Sustainable Agriculture Reviews 58 (eBook)

Dr. Meizhen Song is a professor/researcher in Cotton Research Institute (CRI), Chinese Academy of Agriculture Sciences (CAAS), Anyang, Henan, China since 1986. She is the head of the cotton standardization and technology group of CRI, CAAS. She is involved in cotton genetics and breeding, physiology and molecular biology for high nutrients efficient genotypes and the development of wide early maturing cotton genotypes and high-efficiency cultivation. She has supervised many national and international master and Ph.D. students. She has been the author of many peer-reviewed articles, books, and book chapters. As a key speaker, she attended national and international conferences, congress, symposia, and workshops. She has been honored by different authorities due to her outstanding performance in the field of research and education.

Mr. Zhang Xiling is Professor/Researcher in Cotton Research Institute (CRI), Chinese Academy of Agriculture Sciences (CAAS), Anyang, Henan, China since 1987. He is involved in cotton genetic breeding, farming and cultivation, cotton industry development, cotton southern propagation, Xinjiang cotton issues and other research work. Previously, he served as the Director of the East Field, the Deputy Director of the Agricultural Management Division, and the Chief Field Manager of the Experimental Farm of CRI, CAAS, Deputy General Manager of Science and Technology Trading Company, Deputy Director of Industrial Development Division, Director of Hainan Breeding Center, Director of Hainan Scientific Research Center. Currently, he is working as Director of the Scientific Research Center, Director of the Logistics Center, Director of the Achievement Transformation Division, and Deputy Director of Cotton Research Institute. He is the main author of the 'Three-Field System Reform Plan for the Experimental Farm of the CRI, CAAS'. He is the main pioneer in the construction of the Sanya base of the CRI, CAAS and the research on the southern propagation of cotton in China. He has won third prize of the Ministry of Agriculture's Science and Technology Progress Award (1990), second (1994), and third prize of the National Science and Technology Progress Award (1996), Hainan Province prize in Science and Technology (2010) and second prize for the Chinese Agricultural Science and Technology Award of the Ministry of Agriculture (2011). He edited and published many books on cotton production, published more than 20 scientific papers as the first author, and obtained 3 national invention patents.

Dr. Muhammad Arif is Professor in the department of Agronomy, the University of Agriculture Peshawar, Pakistan. He started his career in the same department as farm manager/lecturer after MS in 2000 and got Ph.D. degree in 2005 from the same department. He went to UK for pursuing his postdoctoral research in 2008. His main area of interest is seed priming, crop nutrition and dual purpose technology development and using biochar and compost as soil amendments for improving soil fertility and productivity. He got Silver Medal during MS in 1999 and Research Productivity Award for the year 2011 and 2012 and Best Teacher Award from HEC for the year 2016-2017. He is also member of many national and international societies. He is working as reviewer for more than a dozen national and international journals. He has published more than 150 research articles in internarial repute journals. He has been actively involved in conducting farmers', students' and researcher's trainings. He has successfully completed four research projects and currently working as PI of four research projects sponsored by USAID, PSF, DoST and HEC. He has remained on many administrative positions like Administrative officer, Director Administration, Manager ORICs. Currently, he is working as Director Farms and Additional Director ORICs in addition to his own duties. He has vast experience of project proposal writing, project execution, report writing, consultant to agriculture related projects. He is also actively involved in conducting conferences, seminars, trainings and surveys. He has closely worked with FAO in conducting trainings at the University and tribal districts like Bajaur and Mohmand (previously FATA), upper and lower Dir. He has successfully completed third party validation of Insaf Food Security program of KP in DI Khan. He has worked with Norwegian Church Aid (NCA) and conducted trainings in DI Khan for them. He also conducted trainings for the farmers of FR-Peshawar, FR-Kohat, FR-Bannu, FR-Lakki Marwat, FR-Tank, FR-D.I. Khan sponsored by Project for Area Development, Agriculture Extension FATA. He has also vast experience in working with different national and international organization like FAO, CIMMYT, ICARDA, USAID, PSF, DoST and HEC.