Agriculture & Horticulture

Shinsuke Agehara is currently working as Assistant Professor in Plant Physiology at the University of Florida, Gulf Coast Research and Education Center. He received the B.S. degree in International Agricultural Development at Tokyo University of Agriculture in Japan in 2001, M.S. degree in Crop and Soil Sciences at Michigan State University in 2004, and Ph.D. in Horticulture at Texas A&M University in 2014. His current research program focuses on understanding plant physiological and morphological adaptation mechanisms to environmental stresses, and developing integrated sustainable management strategies for vegetable and small fruit crops.

Agriculture science, Plant science, Plant phycology

Mike Wilkinson is Professor of Upland Agriecosystems at the Pwllpeiran Uplands Research Centre of IBERS, Aberystwyth University. His research spans the interface between agriculture and the natural environment, with contributions in crop genetics and improvement, conservation of crop relatives, applied epigenetics, and environmental risk assessment of Genetically Modified Crops. His research profile includes over 100 refereed publications across >50 journals. He has an H-factor of 42, an i10-index of 86 (Google Scholar) and total citations of almost 8,000. He re-joined Aberystwyth February 2016 after a four year spell in the University of Adelaide where he held the the prestigious Mortlock chair in Plant Epigenetics, was Head of the School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, Director of the Plant Accelerator and Director of the Waite Research Institute. Prior to this, we worked for eleven years in the University of Reading (UK), five years at the (now) James Hutton Institute (UK) and Leicester University (UK).

Agroecosystem, Agriculture Science, Agriculture Engineering and Agriculture Biotechnology

Daniele De Wrachien is Senior Professor of Agricultural Hydraulics at the Department of Agricultural Engineering of the State University of Milan. He graduated in Geology at the same University ,where he received is PhD in Applied Geology. Full Professor of Agricultural Hydraulics (1986-2010) Associate Professor of Agricultural Hydraulics (1983-86) Professor of Geopedology (1970-1983) Director Institute of Agricultural Hydraulics (2000-2006); Director Computer Centre of the Faculty of Agriculture,(1992-95); Tutor of MPhil and PhD students of the Faculty of Agriculture; External Examiner to MPhil and PhD students of the Politecnico Milan ,State University of Palermo , State University of Basilicata , Welsh University ; Visiting Professor at the Wessex Institute of Technology ( WIT ) Honours and Awards -Award for Truthful Support and Help in Organizing and Improving Scientific Level of the Symposia "Actual Tasks on Agricultural Engineering", Croatian Agricultural Engineering Society, Opatija , Croatia, February 2006 ; -Award in Recognition of Services to the European Society of Agricultural Engineers, Bonn ,Germany ,September 2006 ; -Award for outstanding contribution to Engineering Sciences ,Wessex Institute of Technology ,The New Forest ,UK, June 2008 ; -Award for the Best Performing Working Body ,International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage, Lahore ,Pakistan ,October 2008. Over 150 scientific publications: papers, key-note lectures, books and technical reports. Creative works: -Co-author "Land Reclamation and Conservation", CIGR Handbook of Agricultural Engineering, 1999; -Author "Land Use Planning: A Key to Sustainable Agriculture", FAO Handbook of Conservation Agriculture, 2003. -Co-organizer and Key-note Speaker: over sixty International Conferences, Congresses, Symposia, Workshops in Africa, America, Asia Australia and Europe ,among which is worth mentioning: - XII CIGR World Congress/AgEng'94 International Conference organised by CIGR and EurAgEng, 29 August-1September 1994, Milan, Italy - International Workshop Irrigation Scheduling: From Theory to Practice ,organised by FAO and ICID and EurAgEng , 12-13 September 1995, Rome, Italy - Conference Operation Management and Maintenance of Large Irrigation Networks ,organised by AIIA (Italian Association of Agricultural Engineering) and EurAgEng , 5-7 June 1996, Novara, Italy - AgEng'96 Madrid International Conference, organised by EurAgEng, 22-25 September 1995, Madrid, Spain - World Water Day '97 ,organised by ITAL-ICID and EurAgEng ,21 September 1997, Rome, Italy - International Conference Sustainable Irrigation in Areas of Water Scarcity and Drought ,organised by the ICID W.G. on Sustainable Crops and Water Use ,CIGR and EurAgEng ,11-12 September 1997, Oxford, U.K. - International Conference Water Management, Salinity and Pollution Control towards Sustainable Irrigation in the Mediterranean Region, organised by CIHEAM ,CIGR and EurAgEng ,22-26 September 1997, Valenzano, Italy - XIII CIGR World Congress ,organised by CIGR and EurAgEng ,2-6 February 1998, Rabat, Morocco - World Water Day'98 ,organised by ITAL-ICID and EurAgEng ,23 March 1998, Rome, Italy - International Workshop Groundwater Management: Guidelines for Sustainable Identification, Control and Reclamation Strategies organised by IRIS (Italian Association of Ground water Engineering) , IAHR and EurAgEng ,16 April 1998, Rome, Italy - International Symposium Experimental Data and Validation of Groundwater Mathematical Models for Reclamation of Polluted Sites ,organised by IRIS , IAHR, and EurAgEng ,6-10 July 1998, Cosenza, Italy - International Workshop Sustainable Tillage Systems, organised by CIGR and EurAgEng, 8-10 July 1998, Auburn, Alabama (USA) - International Workshop The Use of Saline and Brackish Water in Irrigation: Implication to the Management of Irrigation, Drainage and Crops, organised by the ICID WG on Sustainable Crops and Water Use ,CIGR and EurAgEng ,23-24 July 1998, Bali, Indonesia - AgEng'98 Oslo International Conference, organised by EurAgEng 24-27 August 1998, Oslo, Norway - Conference Irrigation and Research: Progress in the Use of Water Resources, organised by GRUSI (Italian Group of Research on Irrigation) and EurAgEng ,1-2 October 1998, Bari, Italy - International Conference Subsoil Compaction and Soil Dynamics: Processes and Environmental Consequences ,organised by IUSS and EurAgEng ,24-26 March 1999, Kiel, Germany - 2nd Inter-Regional Conference Emerging Technology for Sustainable Land Use and Water Management ,organised by CIGR, EurAgEng and ICID ,1-3 September 1999, Lausanne, Switzerland - 17th ICID International Congress ,organised by ICID ,11-19 September 1999, Granada, Spain - International Workshop Modelling of Transport Processes in Soils organized by EurAgEng ,24-26 November 1999, Leuven, Belgium - 8th International Workshop on Drainage ,organised by ICID, CIGR and EurAgEng ,31 Jannary-4 February 2000, New Delhi, India - 3rd Inter-Regional Conference Water Resources Management in the 21st Century, organised by ICID European Regional W.G ,CIGR and EurAgEng., 1-3 June 2000, Budapest, Hungary - International Workshop on Control of Adverse Impacts of Fertilizers and Agrochemicals ,organized by ICID,22-27 October 2000,Cape Town ,South Africa - 29th International Symposium Actual Tasks on Agricultural Engineering, organised by the Croatian Agricultural Engineering Society, CIGR, EurAgEng and AAAE,6-9 February 2001,Opatija,Croatia - 19th European Regional Conference Sustainable Use of Land and Water ,organised by the Czech ICID Committee, CIGR and EurAgEng,4-8 June 2001,Brno,Czech Republic - International Conference Sustainable Land Management: Environmental Protection, organised by IUSS,CIGR and EurAgEng,2-7 July 2001,Florence,Italy - International Workshop on Wastewater Reuse Management ,organized by ICID ,The World Bank,EurAgEng,NOWRA,19-20 September ,Seul, Korea - International Conference Water and Irrigation Development, organised by Lombardy Region, ANBI, ICID and EurAgEng,25-27 September 2001,Cremona,Italy - 1st World Congress Conservation Agriculture ,organised, by FAO,ECAF (European Conservation Agriculture Federation) and EurAgEng,1-5 October 2001,Madrid, Spain - 30th International Symposium Actual Tasks on Agricultural Engineering ,organised by the Croatian Agricultural Engineering Society, CIGR, EurAgEng and AAAE,12-15 March 2002,Opatija, Croatia - International Conference Drought Mitigation and Prevention of Land Desertification ,organised by the ICID Slovenian National Committee, CIGR and EurAgEng ,21-25 April 2002,Bled, Slovenia - International Workshop Crop Water Management for Food Production Under Limited Water Supplies ,organised by the ICID W.G. on Sustainable Use of Natural Resources for Crop Production., and EurAgEng ,21-28 July 2002, Montreal, Canada - 31st International Symposium Actual Tasks on Agricultural Engineering organised by the Croatian Agricultural Engineering Society, CIGR, EurAgEng and AAAE , 24-28 February, 2003, Opatija, Croatia. - 3rd International Workshop Research on Irrigation and Drainage organised by the Macedonian National ICID Committee and EurAgEng,19 March 2003, Skopje, Macedonia. - International Conference. Land Reclamation and Water Resources Development, organised by Lombardy Region ,ANBI,ICID,CIGR and EurAgEng ,27-29 May 2003, Mantua, Italy - 6th Inter-Regional Conference on Environment-Water Land and Water Use Planning and Management ,organised by the University of Castilla La Mancha, CIGR and EurAgEng , 3-5 September 2003, Albacete, Spain - 9th International Drainage Workshop Drainage for Secure Environment and Food Supply organised by ILRI ,ICID,CIGR and EurAgEng,10-13 September 2003, Utretcht, The Netherlands - International Workshop Improved Irrigation Technologies and Methods: Research Development and Testing ,organised by CEMAGREF ,ICID and EurAgEng ,17-19 September 2003, Montpellier, France - International Conference Land is Thirsty ,organised by ANBI and FAO and EurAgEng ,29 October 2003, Rome, Italy - 32nd International Symposium Actual Tasks on Agricultural Engineering ,organised by Croatian Agricultural Engineering Society, CIGR ,EurAgEng and AAAE , 23-27 February 2004, Opatija, Croatia - 4th International Workshop Research on Irrigation and Drainage . organised by the Macedonian National ICID Committee and EurAgEng ,24-25 March 2004, Skopje, Macedonia - International Conference Energy Efficiency and Agricultural Engineering 2004 ,organised by the Bulgarian National Society of Agricultural Engineers. ,CIGR and EurAgEng,3-5 June 2004, Rousse, Bulgaria - International Conference on Olympics of Agricultural Engineering 2004,organized by CIGR,11-14 October 2004,Beijing ,China - World Congress Agricultural Engineering for a Better World , organized by CIGR,EurAgEng,VDI,FAO,3-7 September 2006,Bonn ,Germany - First International Conference on Monitoring, Simulation, Prevention and Remediation of Dense and Debris Flows ,organized by WIT, EurAgEng,CIGR,June 2006,Rhodes,Greece - First International Conference on Sustainable Irrigation Management ,Technologies and Policies ,organized by WIT, September 2006, Bologna,Italy -22nd European Regional Conference on Water Resources Management and Irrigation and Drainage Systems in the European Environment organized by ICID ,EurAgEng, CIGR, FAO, September 2007,Pavia, Italy - Second International Conference on Monitoring, Simulation, Prevention and Remediation of Dense and Debris Flows ( Co-Chairman ), organized by WIT, EurAgEng, CIGR, June 2008, The New Forest, UK - First International Conference on Flood Recovery, Innovation and Response ,organized by WIT ,University of Wolverhampton ,July 2008,London,UK - Third International Conference on Monitoring ,Simulation , Prevention and Remediation of Dense and Debris Flows ( Co-Chairman ) ,organized by WIT ,EurAgEng ,CIGR, University of Milan , May 2010 ,Milan ,Italy - Second International Conference on Flood Recovery , Innovation and Response ( Co-Chairman ) ,organized by WIT ,EurAgEng ,CIGR ,ICID ,University and Politecnico of Milan ,University of Wolverhampton , May 2010 ,Milan , Italy - Fourth International Conference on Monitoring , Simulation ,Prevention and Remediation of Dense and Debris Flows ( Co-Chairman) ,organized by WIT ,EurAgEng , CIGR ,University of Milan ,May 2012 , Dubrovnik , Croatia -Third International Conference on Flood Recovery , Innovation and Response ( Co-Chairman),organized by WIT, EurAgEng ,CIGR ,ICID, University and Politecnico of Milan , University of Wolverhampton ,May 2012,Dubrovnik , Croatia -Fourth International Conference on Sustainable Irrigation and Drainage Management , Technologies and Policies Systems , December 2012 ,Adelaide , Australia . Co-Editor Books and Proceedings of International Conferences: -Water and Irrigation Development,2001 ,Editor : Lombardy Region; -Crop Water Management for Food Production under Limited Water Supplies, 2002 , Editor: ICID; - Land Reclamation and Water Resources Development, 2003, Editor: Lombardy Region; -Sustainable Irrigation Management ,Technologies and Policies , 2006 ,Editor :WIT Press ; -Water Resources Management and Irrigation and Drainage Systems Development in the European Environment, 2007,Editor : ICID; -Monitoring , Simulation, Prevention and Remediation of Dense and Debris Flow II ,2008, Editor WIT Pres; - Dam-Break Problems , Solutions and Case Studies ,2009, Editor : WIT Press; - Monitor ,Simulation ,Prevention and Remediation of Dense and Debris Flows III , 2010 ,Editor WIT Press ; - Flood Recovery , Innovation and Response II , 2010 , Editor WIT Press. International Expert ; -Monitoring , Simulation ,Prevention and Remediation of Dense and Debris Flows IV,2012,Editor WIT Press; -Flood Recovery ,Innovation and Response III,2012,Editor WIT Press. Coordinator of world-wide investigations on : -Question 39 "Irrigation and Drainage of Problems Soils" ,Fort Collins ,USA, 1984 , -Question 48 "Irrigation under Conditions of Water Scarcity" ,Granada., Spain, 1999, of the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage. Co-leader of world-wide (FAO-ICID-EurAgEng) investigations : - -"Conjunctive Use of Surface and Groundwater" 2002,in cooperation with Costantino Fasso, Hon. Vice Pres. ICID ; -"Irrigation and Drainage Systems : Research and Development in the 21st Century", 2002, in cooperation with Bart Schultz ,Pres. ICID; -"Global Warming and Drainage Development", 2004 ,in cooperation with Reinder Feddes ,Wageningen University, The Netherlands; -"Climate Variability Agriculture and Food Security : A World-wide View" ,2004 ,in cooperation with Bart Schultz,Reinder Feddes, and Ragab Ragab, Wallingford Institute, UK. Memberships: -International Commission of Agricultural Engineering (Section 1 : Land and Water Engineering, 1995 - , Executive Board, 2004 -2014 ); - International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (Working Group on Drainage, 1988 -2006, Permanent Committee for Technical Activities, 2005 -2012 ,Working Group of the EB Journal Irrigation and Drainage ,1998- ,Hon. Member ITAL – ICID ,2010 -) -European Society of Agricultural Engineers (Chairman of the Field of Interest on Soil and Water, 1993-2006; Chairman of the Fields of Interest, 1999 - 2004; President, 2002 - 04; Past President 2004- ;Hon. Chairman of the Field of Interest on Soil and Water 2006- ) - WIT ( Board of Directors , 2011.- ) Editorial Boards of International Journals : -Irrigation and Drainage ( Associate Editor ), 1998 -; -Progress in Agricultural Engineering Sciences, 2004 - 2008 ; -Journal of Agricultural Engineering, 1998 - 2010; - International Journal of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, 2009- . - Journal of Agricultural Sciences ( Editor-in-Chief ) ,2010 - ;. - Journal of Irrigation&Drainage Systems Engineering ,2010-; - International Journal of Computational Methods and Experimental Measurements ,2010- - Journal of Smart Grid and Renewable Energy , 2010 - ; - Journal of Safety and Security Engineering ,2011- ; - International Journal of Advanced Renewable Energy Research , 2012- ; - American Journal of Experimental Agricultural ( Editor-in-Chief ),2013 – - Journal on Frontiers in Soil Science , 2013- ; - Journal of Agricultural Science and Application,2013-; - As President of the European Society of Agricultural Engineers he established Agreements with national, regional and world-wide Organisations: -AESEE (Association of Agricultural Engineering in South-Eastern Europe),Rousse ,Bulgaria , October 2002 -CIHEAM (Centre International de Hautes Etudes Agronomiques Méditerranéennes) Valenzano, Italy, January,2003; -CIOSTA (Commission International pour l'Organisation Scientifique du Travail in Agriculture) ,Tourin, Italy, October 2002; -CIGR (International Commission of Agricultural Engineering) Rome, April,2003; -ESA (European Society of Agronomy) ,Taastrup, Denmark September 2003; -FAO (Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations) Rome, Italy, April,2003; -ICID (International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage) ,Montreal, Canada, July 2002; -IUSS (International Union of Soil Sciences) Reading,UK,March,2004; -VDI-MEG (German Association of Agricultural Engineering), Leuven, Belgium ,September ,2004; -RURALIA (Italian Association for the Unitary - Restoring of Rural Heritage and Sites), Milan, Italy, September 2004. Listed in : -Who's Who in the World, 23rd ,24th and 25th Editions, Marquis ( USA ) Editor ; -Dictionary of International Biography ,33rd ,34th Editions ,International Bio- graphical Centre (UK) Editor; -Outstanding Intellectuals of the 21st Century ,5th Edition, International Biographical Centre (UK ) Editor.

The scientific activity deals with the following fields of interest:. -water resources management; -irrigation and drainage technology; -classical and quantum water droplet trajectories in an irrigation spay; -performance assessment of sprinkler irrigation systems; -modelling of transport processes in porous media ; -modelling and fluid-dynamics of debris and hyper-concentrated flows; -flood control and mitigation measures; -desertification and environmental impact of climate change.

Francis Lewu obtained BSc Agriculture in Plant Breeding and Seed Technology and MSc Agronomy in Nigeria. He started his career as a Genebank Research Assistant in International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, IITA, Nigeria and later proceeded to study PhD Botany with specialization in plant genetic conservation and propagation. After his postdoctoral study, he joined the Department of Agriculture, University of Zululand, South Africa as a Lecturer in 2008 and was appointed HOD, of the department in January 2009; a position he held till end of May 2011. Francis Lewu joined the Cape Peninsula University of Technology as HOD of Agriculture Department in the Faculty of Applied Sciences. He was appointed Associate Professor in 2014 and became a C Rated National Research Foundation Scholar of South Africa during the same year. He is a qualified Professional Natural Scientist and has supervised and mentored master and doctoral students to completion. Prof Lewu currently concentrates his research effort on the autecology and propagation of screened medicinals and alternative cultivation protocols for field crops and horticultural species. He is editorial member of many journals and serves as reviewer to the NRF, several local and international journals and reviews many masters and doctoral thesis for several universities.

Autecology, Propagation of screened medicinals, Crop Science, Horticulture