Biographical note

Professor Harikesh Bahadur Singh is Head of the Department of Mycology and Plant Pathology, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India. Over the past 35 years, Professor Singh has served at Central Universities and CSIR Institutes with his teaching and research. Based on his scientific contribution and leadership in the field of plant pathology, Professor Singh has been honoured with prestigious awards, such as the CSIR technology award, M.S. Swaminathan award, Mundkur Memorial award, and BRSI Industrial Medal. His research has resulted in more than 300 publications and 17 books. Dr Vijai G. Gupta is an Assistant Professor of Biotechnology at MITS University of India. Currently he is working as Research Scientist at National University of Ireland in Galway. Dr. Gupta’s present work is focused on the development and optimization of novel Enzyme-based bioconversion systems for biorefining and bioenergy. He has been honored with several awards, including the prestigious Indian ICAR Senior Research Fellowship and Indian Young Scientist Award. He has submitted 33 new fungal nucleotide sequences and deposited 147 fungal strains in International databases. His work with Fusarium spp., Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, Penicillium spp. and Trichoderma spp. is augmented by contributions to biotechnological development, molecular diversity, secondary metabolites and industrial applications Dr. Gupta is the editor-in-chief of the International Journal of Plant Pathology and a regional editorial board member of 8 other respected journals. He is the author of 40 journal articles and 27 book chapters. Gupta has also written and edited books and series from reputed publishers, including CRC Press, Taylor and Francis, USA; Springer, USA; Elsevier, USA; Nova Science Publisher, USA and LAP Lambert Academic Publishing, Germany. Dr. Sudisha Jogaiah, is the Associate Professor and Head of the Department of Environmental Science at the Central University of Kerala. Dr. Jogaiah is one of the leading scientists in dissecting the molecular mechanisms of rhizosphere fungi mediated Induce systemic resistance (ISR) underlying SA/JA/ET cross talk and its consequent effect on commercial biocontrol strategies in India. He is the Fellow of The National Academy of Sciences (FNASc.), Fellow of The National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (FNAAS.), Fellow of National Academy of Biological Sciences (FNABS), His research emphasizes plant–microbe interactions and eco-friendly crop protection, contributing to advances in sustainable agricultural practices. The vision of Dr. Jogaiah research offers a fresh perspective to agriculture, horticulture, and agro-ecosystems from “Laboratory to Land” and is designed to educate and train the farmers for implementation of sustainable crop production. Dr. Jogaiah has played active roles in both national and international academic circles and has an extensive record of scholarly publications and contributions to authored books and edited volumes. His work supports a deeper understanding of environmental science and its practical applications in sustainable agriculture.