Sustainable and Innovative Vegetable Production in times of Climate Change

Dr. Zafar Iqbal has served in different positions including Chairman, Principal, Director Sub Campus and Dean, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Sargodha, Pakistan. He has vast research and academic experience with awards from different national and international organizations. He has 200 publications on his credit including 12 Monographs/Lab Manuals, and two book chapters. He has delivered many keynote/invited talks in national and international conferences. He is recipient of research productivity award from Pakistan Council for Science and Technology. He was awarded exquisite trophy on his excellent work on mango malformation disease. He has expertise in postharvest problems of horticultural crops, mycological issues and disease management. He is member of Australia Global Alumni, Asian Council of Science Editors and many other professional societies. He has designed a mobile app to disseminate latest technologies to global farming community. He won first prize in gender equality competition arranged by an NGO in Pakistan.

Prof. Dr. Muhammad Akbar Anjum served as Chairman Department of Horticulture, Principal College of Agriculture and Director Office of Research, Innovation and Commercialization (ORIC) at Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, Pakistan. With a strong academic background, he has received numerous distinctions. He secured 1st positions in B.Sc. (Hons.) Agriculture and M.Sc. (Hons.) Horticulture and was awarded a Gold and a Silver Medal, respectively. During his Ph.D. at University of Salford, Manchester (U.K.), he was awarded Overseas Research Students Award. In 2020, he won University level Best Teacher Award. He also received accolades several times for his research productivity from the Pakistan Council for Science and Technology. He is author/co-author of three books and 24 book chapters and published more than 200 research articles in journals of international repute. He has served as Chief Editor of two journals and is currently Editor/ Member Advisory Board of five journals. He is member of several professional bodies and has served as Vice President and President of Pakistan Society for Horticultural Science.

Prof. Dr. Sezai Ercisli is currently serving as the Head of Department of Horticulture and Faculty of Agriculture, and Advisor to the Rector at Atatürk University. He also served as Vice Rector of Atatürk University between 2016 and 2020. He was a Visiting Professor at the University of Nebraska between 1997 and 1998. He has been the President of the World Apricot Association and the Turkish representative of the European Fruit Producers Association since 2018. He conducted scientific studies on Horticulture Plant Biotechnology in many laboratories in different countries of the world. He is ranked among the 100,000 most successful scientists in the world, according to the Stanford University classification published for 2021. With 655 articles published, his h index is 52. He is Chief Editor of a journal of international repute since 2014.

Dr. Saeed Rauf is a plant scientist at the Department of Plant Breeding & Genetics, College of Agriculture, University of Sargodha, Pakistan. He was awarded a Silver Medal for securing second position in his M.Sc. (Hons.) program. With approximately 50 research articles published in internationally recognized journals and eight book chapters to his credit, he has made significant contributions to the field. He has successfully developed several inbred lines that are now commercially utilized in sunflower hybrid development. His expertise spans genetic tools and protocols applicable to all field crops, with a focus on expanding their yield potential. Additionally, he specializes in biometrical genetics, cytogenetics, and tissue culture. As a dedicated mentor, he has supervised numerous M.Phil. and Ph.D. students. He also serves as the Editor of a research journal recognized by the Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan.