Agata Rascio | Agricultural Science and Innovation | Research Excellence Award

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Prof. Agata Rascio | Agricultural Science and Innovation | Research Excellence Award

CREA-CI | Italy

Agata Rascio is a senior plant physiologist with more than four decades of scientific contribution in crop ecophysiology, genetic resources, and plant stress biology, with a primary focus on durum wheat and quinoa. She earned a PhD in Productivity and Sustainability of Mediterranean Agricultural Systems from CREA, Italy, holds a three-year Specialistic Diploma in Nutrition from the University of Pavia (Faculty of Medicine), and graduated with a first-class degree in Biology from the University of Pavia. Her professional career includes long-term service as Senior Research Scientist and Laboratory Director at CREA-CI in Foggia, professorship under the Italian Ministry of Public Education, and consultancy roles in crop physiology. Her research interests span abiotic stress tolerance, yield formation in semi-arid environments, phenotyping methodologies, induced mutagenesis for biodiversity enhancement, gene expression under environmental stress, and metabolomic and nutraceutical characterization of plant genetic resources. SActively engaged in global scientific networks and editorial activities, she has also contributed as an evaluator for major international programs. Her achievements include the Wheat Initiative Recognition Award for innovative phenotyping approaches supporting wheat improvement, underscoring her lasting influence on sustainable agriculture and crop resilience research.

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Featured Publications


Enhanced osmotolerance of a wheat mutant selected for potassium accumulation
A. Rascio, M. Russo, L. Mazzucco, C. Platani, G. Nicastro, N. Di Fonzo,
Plant Science, 160(3), 441–448, 2001. (Citations: 113)

The accumulation of solutes and water binding strength in durum wheat
A. Rascio, C. Platani, G. Scalfati, A. Tonti, N. Di Fonzo,
Physiologia Plantarum, 90(4), 715–721, 1994. (Citations: 74)

Leaf morphology and water status changes in Triticum durum under water stress
A. Rascio, M.C. Cedola, M. Toponi, Z. Flagella, G. Wittmer,
Physiologia Plantarum, 78(3), 462–467, 1990. (Citations: 70)

Physiological responses to water stress following a conditioning period in berseem clover
A. Iannucci, A. Rascio, M. Russo, N. Di Fonzo, P. Martiniello,
Plant and Soil, 223(1), 219–229, 2000. (Citations: 64)

Characterisation of quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) accessions for saponin content in a Mediterranean environment
G. De Santis, C. Maddaluno, T. D’Ambrosio, A. Rascio, M. Rinaldi, J. Troisi,
Italian Journal of Agronomy, 11(4), 2016. (Citations: 55)

Rashad Mukhtar Balal | Agricultural Science and Innovation | Best Researcher Award

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Prof. Dr. Rashad Mukhtar Balal | Agricultural Science and Innovation | Best Researcher Award

University of Sargodha | Pakistan

Prof. Rashad Mukhtar Balal is a leading horticultural researcher and academician currently heading the Department of Horticulture at the University of Sargodha. He holds a PhD in Pomology, Biotechnology, and Horticultural Stress Physiology  and earlier earned an MPhil in Horticultural Biotechnology and a BSc (Hons) in Horticulture. Over more than two decades, he has served in roles from Assistant Professor to full Professor, with visiting appointments at Cornell University (USA) and Harper Adams University (UK). His research spans Pomology, stress physiology of horticultural crops, biotechnology, citrus rootstocks and nursery management, off-season vegetable production, and the use of phytoextracts to mitigate abiotic and biotic stress. According to his profile on ScienceDirect, He has received numerous national and international recognitions, including the ASHS Outstanding Research Publication Award, national innovation awards, and accolades for establishing certified disease-free citrus nurseries. Through leading significant funded projects and mentoring many MPhil and PhD scholars, he continues to advance horticultural research and education in Pakistan.

Profile : Google Scholar

Featured Publications

Shahid, M. A., Sarkhosh, A., Khan, N., Balal, R. M., Ali, S., Rossi, L., Gómez, C., … (2020). Insights into the physiological and biochemical impacts of salt stress on plant growth and development. Agronomy, 10(7), 938.

Abbas, T., Balal, R. M., Shahid, M. A., Pervez, M. A., Ayyub, C. M., Aqueel, M. A., … (2015). Silicon-induced alleviation of NaCl toxicity in okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) is associated with enhanced photosynthesis, osmoprotectants and antioxidant activities. Acta Physiologiae Plantarum, 37(2), 6.

Khan, H. A., Ayub, C. M., Pervez, M. A., Bilal, R. M., Shahid, M. A., & Ziaf, K. (2009). Effect of seed priming with NaCl on salinity tolerance of hot pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) at seedling stage. Soil and Environment, 28(1), 81–87.

Shahid, M. A., Pervez, M. A., Balal, R. M., Mattson, N. S., Rashid, A., Ahmad, R., … (2011). Brassinosteroid (24-epibrassinolide) enhances growth and alleviates the deleterious effects induced by salt stress in pea (Pisum sativum L.). Australian Journal of Crop Science, 5(5), 500–510.

Shahid, M. A., Balal, R. M., Khan, N., Zotarelli, L., Liu, G. D., Sarkhosh, A., … (2019). Selenium impedes cadmium and arsenic toxicity in potato by modulating carbohydrate and nitrogen metabolism. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, 180, 588–599.

Dan Ioan Avasiloaiei | Agricultural Science and Innovation | Environmental Engineering Award

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Dr. Dan Ioan Avasiloaiei | Agricultural Science and Innovation | Environmental Engineering Award

Vegetable Research and Development Station Bacău | Romania

Dan-Ioan Avasiloaiei is an experienced researcher in organic horticulture and protected cultivation technologies, with over 10 peer-reviewed articles in international journals and several national scientific contributions; his approximate citation record is 77, and h-index is 3, but his work has gained recognition in the organic vegetable cultivation community. He holds a PhD in Sciences from “Ion Ionescu de la Brad” University of Life Sciences Iași, Romania, and master’s and engineering degrees in horticulture. During his career he has held positions spanning full-time researcher roles, PhD student, crop and packhouse manager in the UK, and currently serves as III Grade Research Scientist at VRDS Bacău, heading research, development and production activities in the Organic Agriculture Laboratory. His research interests include sustainable organic vegetable production; intercropping systems; allelopathic interactions; climate‐smart protected cultivation; carbon farming; minor and medicinal plants; disease and pest management under ecological conditions. He has led and partnered in projects aiming to improve vegetable cultivation technologies under protected spaces, reduce chemical inputs, and optimize resource use in changing climates. His contributions have been disseminated via journals, proceedings, and scientific papers. He continues to pursue innovation in regenerative and ecological agriculture practices, with a strong focus on producing safe, sustainable and resilient food systems.

Profile : Google Scholar | Orcid

Featured Publications

“Study on the application of bioregulatory substances in organic tomato crop”

“The study of sexual pheromone traps for pest monitoring, cabbage moth – Mamestra brassicae L.”

“The assessment of carbon farming practices for the ecological vegetable growing system–a review”

“Review on the positive influence of intercropping systems for organic vegetable growing.”

“Preliminary studies regarding some allelopathic interactions in vegetables intercropping systems”