Muhammad Usman | Soil Science | Editorial Board Member

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Dr. Muhammad Usman | Soil Science | Editorial Board Member

University of Agriculture Faisalabad | Pakistan

Muhammad Usman is a soil scientist and emerging environmental researcher whose work focuses on soil contamination, heavy metal dynamics, nanoparticles in agriculture, salinity tolerance, and sustainable crop production systems. He holds a PhD in Soil Science from the University of Agriculture Faisalabad, where he also earned his MSc (Hons.) and BSc (Hons.) in Agriculture with specialization in Soil Science. with publications appearing in Chemosphere, Environmental Research, Environmental Pollution, Journal of Hazardous Materials, Plants, Phyton, and Arabian Journal of Geosciences. His research contributions include investigating Cd bioavailability, biochar amendments, nano-fertilizers, salinity stress mitigation, and nutrient dynamics in major crops such as wheat, rice, maize, and lettuce. Professionally, he has served as a Teaching Assistant at the Institute of Soil and Environmental Sciences (UAF) and has industry experience as a Technical Fertilizer Advisor with FMC United Pvt. Ltd. He has attended multiple national and international trainings and received the prestigious ICOBTE-ICHMET 2023 Conference Scholarship for Junior Scientists in Germany. Usman actively contributes to scientific publishing as an editorial board member and peer reviewer. He aims to advance sustainable agriculture through innovative soil management solutions and environmentally safe technologies.

Profiles: Scopus | Orcid

Featured Publications

Shaghaleh, H., Akram, T., Zia-ur-Rehman, M., Usman, M., Alhaj Hamoud, Y., Rizwan, M., Alharby, H. F., Alamri, A. M., Alharbi, B. M., & Abdulmajeed, A. M. (2025). Acid-modified biochar mitigates salt stress in maize by enhancing nutrient availability and antioxidant defense system under variable salt-affected soils. Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition.

Muhammad Zia-ur-Rehman, Usman, M., Ahmed, R., Ahmad, A., Akram, T., Maqsood, A., & Aslam, H. (2025). Precision input management for reducing resource wastage and enhancing production efficiency. Agriculture Toward Net Zero Emissions.

Ali, A. A., Lamlom, S. F., El-Sorady, G., Elmahdy, A. M., Abd Elghany, S. H., Usman, M., Alamri, A., Shaghaleh, H., Alhaj Hamoud, Y., & Abdelghany, A. M. (2024). Boosting resilience and yields in water-stressed sunflower through coordinated irrigation scheduling and silica gel applications. Heliyon,.

Alhaj Hamoud, Y., Shaghaleh, H., Zia-ur-Rehman, M., Rizwan, M., Umair, M., Usman, M., Ayub, M. A., Riaz, U., Alnusairi, G. S. H., & Alghanem, S. M. S. (2024). Cadmium and lead accumulation in important food crops due to wastewater irrigation: Pollution index and health risks assessment. Heliyon.

Alhaj Hamoud, Y., Zia-ur-Rehman, M., Kakakhel, I. A. M., Usman, M., Rizwan, M., Shaghaleh, H., Mohiuddin, G., Alzahrani, Y. M., Alharby, H. F., & Alsamadany, H. (2024). Comparative effects of micron-sized silicon sources and Si nanoparticles on growth, defense system and cadmium accumulation in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivated in Cd-contaminated soil. Environmental Technology & Innovation,

Jose González-Andújar | Invasive Plant Species | Editorial Board Member

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Prof. Dr. Jose González-Andújar | Invasive Plant Species | Editorial Board Member

Instituto de Agricultura Sostenible (CSIC) | Spain

Dr. José Luis González Andújar is a leading researcher in weed science and agroecology, currently serving as a senior scientist at the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) in the Institute for Sustainable Agriculture, Córdoba, Spain. He holds a PhD in Biological Sciences from the Complutense University of Madrid and has built an outstanding academic career. His scientific impact is reflected in an approximate, including the Weed Science Group and the Weed Agroecology Research Group (AGR-271), and has held major administrative roles such as Scientific Director of the International Laboratory on Global Change. His research focuses on weed ecology, population modelling, integrated weed management, decision-support tools, and climate-change impacts on agroecosystems. He has supervised numerous PhD and MSc theses, taught in more than 30 international courses, and served as guest or visiting professor across Europe and the Americas. Recognized widely for his contributions, he has received prestigious honors including the WSSA Honorary Member Award, OECD Fellowship, and several national research merit distinctions.

Profile: Google Scholar 

Featured Publications

Kattge, J., Bönisch, G., Díaz, S., Lavorel, S., Prentice, I. C., Leadley, P., … González-Andújar, J. L. (2020). TRY plant trait database–enhanced coverage and open access. Global Change Biology.

González-Andújar, J. L., & Fernández-Quintanilla, C. (1991). Modelling the population dynamics of Avena sterilis under dry-land cereal cropping systems. Journal of Applied Ecology.

Dorado, J., Sousa, E., Calha, I. M., González-Andújar, J. L., … (2009). Predicting weed emergence in maize crops under two contrasting climatic conditions. Weed Research.

Perry, J. N., & González-Andujar, J. L. (1993). Dispersal in a metapopulation neighbourhood model of an annual plant with a seedbank. Journal of Ecology.

González-Andújar, J. L., & Saavedra, M. (2003). Spatial distribution of annual grass weed populations in winter cereals. Crop Protection,

Chanjoo Park | Medicinal Plants | Best Researcher Award

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Dr. Chanjoo Park | Medicinal Plants | Best Researcher Award

National Institute of Forest Science | South Korea

Dr. Chanjoo Park is a postdoctoral research associate in the Forest Industrial Materials Division of the National Institute of Forest Science (South Korea) since February 2024, where he leads the development of forest-resource-derived essential oils, their quality & safety evaluation, antimicrobial screening and an industrial-scale distillation facility. Previously, from October 2021 to December 2023 he served as Research Professor in the College of Forest & Environmental Sciences at Kangwon National University, coordinating international forestry training programmes and teaching scientific writing. He earned his PhD (Agriculture) from the University of Tasmania (Australia) in December 2021, studying commercial production of Kunzea ambigua essential oil; his M.Sc. (Food & Nutrition) was awarded at Pusan National University (Korea) in 2015, and his B.Sc. was completed at Sungshin Women’s University, Seoul. Dr. Park’s research emphasizes sustainable extraction and valorisation of aromatic forestry biomass, optimisation of essential-oil yield and bioactive constituent profiling, antimicrobial and functional-food applications, and standardisation according to international fragrance and oil-quality standards. He has published on topics of essential oils from forest waste and native forestry species in South Korea including Kunzea ambigua, Pinaceae and Cupressaceae oils. His work contributes to industrial bio-valorisation of forest by-products and sustainable green chemistry of aromatic compounds.

Profiles: Google Scholar | Orcid

Featured Publications

Park, C., Woo, H., & Park, M.-J. (2023). Development of Pinaceae and Cupressaceae essential oils from forest waste in South Korea. Plants.

Park, C., Garland, S. M., & Close, D. C. (2022). The effect of the height of coppicing and harvest season on the yield and quality of the essential oil of Kunzea ambigua. Plants.

Park, C., & Woo, H. (2022). Development of native essential oils from forestry resources in South Korea. Life.

Park, C., Garland, S. M., & Close, D. C. (2022). Yield and profile of essential oil of Kunzea ambigua: Prediction using solvent extraction and effects of distillation time. Journal of Essential Oil Bearing Plants.

Wohor Zakaria Osman | Weed Science | Best Researcher Award

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Dr. Wohor Zakaria Osman | Weed Science | Best Researcher Award

CSIC- Institute for sustainable agriculture | Ghana

Dr Osman Zakaria Wohor earned a BSc in Agricultural Technology (Agronomy) from the University for Development Studies, Ghana, before completing a Post-Graduate Diploma and an MSc (Cum laude) in International Plant Breeding at the CIHEAM-MAZ (Zaragoza) and the University of Lleida, Spain. He is currently pursuing a PhD in Plant Breeding and Genetics at the University of Córdoba (2019-2025) with distinction. Dr Wohor serves as a Post-Doctoral Associate and Plant Breeder at the Institute for Sustainable Agriculture (CSIC-IAS) in Córdoba, leading a soybean breeding programme targeting Mediterranean environments and contributing to a pea-resistance breeding initiative focused on Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. pisi and Orobanche crenata. His research interests centre on germplasm assembly, phenotyping, genome-wide association studies (GWAS), and breeding crop resilience in legume systems. Dr Wohor has co-authored multiple peer-reviewed publications to date 4documents with a citation count of approximately 44 citations, and an estimated h-index of 3. In summary, Dr Wohor is a dynamic plant breeder bridging global germplasm resources, cutting-edge genomics and applied varietal development in legume crops.

Profiles: Scopus | Google Scholar

Featured Publications

Rispail, N., Wohor, O. Z., Osuna-Caballero, S., Barilli, E., & Rubiales, D. (2023). Genetic diversity and population structure of a wide Pisum spp. core collection. International Journal of Molecular Sciences.

Wohor, O. Z., Rispail, N., Ojiewo, C. O., & Rubiales, D. (2022). Pea breeding for resistance to rhizospheric pathogens. Plants.

Osuna-Caballero, S., Cobos, M. J., Ruiz, C. M., Wohor, O. Z., Rispail, N., & Rubiales, D. (2024). Genome-wide association studies on resistance to pea weevil: Identification of novel sources of resistance and associated markers. International Journal of Molecular Sciences.

Denwar, N. N., & Wohor, Z. (2012). Development of improved soybean varieties adapted to the agro-ecologies and farming systems of the Savanna zones of northern Ghana. CSIR-Savannah Agricultural Research Institute Annual Report.

Rispail, N., Wohor, O. Z., Osuna-Caballero, S., Barilli, E., & Rubiales, D. (2022). Dataset for “Genetic diversity and population structure of a wide Pisum spp. core collection.” Zenodo.

Vera Pavese | Plant Breeding | Best Researcher Award

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Dr. Vera Pavese | Plant Breeding | Best Researcher Award

Università di Torino | Italy

Dr. Vera Pavese is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Turin, Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences (DISAFA), Italy. She earned her PhD in Agricultural, Forest, and Food Sciences in 2022 under the supervision of Prof. Roberto Botta, following her Master’s in Plant Biotechnology (2017) and Bachelor’s in Natural Sciences (2015) from the same institution. Her research focuses on developing biotechnological tools to enhance the resilience of woody crops, integrating in vitro culture, CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing, LED-based priming, and RNA-based gene silencing (SIGS). She has pioneered transgene-free genome editing systems and demonstrated the biostimulant potential of LEDs in woody plant micropropagation. Dr. Pavese has authored 24 peer-reviewed papers, accumulating 237 citations and an h-index of 10. Her achievements have earned her four national Best Oral Presentation Awards, invitations as a keynote speaker at international symposia, and recognition as Session Chair at major conferences. A recipient of the RILO Young Researchers Grant (2024), she actively promotes Open Science and serves as Guest Editor for Plants and Agronomy. Her work advances sustainable crop improvement and genetic innovation, positioning her as a rising leader in woody plant biotechnology and genome engineering.

Profiles: Scopus | Google Scholar | Orcid

Featured Publications

Marino, L. A., Ruffa, P., Mozzanini, E., Patono, D. L., Sereno, A., & Pavese, V. (2025). LEDs in plant tissue culture: Boosting micropropagation of Castanea sativa cultivars. Journal of Plant Growth Regulation.

Marino, L. A., Pavese, V., Ruffa, P., Ferrero, M., Acquadro, A., Barchi, L., Botta, R., & Torello Marinoni, D. (2024). Guardians of quality: Advancing Castanea sativa traceability using DNA analysis from seed to processed food. Scientia Horticulturae.

Pavese, V., Moglia, A., Acquadro, A., Barchi, L., Portis, E., Torello Marinoni, D., Valentini, N., Milani, A. M., Abbà, S., Silvestri, C., et al. (2023). Development of biotechnological tools for hazelnut breeding. Acta Horticulturae.

Ferrucci, A., Lupo, M., Turco, S., Pavese, V., Torello Marinoni, D., Botta, R., Cristofori, V., Mazzaglia, A., & Silvestri, C. (2023). A roadmap of tissue culture and biotechnology in European hazelnut (Corylus avellana L.). Plant Physiology and Biochemistry.

Nerva, L., Dalla Costa, L., Ciacciulli, A., Sabbadini, S., Pavese, V., Dondini, L., Vendramin, E., Caboni, E., Perrone, I., Moglia, A., et al. (2023). The role of Italy in the use of advanced plant genomic techniques on fruit trees: State of the art and future perspectives. International Journal of Molecular Sciences.

Urjashi Bhattacharya | Agronomic Practices | Best Researcher Award

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Assist. Prof. Dr. Urjashi Bhattacharya | Agronomic Practices | Best Researcher Award

The Neotia University | India

Dr. U. Bhattacharya is an agronomy scholar and educator with a doctoral degree specializing in conservation agriculture, climate-smart farming, and integrated nutrient management. Over four years as a university research scholar, she has conducted intensive research on rice–pulse cropping systems, focusing on enhancing ecosystem services (soil, air, and water) in the Gangetic Plains through sustainable agronomic practices. Her M.Sc. work examined the effects of nitrogen levels on a heat-tolerant potato variety, while her Ph.D. thesis explored the management of rice followed by lentil under conservation tillage and varying nutrient doses. She participated in the SRFSI project (in collaboration with ACIAR) in the Eastern Gangetic Plains, gaining experience in resilient farming system intensification. Dr. Bhattacharya is proficient in experiment planning, statistical analysis, instrument handling, and scientific communication, and has presented her research at several national and international seminars on soil health, sustainable agriculture, agrochemicals, climate resilience, and biodiversity. She has published multiple peer-reviewed papers in crop science and agronomy, holds an h-index of 4 with six publications and 294 citations, and has received certificates of excellence in peer review along with a design patent for a portable crop diagnostic spectrometer. Passionate about advancing agricultural education and research, she aspires to excel as a faculty member in plant science academia, inspiring students through innovative teaching and pursuing high-impact interdisciplinary research in sustainable agriculture.

Profiles: Scopus | Google Scholar

Featured Publications

Bhattacharya, U., & Sarkar, S. (2018). Conservation agriculture: A climate-smart approach to achieve zero hunger. Current Advances in Agricultural Sciences, 18(2), 78–83.

Bhattacharya, U., Saha, A., & Saha, A. (2019). Response of heat tolerant variety (Kufri Surya) of potato (Solanum tuberosum) under different levels of nitrogen. Current Journal of Applied Science and Technology, 37(1), 1–7.

Bhattacharya, U., Sarkar, S., & Dewanjee, S. (2019). Bio-efficacy evaluation of oxyfluorfen 23.5% EC for controlling weeds in potato crop. Journal of Crop and Weed, 15(3), 201–208.

Maitra, S., Hossain, A., Brestic, M., Skalicky, M., Ondrisik, P., Gitari, H., Brahmachari, K., Shankar, T., Bhadra, P., Palai, J. B., Jena, J., Bhattacharya, U., Duvvada, S. K., Lalichetti, S., & Sairam, M. (2021). Intercropping—A low input agricultural strategy for food and environmental security. Agronomy, 11(2), 1–28.

Bhattacharya, U., Naskar, M. K., Venugopalan, V. K., Sarkar, S., Bandopadhyay, P., Maitra, S., Gaber, A., Alsuhaibani, A. M., & Hossain, A. (2023). Implications of minimum tillage and integrated nutrient management on yield and soil health of rice-lentil cropping system – being a resource conservation technology. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 7, Article 1225986.

Samuel Agele | Plant Physiology | Best Researcher Award

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Prof. Dr. Samuel Agele | Plant Physiology | Best Researcher Award

Federal University of Technology, akure | Nigeria

Professor Samuel Ohikhena Agele is a distinguished academic and researcher in the field of plant environmental physiology and agronomy, currently serving as a Professor and Lead Researcher at the Department of Crop, Soil & Pest Management, Federal University of Technology, Akure, Nigeria. He holds a B.Agric., M.Sc. in Desert Science, Ph.D. in Crop Physiology, and a Postgraduate Certificate in Protected Crops & Irrigation. With over 25 Master’s and 20 Ph.D. theses successfully supervised, his academic leadership is well recognized. Professor Agele has held significant administrative roles, including Head of Department (2013–2016) and Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture at the University of Africa, Toru Orua (2017–2019). His research interests encompass soil-plant-climate interactions, conservation agriculture, ecological restoration, and the domestication of medicinal plant species. He has contributed extensively to literature, authoring numerous journal articles and book chapters. His work has been recognized by various professional associations, including the International Horticultural Science Society and the Soil Science Society of Nigeria. Professor Agele’s research has garnered over 390 citations, reflecting his significant impact in his field. His publication count stands at 34, with a predicted h-index of 13.

Profiles: Scopus | Google Scholar 

Featured Publications

Akinseye, F. M., Adam, M., Agele, S. O., Hoffmann, M. P., Traore, P. C. S., & [others]. (2017). Assessing crop model improvements through comparison of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) simulation models: A case study of West African varieties. Field Crops Research, 

Akinseye, F. M., Ajeigbe, H. A., Traore, P. C. S., Agele, S. O., Zemadim, B., & [others]. (2020). Improving sorghum productivity under changing climatic conditions: A modelling approach. Field Crops Research,

Agele, S. O., Iremiren, G. O., & Ojeniyi, S. O. (2000). Effects of tillage and mulching on the growth, development and yield of late-season tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum L.) in the humid south of Nigeria. The Journal of Agricultural Science, 

Lajide, L., Adedire, C. O., Muse, W. A., & Agele, S. O. (1998). Insecticidal activity of powders of some Nigerian plants against the maize weevil (Sitophilus zeamais Motsch.). The Journal of Agricultural Science, 

Agele, S. O., Iremiren, G. O., & Ojeniyi, S. O. (1999). Effects of plant density and mulching on the performance of late-season tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) in southern Nigeria. The Journal of Agricultural Science,