Chrysanthemum

Author Biography

M. SharathKumar (Edited By) Malleshaiah SharathKumar is a Senior Scientist at Deliflor Chrysant and a researcher in the Horticulture and Product Physiology group at Wageningen University & Research (WUR), The Netherlands. He has extensive international experience in molecular physiology, crop development, and ornamental breeding. His expertise is in flowering regulation, stress physiology, and vertical farming innovations in ornamental crops. He has supervised both MSc and PhD students and is frequently invited as a keynote speaker at international conferences. He also teaches advanced courses on horticultural crop physiology and molecular breeding, including the Wageningen Summer School on Greenhouse Horticulture. He has authored highly cited scientific publications, received the Young Researcher Award from the International Society for Horticultural Science, and has two orchid species named after him, officially registered with the Royal Horticultural Society at Kew. His research career began in Singapore, with positions at the Centre for Urban Greenery and Ecology and the National Orchid Garden, followed by work at WUR and the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology in Germany. His current research integrates molecular physiology and genomics to breed novel ornamentals and to enhance yield and resilience in ornamental crops, with a focus on photobiology and speed breeding of short-day crops. Ep Heuvelink (Edited By) Ep Heuvelink is an associate professor with ius promovendi in the Horticulture and Product Physiology group at Wageningen University & Research (WUR), The Netherlands. He has more than 30 years of experience in scientific research and education in greenhouse crops. His expertise lies in greenhouse crop physiology and crop modelling. Core concepts in both his research and education are photosynthesis, dry matter partitioning, crop growth and development (especially flowering and fruit set). Crop simulation models are central in his analytical, quantitative thinking about crop growth, and a powerful tool to integrate and extrapolate knowledge. He has supervised over 120 MSc thesis students and is co-promotor of 40 PhD students. Ep is frequently invited as a keynote speaker at international symposia and teaches advanced intensive courses on greenhouse production, crop physiology and crop modelling around the world. He is also a teacher in the Wageningen Summer school on Greenhouse Horticulture and has (co-)authored more than 150 papers in refereed scientific journals, 200 papers in professional journals and has authored three books and edited another three. Ep is listed in the Stanford/Elsevier world's top 2% scientists list and ranked 32 in list of best Wageningen scientists in the field of agriculture and plant sciences.