Advisory Board and Editors Horticulture
Saurav Das
Dr. Saurav Das is a soil scientist with expertise in soil health, soil carbon, microbial ecology, and sustainable agriculture. He serves as the Research Director of the Farming Systems Trial at Rodale Institute, where his work focuses on understanding the intersection of soil management, plant health, and ecosystem services in organic and regenerative farming systems. Dr. Das has published extensively on topics such as biogeochemistry of carbon and nitrogen, soil health, soil carbon, microbial community dynamics, and the integration of data-driven approaches in agricultural research. He is committed to advancing sustainable practices that balance productivity and environmental health.
Janendra De Costa
Janendra De Costa is the Senior Professor and Chair of Crop Science at the University of Peradeniya in Sri Lanka. In his research, Prof. De Costa explores the interactions between plants and their environment. In particular, he is interested in unravelling the influence of climate on the functioning (i.e. physiology) of plants, their growth and productivity. His research has spanned across a range of agricultural crops in agro-ecosystems and natural plant species in forest ecosystems, with a special focus on climate change and its impacts on agricultural crops and tropical rainforests, their climate and soils. Prof. De Costa’s research has been predominantly empirical, strongly based on quantitative observations in the field and data analysis to build relationships, with a limited amount of simulation modelling and molecular biology.
As part of his interactions with the wider scientific community at the national level, Prof. De Costa takes an interest in policy formulation and funding for scientific research and development. He has served in national level research funding agencies, policy formulating bodies, editorial boards, governing boards and research monitoring and evaluation committees of national agencies. Currently, he functions as the Chairperson of the Consultative Committee for Research of the Tea Research Institute of Sri Lanka and is a member of the governing board of the Sugarcane Research Institute of Sri Lanka. As part of his social responsibility as a scientist, Prof. De Costa writes regularly to national newspapers on topical issues with a view to increasing scientific literacy and awareness among the general public.
Mohamed A. El-Esawi
Dr. Mohamed A. El-Esawi is Professor at Faculty of Science, Tanta University, Egypt. Dr. El-Esawi received his BSc and MSc from Tanta University, and his Ph.D. degree from Dublin Institute of Technology, Technological University Dublin, Ireland. After obtaining his Ph.D., Dr. El-Esawi joined the University of Warwick in the United Kingdom, University of Sorbonne in France, University of Leuven (KU Leuven) in Belgium and University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom as a visiting research fellow. His research focuses on genetics, molecular biology, environmental health and safety, environmental stress, biotechnology, molecular physiology, developmental biology, and bioinformatics. He has authored more than 150 international peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, books, and patents, and has participated in more than 70 conferences and workshops worldwide. Dr. El-Esawi has received several grants and international awards and recognition, including the Plants 2021 Young Investigator Award (MDPI, Switzerland). He has been ranked among the world's top 2% Scientists by Stanford University in USA, and is currently involved in several research projects.
Blanca B. Landa
EDUCATION:
Ph.D. Agricultural Engineer, Institute of Sustainable Agriculture, CSIC, and University of Cordoba, Cordoba, Spain. July, 1999.
RESEARCH INTERESTS:
Population biology and biogeography of soilborne pathogens and biocontrol angents in the rhizosphere. Integrated control of plant pathogens; Rhizosphere microbial ecology; Biocontrol; Molecular diagnosis; Metagenomic analysis of microbial populations.
Franco Nigro
Full Professor of Plant Pathology at the Department of Soil, Plant and Food Sciences of the University of Bari - Aldo Moro. He holds the courses "Biotechnology for the Health and Safety of Vegetable Production integrated with the Certification of Agri-food Production" (Master's Degree in Biotechnology for Food Quality and Safety), and the module of Phytopathological Bacteriology (Bachelor Degree in Agricultural Science and Technology). The research activity focus on some relevant diseases of olive trees (quick decline syndrome, verticillium wilt, anthracnose, cercosporiosis), citrus fruits (Phytophthora root rot, and “mal secco” diseases), stone fruit (white root rot). Recently, he also reported the occurrence of Candidatus Phytoplasma phoenicium, a quarantine pathogen of the almond tree, in Apulia.
Ali Noman
Dr. Ali Noman received his PhD from Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China. His research and teaching interests include plant-environment Interaction, plant immune responses, and plant survival tactics under changing environments. Currently He serves as an Assistant Professor of Botany at the Government College University, Faisalabad.
He has published many papers in peer reviewed and world renowned journals, such as Science of the Total Environment, Environmental Pollution, Environmental and Experimental Botany, Chemosphere, Environmental Research and many international conferences. Dr. Noman also serves as member of editorial boards and editor for different journals.
Ahmet Tansel Serim
Dr. Ahmet Tansel Serim is an Associate Professor at Bilecik Seyh Edebali University. Turkey. He completed his B.Sc. in Plant Protection at Ankara University in 1997, and his Ph.D. in Weed Science at Ankara University in 2010.
Dr. Serim has worked at the Plant Protection Central Research Institute as an agricultural engineer, Directorate of Testing Agricultural Machinery and Tools, and General Directorate of Agricultural Research and Policy. He has also been a visiting researcher at Tuscia University, researching sustainable soil and water management.
Dr. Serim's research interests include weed science, weed biology and ecology, weed management strategies, herbicides, herbicide resistance, integrated weed management, rare arable weeds, weed suppression, allelopathy, cropping systems, population dynamics, carryover of herbicides, water stress-effects on crops and selectivity of herbicides.
Nasim Ahmad Yasin
Dr. Nasim Ahmad Yasin is a Associate Professor at the University of the Punjab carrying out research in the field of Horticulture and Environmental Science.
Educational background:
2021-2022: Post-Doctorate: Vegetable Research Institute, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, China.
2015: PhD: Institute of Agricultural Sciences: University of the Punjab Lahore.
1997: MSc. (Hon): University College of Agriculture, Rawalakot: The University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir –Muzaffarabad Azad Kashmir.
1995: BSc. (Hon): Barani Agriculture College, Rawalpindi. University of Agriculture, Faisalabad.
Humaira Yasmin
Dr Humaira Yasmin is tenured Associate professor (TTS) within the Department of Biosciences, COMSATS University, Islamabad, Pakistan. Her research interests include plant-microbe interactions, plant stress physiology, biofertilizers technology, soil microbiology, crop pathology, plant protection, plant biochemistry and molecular biology, medicinal plants, environmental microbiology, and agricultural nanotechnology. Dr Yasmin's research focuses on understanding the detailed biochemical mechanisms adapted by crops when exposed to biotic (fungal/ bacterial) pathogens, abiotic stresses (drought, salinity, heavy metals and heat). She is also investigating various eco-friendly and economic solutions to reduce the adverse impacts of environmental stresses on economically important crops. The techniques studied include isolation, characterization and mode of action of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR). Green synthesis and characterization of nanoparticles from medicinal plants and their application in agriculture to alleviate different stresses. Application of growth regulators (hormones (GA, ABA, SA, BS etc.), chelators (Oxalic acid, mellic acid etc.) and other chemical compounds to increase plant protection. Moreover, synergistic effects of the above mentioned solutions are also under consideration.