Cannabis/Hemp for Sustainable Agriculture and Materials

Dr. Dinesh Chandra Agrawal, Ph.D., is a professor in the Department of Environmental Engineering & Management and the Department of Applied Chemistry, Chaoyang University of Technology (CYUT), Taiwan. In 2013, he superannuated as a chief scientist and professor of biological sciences after serving for more than 31 years in the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Ministry of Science and Technology, Govt. of India. He has about 40 years of research experience in plant biotechnology of diverse species, including medicinal plants and mushrooms, and has more than 200 publications, including six books (four by Springer Nature). Professor Agrawal was awarded several prestigious fellowships, including the Alexander von Humboldt Fellowship (Germany), Visiting Scientist to Mississippi State University (USA), British Council Scholar (UK), and European Research Fellow (UK). Since 2016, Professor Agrawal has been serving as associate editor-in-chief of the International Journal of Applied Science and Engineering (Scopus). Dr. Rajiv Kumar, Ph.D., is a co-founder and executive director of QLEAP Academy, India; former chief scientist and head of Tata Chemicals Innovation Centre, Pune, India; and former head of Catalysis Division, National Chemical Laboratory, Pune.  He has received several awards like the Eminent Scientist Award of the Catalysis Society of India, Chem-Con Distinguished Scientist, Dr. K.G. Naik Gold Medal for Excellence in Chemical Sciences and Technology, Best Scientist of the Year Award of NCL Research Foundation, and Young Scientist Award (Bhattacharya Medal) of the Catalysis Society of India. His areas of interest and expertise include zeolites, catalysis, biosynthesis of nanomaterials, cannabis/hemp, environment, and sustainability. He has approximately 180 papers published in scientific journals and more than 65 patents to his credit. He is/has been a member of the editorial boards of Applied Catalysis-A, Advances in Nano-porous Materials and Pollution Research. He has guided approximately 20 Ph.D. and M.Tech. students. Dr. Muralikrishnan Dhanasekaran is a professor at Harrison School of Pharmacy, Auburn University, USA.  He obtained his Ph.D. from the Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Kolkata, India, and then received his postdoctoral training from renowned scientists Dr. Manuchair Ebadi (University of North Dakota) and Dr. Bala Manyam (Scott & White Clinic/Texas A&M, USA). Dr. Dhanasekaran’s research areas are pharmacology, neuroscience, toxicology, dietary, natural products, and the development of drugs/compounds targeting Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. Dr. Dhanasekaran completed the New Investigator Research Grant from Alzheimer’s Association, several Auburn University grants, and several other research projects from a pharmaceutical company. Dr. Dhanasekaran has guided 16 students (as a mentor) and currently has 5 graduate students under his leadership, and he has trained more than 50 undergraduate students in his lab. Dr. Dhanasekaran has received several teaching awards from Auburn University. He has published more than 200 scientific abstracts, 103 peer-reviewed publications, 2 books, and several book chapters.

Chapter 1. Industrial Hemp as a Crop for a Sustainable Agriculture.- Chapter 2. Industrial Hemp for Sustainable Agriculture: A Critical Evaluation From Global and Indian Perspectives.- Chapter 3. Cannabis/Hemp - Sustainable Uses, Opportunities, and Current Limitations.- Chapter 4. Agronomy and Ecophysiology of Hemp Cultivation.- Chapter 5.  Patenting Journey of Hemp and Development of Various Applications.- Chapter 6. Industrial Hemp and Hemp Byproducts as Sustainable Feedstuffs in Livestock Diets.- Chapter 7. Biotechnological Transformation of Hempseed in the Food Industry.- Chapter 8. Current Trends in Applications of Cannabis/Hemp in Construction.- Chapter 9. Hemp-Based Materials for Applications in Wastewater Treatment by Biosorption-Oriented Processes: A Review.- Chapter 10. Potential Impacts of Cannabis sativa L. Cultivation on the Environment in Africa – A Review.- Chapter 11. The Cannabis/Marijuana (Cannabis sativa L.) Landscape in Africa: An Overview of its Cultivation and Legal Aspects.-