Professor Singh works in the discipline of biogeochemistry, and he focuses on soil fertility and plant nutrition. This discipline explores the physical, chemical, biological and geological processes and reactions that govern the composition of and changes in the natural environment and the availability of nutrients.
‘In biochemistry, we have a particular focus on the cycles of important chemical elements, such as carbon, nitrogen and other trace elements,’ he explains.
He has worked on several aspects of the uptake and availability of nutrients, including fortifying foods and fodder plants with trace elements essential to plant, animal and human health. Zinc and selenium, for example, are trace elements (minerals) that the body needs for its processes in order to function normally. Zinc deficiency in soil and in the food produced is a major global problem.