Jianglong Li | Plant Physiology | Research Excellence Award

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Mr. Jianglong Li | Plant Physiology | Research Excellence Award

College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural University | China

Li Jianglong is a promising early-career researcher currently completing his B.Eng. in Facility Agriculture Science and Engineering at South China Agricultural University. His academic training emphasizes greenhouse cultivation, soilless cultivation, plant physiology, and environmental control technologies in horticulture. He has already published one first-author peer-reviewed paper in the journal Horticulturae, titled “Light-Nutrient Optimization Enhances Cherry Tomato Yield and Quality in Greenhouses”; to date (December 2025). His research interests focus on nutrient optimization strategies, precision hydroponic management, greenhouse seedling production, and sustainable facility agriculture for high-quality horticultural crops. Beyond the lab, he led a provincially funded undergraduate innovation project exploring bioactive compounds in colorful cherry tomatoes and their precise nutrient-solution management, and he captained a “Maker Cup” innovation competition project on multi-target regulation of cherry-tomato sub-health ecosystems. He has earned multiple awards in provincial English writing contests, university-level competitions, and national scholarships, demonstrating both academic versatility and communication skills. Committed, hardworking, and team-oriented, he aspires to contribute to sustainable horticultural production and crop quality improvement through integrated greenhouse technologies.

Profile: Orcid

Featured Publication

Li, J., Xie, Z., Zhao, T., Li, H., Chen, R., Song, S., & Zhang, Y. (2025). Light–nutrient optimization enhances cherry tomato yield and quality in greenhouses. Horticulturae,

Ginés Benito Martínez Hernández | plant science | Excellence in Research award

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Prof. Dr. Ginés Benito Martínez Hernández | plant science | Excellence in Research award

Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena | Spain

Ginés Benito Martínez Hernández is a Senior Lecturer at the Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena (UPCT), where he also serves in the Agricultural Engineering Department. He earned a PhD in Advanced Techniques in Agricultural and Food Research and Development from UPCT in 2012, following his MSc and technical engineering degree in food and agricultural industries. He has completed advanced international training in postharvest technology and food microbiology through programs in the USA, Italy, and the Netherlands. His research focuses on nanotechnology-driven solutions for food preservation, including active packaging, nanoencapsulation of plant bioactive compounds, natural antioxidants, food safety, and shelf-life improvement. Dr. Martínez Hernández has authored 105 scientific publications, including 88 JCR-indexed papers—70 in Q1 journals—along with book chapters and Acta Horticulturae contributions. His works have received 3360 citations from 105 documents, with an h-index of 34, demonstrating his strong scientific influence. He holds multiple patents and has led and contributed to numerous European, national, and industry-funded research projects. As a mentor, he has supervised PhD and postgraduate students who now contribute to research and innovation sectors. His work bridges academic excellence, industrial collaboration, and societal benefit through safer, high-quality, and more sustainable food systems.

Profiles: Scopus | Google Scholar | Orcid

Featured Publications

Martínez-Hernández, G. B., Navarro-Martínez, A., & López-Gómez, A. (2025). Carnauba wax enriched with encapsulated plant essential oils into native β-cyclodextrins as an innovative wax coating on citrus fruits. Industrial Crops and Products.

Tortosa-Díaz, L., Saura-Martínez, J., Taboada-Rodríguez, A., Martínez-Hernández, G. B., López-Gómez, A., & Marín-Iniesta, F. (2025). Influence of industrial processing of artichoke and by-products on the bioactive and nutritional compounds. Food Engineering Reviews.

Tortosa-Díaz, L., Martínez-Hernández, G. B., López-Avilés, F. J., Juárez-Marín, M., Saura-Martínez, J., & Marín-Iniesta, F. (2025). New artichoke flours with high content of bioactive compounds. Applied Sciences.

Tortosa-Díaz, L., Martínez-Hernández, G. B., López-Avilés, F. J., Juárez-Marín, M., Saura-Martínez, J., & Marín-Iniesta, F. (2025). New artichoke flours with high content of bioactive products.

Nieto, G., Martínez-Zamora, L., Peñalver, R., Marín-Iniesta, F., Taboada-Rodríguez, A., López-Gómez, A., & Martínez-Hernández, G. B. (2024). Applications of plant bioactive compounds as replacers of synthetic additives in the food industry. Foods,

Kiran Bala Behura | Crop Water | Best Researcher Award

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Ms. Kiran Bala Behura | Crop Water | Best Researcher Award

College of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, OUAT, Bhubaneswar | India

Kiran Bala Behura is currently pursuing a PhD at the College of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT), Bhubaneswar, having previously earned a Master’s degree in Soil and Water Conservation Engineering (where she was a gold-medalist) and a Bachelor of Technology in Agricultural Engineering from OUAT. She has gained practical research experience as a research scholar at the ICAR-Indian Institute of Water Management, Bhubaneswar where she worked on seawater intrusion in coastal aquifers of Puri district, Odisha, and as a trainee at institutions including the Indian Institute of Soil and Water Conservation (Dehradun), Indian Institute of Remote Sensing/ISRO (Dehradun and Ahmedabad) and the KSCSTE-Centre for Water Resources Development & Management. Her research interests centre on remote sensing and GIS applications for evapotranspiration estimation and water-salinity intrusion in coastal aquifers, groundwater quality assessment in eastern India, and mapping of rice fallow areas for second cropping opportunities. She has authored peer-reviewed work such as “Evaluation of Actual Evapotranspiration from Rice Fields of Odisha Using Remote Sensing Based Surface Energy Balance Approach” and “Hydrogeochemical Assessment of Groundwater Quality and Salinity Intrusion in Coastal Aquifers of Eastern India.” She was awarded the Best Poster Award at the 58th ISAE Annual Convention & International Symposium in 2024 and her MSc gold medal recognises academic excellence. Through combining geospatial techniques, hydrogeochemistry and agricultural-water engineering, Behura contributes to sustainable water resource management and climate-smart agriculture in coastal and rice-dominated regions of India.

Profile: Orcid

Featured Publications

Behura, K. B., Mohanty, S., Pratim, P., & Ghosh, S. (2025, March 22). Hydrogeochemical assessment of groundwater quality and salinity intrusion in coastal aquifers of eastern India. Journal of Agricultural Engineering (India).

Behura, K. B., Raul, S. K., Paul, J. C., Mohanty, S., Jena, P. P., Dwibedi, S. K., Ghosh, S., Singh, L. K., Devi, S. R., & Singha, A. K. et al. (2025, March 4). Comprehensive analysis of methods for estimating actual paddy evapotranspiration—A review. Frontiers in Water.

Atikilt Alemayehu | Sustainable Agriculture | Best Researcher Award

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Mr. Atikilt Alemayehu | Sustainable Agriculture | Best Researcher Award

Agricultural research | Ethiopia

Atikilt Abera Alemayehu is a soil and water conservation researcher at the Amhara Agricultural Research Institute (ARARI), Gondar, Ethiopia, with extensive expertise in watershed management, soil erosion control, hydrological modeling, and sustainable land use practices. He earned his M.Sc. in Soil and Water Conservation Engineering from Hawassa University and his B.Sc. in Natural Resources Management from Bahir Dar University. His research addresses critical challenges in soil and water resource management, including sediment yield reduction, carbon sequestration, agroforestry interventions, runoff and moisture measurement, and geospatial modeling using tools such as GIS, RS, SWAT, and InVEST. Atikilt has authored more than 4 scientific documents, published in peer-reviewed journals such as Environmental Challenges, Journal of Soils and Sediments, Journal of Agriculture and Food Research, and Turkish Journal of Agriculture – Food Science and Technology. His academic contributions have earned him over 37 citations, with an h-index of 3. In addition to publishing, he has presented at national and international conferences, trained stakeholders, and coordinated research projects that bridge science and practice. Committed to advancing sustainable agriculture and environmental resilience, his work continues to make significant impacts on soil and water conservation in Ethiopia and beyond.

Profiles: Scopus | Orcid

Featured Publications

Alemayehu, A. A., Desalegn, M., & Hunie, M. (2024). Introduction of a siphon pump for large-scale irrigation in East Belesa district, Ethiopia. International Journal on Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources.

Alemayehu, A. A., Getu, L. A., Addis, H. K., Samuel, T., Ayalew, B., Addis, A., Feyisa, T., Hunie, M., Getu, E., Adane, M., et al. (2024). Spatial assessment of soil resources on different land uses and slope gradient as a planning tool in Ferenjua watershed, Ethiopia. Environmental Challenges.

Alemayehu, A. A., Getu, L. A., Samual, T., Ayalew, B., Addis, H. K., Feyisa, T., Worku, T., Tahir, M., & Getu, E. (2023). Effects of tillage practices and planting techniques on crop yield and soil properties in northwestern lowlands of Ethiopia. Journal of Agriculture and Food Research.

Addis, H. K., Ayalew, B., Gebretsadik, M., Abera, A., Getu, L. A., & Addis, A. K. (2023). Cross-correlation of soil moisture and stone content and their spatial pattern across the different slope aspects and soil depth. Turkish Journal of Agriculture – Food Science and Technology.

Alemayehu, A. A., Muluneh, A., Moges, A., & Kendie, H. (2020). Estimation of sediment yield and effectiveness of level stone bunds to reduce sediment loss in the Gumara-Maksegnit watershed, Nile Basin, Ethiopia. Journal of Soils and Sediments.