Agriculture and Plant Science

Nnadozie Oraguzie received his PhD in Plant breeding and genetics at Lincoln University, New Zealand and worked for a year as a Post-Doctoral researcher at Canterbury University, Christchurch, New Zealand, before joining Plant and Food Research (PFR) Institute, New Zealand as Research Scientist in 1998. At PFR, he was the Manager of the national pome fruit germplasm collection and an Objective Leader in the Pome fruit breeding consortium program. With the help of a fellowship from the Science and Technology Agency (STA) of Japan in 2001, he led an international collaboration including PFR, Hirosaki University and the National Institute of Tree Fruit Science, Morioka, Japan, that first linked an allele of the Md-ACS1 gene to fruit softening in apple. He was also the recipient of an Invitation Fellowship from the Japan Ministry of Science and Technology in 2006. He joined the faculty of Washington State University (WSU) in 2008 as Associate Professor. He has authored over 40 peer-reviewed journal publications and a book, and currently serves on the editorial board of two journals.

His current research interests are at the interface of breeding and genomics. He leads the stone fruit breeding, genetics and extension program at WSU with emphasis on developing new sweet cherry varieties suited for growing in the PNW regions of the USA. He also has research interests in the genetics and genomics of traits that govern consumer appreciation of fresh fruit products in apple and pear.

Devi Prasad Juvvadi is Director (Agriculture Management) at Centre for Good Governance (CGG), Hyderabad, India. Earlier he was Team Leader and M&E specialist to A.P. Community Based Tank Management project in minor irrigation of Andhra Pradesh funded by World Bank. He worked as Lead Consultant. SPIU (Agriculture) with CGG and involved in change and delivery projects, capacity building and change management programmes to various government departments under Delivery of Improved Services in Administration (DISA), a DFID supported programme. He served as Member, Board of Management, A.P. Horticultural University. In the decades of eighties, Mr. Prasad worked as Asst. Professor (Soil Science) with American University of Beirut and adjunct to teaching and research programmes in Saudi Arabia for about 10 years. He was Consultant to many agriculture projects in several countries in the Middle East and Europe. He returned to India in early nineties and associated with finance and industrial activity and moved to NGO sector as Consultant and conducted various studies in agricultural and rural development to UN, Netherlands and Swiss, funded projects. He has been a trainer, resource person and consultant to many organizations including EPTRI, EEI, SAMETI, APWELL, APIDC, SBI, MIDHANl, DANIDA, BHEL, DMRL, DRDL etc. He has authored and co-authored peer reviewed articles and published bulletins, contributed to news papers on agriculture and presented papers in various national and international conferences. His areas of interest include Agricultural Governance, Risk Management in Agriculture, ICT use in agriculture, Capacity building and Change management in agriculture. Mr. Prasad travelled widely in over 24 countries in Europe, Africa, North and South America, Australia and Asia including Pakistan.

Horticulture

Dr. G.B.K. Rao an eminent Engineer-turned-Environmentalist, the author and Architect of Pragati Resorts Ltd. hailed from an Agri Family born in December 1949, at Repalle, Guntur District, Andhra Pradesh, Graduated in Mechanical Engineering excelled himself as a Design Engineer in his assignments. Although Dr. Rao was in a Engineering field, he left that came into Horticulture Field, because he believes in Indian rich traditions, Heritage sacred plants and Gow-sampada through Biodiversity and Agriculture. Pragati’s vision is to create a Natural Environment & Biological Living, so that everybody can enjoy and experience divine nature. Pragati believes in natural farming an sustainable farming and where no pesticide is used.

Environmental Science, Horticulture, Natural farming an sustainable farming

Dr. Irfan Ali Khan obtained his M.Sc. from Aligarh Muslim University and PhD in Botany from Osmania University, Hyderabad, specializing in ‘Genetics and Plant Breeding’. He was the Former Director of Nawab Shah Alam Khan Centre for Post Graduate Studies and Research (Osmania University), Anwarul Uloom College Campus, Hyderabad, India. He has 163 research publications in the reputed National and International Journals and is now on the panel of ‘Experts on Mung bean’ for all countries of the South-East Asia and the Middle East. He has been the Editor of “Frontiers in Plant Science”, and has edited 74 reference books and has co-authored 3 text books with his wife, Dr. Atiya Khanum. He is a Fellow of the Indian Society of Genetics (F.I.S.G.). Besides this, he serves as the Editor-in-Chief of “Annals of Phytomedicine - An International Journal”.

Genetics and Plant Breeding, Biostatistics

R. R. Sharma after post-graduation from IARI, New Delhi, joined as Scientist there in 1997. He is Senior Scientist and associated with release of mango hybrids like Pusa Arunima, Pusa Surya, Pusa Lalima, Pusa Shresth, Pusa Pitamber etc. He has published 40 research articles in International journals, 60 in National journals, and authored 8 books. He is recipient of Dr. R.N. Singh award (twice), Dr Rajinder Prasad award (twice), and Himachal Shri Award. He has also served as International Mango Registrar for about 5 years (1999-2004). He is member, editorial board of Scientia Horticulturae, International Journal of Fruit Science (U.K.), American Journal of Plant Sciences (US), Journal of Food Processing and Technology (US), and Stewart Postharvest Reviews (UK), and Chief Editor of International Journal of Processing and Postharvest Technology, India.

Pre and Post harvest handling of temperate fruits, Food Science

Amtul Waris, PhD Extension Education and Fulbright Scholar, is working as a Principal Scientist in the Directorate of Rice Research, Hyderabad with focus on gender mainstreaming and capacity building of development personnel.

Agricultural Extension

Akhouri Hemantaranjan is Professor of Plant Physiology, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, India; Formerly University Head of the Department. PhD (1982) with First Class University career; 35 years Research and 30 years Post-graduate Teaching Experiences; Guided and produced 08 PhD and 37 MSc(Ag) Research Theses; Completed vital research projects. Published 105 international/national research and review papers - recurrently cited in world journals; Edited 21 Books. Recipient of UGC and CSIR prestigious Fellowships and Honours that also include \\\"Research Scientist\\\" Award.

In Abiotic Stresses & Significance of Micronutrients in Plant Regulation

Dr Shyam S. Yadav completed his Bachelor Degree in agriculture at the University of Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India, in 1964, and a Master Degree in Agriculture Botany (Genetics & Plant Breeding) from University of Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, India in 1967. He completed his PhD in Genetics & Plant Breeding at Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India in 1987.
Dr Shyam S. Yadav is presently working as a Freelance International Agriculture Consultant. Simultaneously, Dr. Yadav is also working as President, International Peace Foundation, Manav Yadav Memorial Trust, New Delhi, India. He is also engaged as a part time International Research Advisor in Agriculture on Capacity Development in Agriculture at Afghanistan Research Institute of Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation & Livestock, Government of Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, Kabul, Afghanistan.
Dr Yadav has a wide working experience as an agriculture scientist, consultant, and expert in different countries across the continents ranging from Australia, United States, Asia, and the Pacific Region. His primary interest of research has been focused on plant breeding, development of integrated crop production and management technologies and their dissemination among farming communities at village levels in diversified ecologies, mentoring and coaching of graduate and post graduate students, agricultural personnel, NGOs, and different stakeholders.
Dr. Yadav has worked as Chief Editor for books on Crop Adaptation to Climate Change, Wiley - Blackwell, A John Wiley & Sons Ltd. Publication, USA 2011, Climate Change and Management of Cool Season Grain Legume Crops, Springer, The Netherlands, 2010, Chickpea Breeding and Management, CABI, UK, 2007; and Lentils: An Ancient Crop of Modern Times, Springer, The Netherlands, 2007.

Plant breeding, development of integrated crop production and management technologies and their dissemination among farming communities at village levels in diversified ecologies

Dr. Reda Shahin graduated in Soils department, Faculty of Agric. Cairo University in 1971, and got M.Sc. in 1975 about the mineral transformations as affected by soil microorganisms, PhD in 1980 about the mechanisms involved in aggregate formation in calcareous soils. Dr. R. Shahin is a Professor of Soil Chemistry & Mineralogy, Soils Department, Faculty of Agriculture Cairo University, Treasurer of the Scientific Committee for Assistant professor Degree (Soil Science), Supreme Council of Egyptian Universities, Faculty Member of Quality Assurance Board, Reviewer expert in National Authority for Quality Assurance and Accreditation of Education (NAQAA) and Reviewer of the Arabian Journal of Geosciences (Springer). Dr. R. Shahin got State Award in Agriculture, Egyptian academy of Science & Technology, 1989, Presidency Excellence Medal (1995), SABEC award of Agriculture, Saudi Arabia, 1998, and WHO\'s WHO Award 2000. Supervised more than 30 PhD and M.Sc. Theses and published more than 75 scientific papers and four arabic books in the field of soil chemistry and geochemistry of heavy metals, mineralogy, soil and water pollution.

Soil Chemistry,Mineralogy, Soil Science, Geochemistry of heavy metals, Soil and water pollution

Sanjay Singh has completed his PhD in 1999 from Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India and thereafter associated in wheat research and coordination as wheat breeder at the Directorate of Wheat Research, Karnal, the nodal centre for wheat & barley research in India. He released 09 wheat varieties and registered 11 wheat genetic stocks for various traits. He published 173 research papers/ abstracts/chapters, etc. pertaining to wheat crop in particular in journals of national /international repute. He is a recipient of several awards including Lal Bahadur Shastri Young Scientist Award (ICAR) in 2007 & Young Scientist Award of the Council of Science and Technology, UP in 2008.

Crop science

Cheng Qin has completed his PhD at the age of 30 years from Sichuan Agricultural University and postdoctoral studies from South China Agricultural University in China. He is the director of Pepper Institute, Zunyi Academy of Agricultural Sciences in China, the only international, non-profit organization devoted to education and research related to Capsicum or peppers. He has published papers in PNAS, BMC genomics, etc.

Agriculture, Crop Science

Dr. Raveendra H. Patil, also internationally known by the name Dr. Ravi Patil obtained his B.Sc. (Agricultural Sciences; 1990-94), First Rank to the University (Four Gold Medals), M.Sc. (Agronomy; 1994-96), First Rank to the University (Two Gold Medals), and Ph.D (Agroforestry Systems 1997-2000) from the University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad, India (www.uasd.edu). As an outstanding student Dr. Patil received University Merit Scholarship for B.Sc. degree program, ICAR Junior and Senior Research Fellowships for M.Sc. and PhD, respectively, and ASPEE R&D, Mumbai research fellowship for M.Sc. degree program. Soon after completing PhD, he joined UAS, Dharwad as Assistant Professor in Feb. 2000. Since then he has carried out teaching, research and extension activities at different campuses of the UAS Dharwad.
His PhD work on allelopathy in agroforestry systems was recognized with Two National Level Young Scientist Awards: one by the Indian Science Congress Association (ISCA), Kolkata in Jan. 2003 during the 90th session of Indian Science Congress, and the other as Lal Bahadhur Young Scientist Award for the biennium 2005-06 by the ICAR, New Delhi Ministry of Agriculture, Govt. of India,. Later in Jul. 2003 Dr. Patil bagged Chinese Govt. Scholarship and visited Yangzhou University as Senior Scholar on advanced research training on abiotic stress management in wheat. In Jan. 2006, the Royal Society, London,UK awarded him International Post-Doc Fellowship and research funding to assess environmental risks of CCS technology at the University of Nottingham.
After the completion of this project, with the growing interest in agro-environmental issues and climate change, Dr. Patil went on a long sabbatical leave and joined the University of Copenhagen, Denmark to work on issues related to climate change and agriculture under the guidance of two eminent climate scientists: Dr. John Porter and Dr. Jorgen Olesen, both were part of IPCC team which won Nobel Peace prize for the year 2007. Between 2008 and 2011, Dr. Patil worked on two large multi-disciplinary and cross institutional projects: The Danish Govt. funded IMPACT project and European Union funded CLIVAGRI project, and assessed the impacts of changes in climatic factors and climatic variability on cereal crops performance, soil-plant-water relations and soil N cycling/fluxes using both climate control experiments and dynamic multi-process based crop models. During this period Dr. Patil travelled across Europe to present research findings and visited more than 15 academic institutions spread across Europe. In March 2011Dr. Patil joined the University of Florida as a Visiting Research Scholar and worked for two years on a NSF funded project to develop Gene-based crop eco-physiological model and returned back in April 2013 to the parent University in India.
Dr Patil has supervised 4 PhD and 6 M.Sc. students while working at UK, Denmark and USA, and now teaches and supervises University graduate students. He has successfully worked on several multi-disciplinary and cross-institutional projects, and as a Principal Researcher completed five research projects funded by both National and International agencies worth >400 million Indian rupees. Dr. Patil is presently serving as an Editorial Member and Review Team for many international journals and he is a Fellow and Life member of many Scientific Bodies of National and International repute.
Presently he is working as Sr. Scientist, in-charge of agronomy research on Safflower crop in All-India Coordinated research project at UAS, Dharwad. He has >50 research papers either published in peer reviewed journals or presented at international and national level conferences. More than 10 original research papers are exclusively published in high impact International journals and contributed two book chapters with reputed international publishing houses. Dr. Patil, between 2003 and 2013, apart from living and working in China, UK, Denmark and USA, travelled across the globe to visit most of the European countries, Australia, Mexico, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia, Philippines to name a few.
Dr. Ravi Patil’s current research interests include (i) identifying economically profitable and environmentally sustainable alternative rainfed cropping systems, (ii) precision agriculture, (iii) studying impact of climate on crop performance and soil N cycling, (iv) optimizing resources management and containing GHG fluxes from farming, (v) Mechanization in safflower crop production, and (vi) developing climate smart agricultural practices and climate adaptation strategies using crop models.

Agro-forestry and Sustainable production systems Crop production under changing climate and plant nutrition Soil nutrient cycling and GHG emissions from agro-ecosystems Crop model application to assess climate change impacts and identify adaptation strategies

Dejan Agic was born in Osijek, Croatia in 1973. He graduated from the Pedagogic Faculty of the Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek in 2000. In 2003, Mr Agic was employed as a junior researcher at the Department of Chemistry of the Agricultural Faculty of Osijek. During his doctoral study, he was trained at the Laboratory of Cellular Biochemistry as part of the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the ’’Ruđer Bošković’’ Institute of Zagreb. His doctoral degree was obtained at the Faculty of Science of the University of Zagreb in 2013. Since then works as a senior research assistant and participate in performance of laboratory practice comprising the following modules: ’’Basics of Biochemistry and Microbiology’’, ’’Plant Physiology“, ’’Biochemistry“, ’’Plant Biochemistry and Physiology’’, ’’Animal Biochemistry and Physiology“ and ’’Technology of Bee Products“. So far, Mr Agic has published seven scientific papers quoted in CC/SCI, six papers in other magazines and has participated in several national and international scientific conferences. He is a member of the Croatian Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

Biochemistry and Microbiology, Plant Physiology, Biochemistry, Plant Biochemistry and Physiology, Animal Biochemistry and Physiology and Technology of Bee Products

Born in 1942, Prof. Srivastava did his PhD in 1967 from University of Allahabad. He joined Haryana Agricultural University in 1967, served as Cotton Pathologist, Extension Plant Pathologist, Professor, Head Plant Pathology, and Director, Planning, Monitoring & Evaluation till his superannuation in 2002. He is a distinguished plant pathologist with 50 years of experience, recognized nationally and internationally for his contributions on post-harvest diseases, multiple resistance in rice, and on technology/knowledge transfer, plant health clinic and fungicides. With his vision, dedication and sustained efforts he is largely responsible for the rapid progress of plant clinic and application of plant pathology knowledge in mitigating losses and ensuring sustainable agriculture. He is considered as protagonist of plant health clinic, and an architect of extension plant pathology in the country and is remembered for his contribution and innovative periodicals such as Plant Disease Warning,& Plant Pathology Courier among others. Dr Srivastava has created a niche for himself as a leading extension plant pathologist, consultant on fungicides, advisor on plant health/ailments, and plant health clinic.
In recognition of his significant contribution in Technology transfer, he was awarded coveted ‘Fellowship of The National Academy of Sciences’ in 1988,‘Best Extension National Award’ by Indian Council of Agricultural Research in 1996 and was invited to deliver a lecture on Technology Flow in 7th International Congress of Plant Pathology (ICPP) at Edinburgh in 1998, and later a Keynote address on Plant Pathology Knowledge transfer in 8th ICPP at Christchurch, New Zealand in 2003, and invited lecture on Knowledge transfer in 10th International Congress of Plant Pathology (ICPP) on Aug 28, 2013 at Beijing, China. In September 2013, he was conferred Dr Radhakrishnan Award 2013 for his singular contribution in Education and National development, while International Technological Achievement Award on 9th February 2013 by EET CRS for internationally acclaimed technology and its dissemination to growers.
He has played a pivotal role in popularization of plant clinic by delivering invited lectures in India, China, New Zealand, Singapore, Italy, Germany with greater emphasis on organized plant clinic. He arranged an ‘Evening Session on Plant Health Clinic’ in 9th International Congress of Plant Pathology at Turin, Italy in 2008. Recently he delivered an invited keynote address on ’Plant clinics hold key to food security’ and organized Key note Session-5 in 10th ICPP at Beijing on August 29, 2013.
Prof. Srivastava, has been President of Indian Society of Plant Pathologists, President of Indian Phytopathology (NZ), twice Member House of Delegate of Asian Societies of Plant Pathology, and is currently Senior Vice President of Association of Plant Pathologists of India, Chief Editor of Indian Journal of Plant Pathology, and Member Pesticide Panel of Department of Science & Technology, Government of India, and Technical Advisor of Pestology, Fellow of the National academy of Sciences & member of British Society for Plant Pathology, German Phytomedical Society, among others.
He has guided a dozen of students for PhD on integrated management /biological control of pathogen and noxious weed Parthenium. He has delivered over a dozen of Keynote/Plenary/invited lectures in India and abroad, and has published more than 175 papers and over 300 popular articles besides 6 booklets and 5 book chapters. He is an eloquent orator and has appeared on national television and All-India Radio to deliver talk and conduct panel discussion on diverse issues of plant protection. He also coordinated and anchored a week-long SATCOM program on Integrated Rural Development, broadcasted from Delhi Earth Station employing INSAT-2A in 1995. His key areas of interest are: technology transfer, plant health clinic, integrated pest management and fungicides. Currently offering online diagnosis and remedies against pest, and advice on establishment of plant clinics and latest know-how in plant protection through his web portal www.xsgrowth.com at zero cost.

Plant Science, Plant Pathology

Amrit Lal Singh, Principal Scientist (Plant Physiology) ICAR, Head Basic Sciences, Directorate of Groundnut Research is a pioneer in “Mineral nutrition and stress tolerance of crop plants”, an important subject for sustainable food and nutritional security, and has been extending his unstinted services to the nation for the past 33 years in this field and currently on micronutrient biofortification.
Born in a farmer’s family, on July 15 1959, at Chhitakpur, Mirzapur, U.P., Dr Singh received his basic education from his native village and passed high school (1974) from SSNIC Hansipur, Mirzapur, and intermediate (1976) from MLIC, Mawaiya, Mirzapur, U.P. He did his B.Sc (1978) and M.Sc. Botany (1980) from BHU, Varanasi and worked, as research fellow at CRRI, Cuttack (1981-1984), on the “biological nitrogen fixation by Azolla-Anabaena complex and blue green algal biofertilizers and successfully demonstrated their use in rice” and was awarded Ph.D in Botany from Utkal University, Bhubaneswar. Dr Singh, married to Dr (Mrs) Pushplata Singh in 1985, had one daughter and one Son. Permanent address Vill. Tarnga, PO Sakteshgarh via Chunar, Mirzapur 231304, U.P.
Dr Singh, joined ICAR as an ARS Scientist Plant Physiology, in Jan 1985 and since then working on the various aspects of crop physiology, mineral nutrition in problem soils, production physiology and water and salinity stresses. He is the life member of more than a dozen of scientific societies including ISPP, SPPB, SBB, ISSS, ISGPB, ISOR, ISCA and published more than 200 research papers, covering 25 review articles and book chapters, seven books, one manual and two technology bulletins.
He is Fellow of ISPP, New Delhi and Indian Society for oilseeds Research, Hyderabad, and recipient of the AAAS Junior Medal (1990) and J.J. Chinoy Gold medal award (2011) of the ISPP, New Delhi, and S.N. Ranade Memorial Junior Scientist Award (2000) of the Institute of Micronutrient Technology, Pune, India. Dr Singh served as a vice-President (2012) and Zonal secretary (west Zone) of the ISPP, New Delhi.
Dr Singh has widely travelled in India and abroad and visited China, Japan, Tanzania, Turkey and USA and worked as Referee/Reviewer of the Annals of Applied Biology, Australian J. of Crop Science, Journal of Plant Nutrition, USA, Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science Germany. Dr Singh is editor of “Recent Advances in Crop Physiology” an International treatise published twice in a year from 2014 by Astral International.

Mineral nutrition and stress tolerance of crop plants

Dr Ferdinand Nkem Mbagwu was born to the family of Chief and Mrs Peter Ejiogu of Ndiokwu village in Ibele authonomous community in Njaba Local Government Area of Imo State Nigeria in the year 1969. Dr Mbagwu F.N. attended community School Umuaka from 1974 -1980; Umuaka High School from 1980 -1985; Rivers State School of Arts and Science1985-1986; University of Port Harcourt from1988-1992; Imo State University Owerri Nigreia from1995-1997 and Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike Nigeria from2000-2005. He has the following degrees FSLS, WASC, BSC BOTANY,MSC BOTANY, and PhD in Plant Taxonomy and Biosystematics. He is a senior lecturer with Imo State University Owerri Nigeria and currently the Head of the Department of Plant Science and Biotechnology. He has held different positions at Imo State University such as Departmental exam officer, member admission screening committee, member University exam committee, chairman, university time table committee, Time table officer, Faculty of science. Cordinator, departmental postgraduate programme, Associate Dean, Inssitute of continuing Education Programme. He has supervised up to five Msc students. He is an editor of African Journal of Biotechnology. He is a fellow Institute of corporate Administration of Nigeria. He is a member of Botanical Society of Nigeria, Member-Moringa Association of Nigeria, Member-West African Research and Innovation Management Association. He has published over48 journal articles both local and international. He has written over 12 books and has co authored over 8 books. He has attended about 5 conferences with papers presented.

Plant Science, Plant Biotechnology

Dr. S.N.S. Chaurasia has completed his PhD at the age of 30 years from Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, and Varanasi. He has served in different capacity and now Principal Scientist and Head, at a premier Institute on Vegetables ‘Indian Institute of Vegetable Research’ at Varanasi. He has published more than 50 research papers in reputed journals, 250 articles in magazines, 50 book chapters, delivered about 45 radio talks on All India Radio, 250 stories on DD-1 and E.T.V. in Krihsi Darshan and Annadata programme, handled about a dozens of In-house and externally funded projects. Dr. Chaurasia has been serving as an editorial board member of repute.

Horticulture(Vegetables; Over all vegetable production (Nursery raising, organic farming, integrated nutrient management, protected cultivation)