storage Root Production Systems in Sierra Leone. Journal of Agricultural Science; Vol. 9, No. 12. DOI:10.5539/jas.v9n12p178
  3. Quee, D. D., Kanneh, S. M., Yila, K. M., Nabay, O., and Kamanda, P. J. (2016).  Weed Species Diversity in Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) Monoculture in Ashanti Region of Ghana. Journal of Experimental Biology and Agricultural Sciences. ISSN: 2320-8694.

http://dx.doi.org/10.18006/2016.4(5).499.504

Mansaray, A., Sundufu, A. J., Yila, K. M, and Fomba, S.N. 2013. Evaluation of cultural control practices in the management of sweet potato weevil (Cylaspuncticollis) Boheman (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). Qscience connect. Http// dx. dio.org/ 10.5339/2013.44

Keiwoma Mark Yila, Hamid Turay, Mariam Adikalie Kamara,  Abdul Rahman Conteh, Mathew Lamana Saffa Gboku, Abdulai Kemoh Kandeh, and Mary H. Hodges (2022). Increasing orange-fleshed sweet potato productivity on smallholder farms through climate-smart crop production practices.  African Potato Association (APA). 12th Triennial Conference, Lilongwe, Malawi

Keiwoma Mark Yila, Moses J. Tucker, Hamid Turay,  Abdul Conteh, Mathew L. Gboku, Abdulai Kandeh, Aminata S. Koroma and Mary H. Hodges.  Evaluation of orange-flesh sweet potato genotypes for yield stability and desirable organoleptic traits in Sierra Leone. (2019). African Potato Association (APA). 11th Triennal Conference, Kigali, Rwanda.

Keiwoma Mark Yila, Hamid Turay, Abdul Conteh, Mathew L. Gboku, Abdulai Kandeh, Aminata S. Koroma, Mary H. Hodges (2019). Increasing Productivity of Orange Fleshed Sweet Potatoes and Consumption in Sierra Leone. African Potato Association (APA). 11th Triennal Conference, Kigali, Rwanda.

Osman Nabay, Keiwoma Mark Yila, Hamid Turay, Martin Koroma, Emmanuel Sahr Hinckley, Abdul R. Conteh, Gibrilla Dumbuya,Fallah Samuel Kassoh, Dan David Quee and Edward Jen Ndoko Jr. Assessing the likelihood of adoption of orange-flesh sweet potato genotypes in Sierra Leone. (2019). African Potato Association (APA). 11th Triennal Conference, Kigali, Rwanda.

Best Poster Presenter. Increasing Productivity of Orange Fleshed Sweet Potatoes and Consumption in Sierra Leone. African Potato Association (APA). 11th Triennial Conference, Kigali, Rwanda.

Members:

Team With Me

Dr. Abdul Rahman Conteh

Ag. Director General

Rev. Dr. Prince Emmanuel Norman

Deputy Director General for Research, Technology and Innovation Development

Dr. Isata Kamanda

Deputy Director General for Commercialization and Agribusiness Development

Mr. Alpha Mattia

Administrative Director