ZA

ZAKIR AMIN

Central Institute of Temperate Horticulture, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir

ORCID iD 0000-0003-2702-6043
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About

I am a plant pathologist from a rural village in District Kulgam, Jammu & Kashmir, India. I completed my Ph.D. in Plant Pathology at SKUAST-Kashmir, where my research focused on racial profiling and management of rice blast disease caused by Pyricularia oryzae. My doctoral work addressed the characterization of pathogen isolates from different topographies of Kashmir, the use of botanical extracts for disease management under laboratory and field conditions, and the evaluation of nitrogen and silicon regimes in disease suppression. Prior to my doctoral studies, I completed my M.Sc. in Agriculture (Plant Pathology) at SKUAST-Kashmir, investigating the dissipation dynamics of Myclobutanil and Flusilazole fungicides on apple fruit using advanced chromatographic techniques.
My professional experience includes working as a Junior Research Fellow in a DST-funded project on organic waste management systems for cold regions, focusing on psychrophilic microbial consortia, and currently as Young Professional-II in an NHB-funded project on hazard analysis in pome fruits under the Clean Plant Programme.
I have published in several high-impact international journals. My research on rice blast disease, particularly the molecular and structural aspects of effector-host interactions and the influence of nutrient management on disease control and yield in traditional rice varieties, has been published in journals with significant impact factors. I have contributed to studies on the biocontrol potential of endophytic bacteria in rice, molecular characterization of fungal pathogens affecting apples and wheat, and the development of molecular markers for pathogen detection in saffron.
Some of my most impactful publications include research in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Research (IF 6.2), Scientific Reports (IF 3.8), Microbial Pathogenesis (IF 3.5), Physiological and Molecular Plant Pathology (IF 3.3), and Biomedical Chromatography (IF 1.7).
Throughout my academic and research career, I have received several awards, including the Best M.Sc. Thesis Award at an international conference, and multiple best poster and oral presentation awards for my research on pesticide residues, fungicide efficacy, anticancer properties of medicinal plants, and disease management in temperate crops. I am a life member of the Indian Phytopathological Society and have participated in numerous national and international conferences and advanced training programs on pathogenomics, biopesticide production, genomic tools, and statistical approaches in agricultural science.
My research interests include plant disease epidemiology and management, host-pathogen interactions, sustainable crop protection strategies, and pesticide residue analysis for food safety. My work is driven by the agricultural challenges of Kashmir, and I am committed to developing scientifically robust and practically relevant solutions for disease management, food safety, and resilient farming systems in the region.

Employment

  • Central Institute of Temperate Horticulture Young Professional-II
    2024 - 2025
  • Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir Junior Research Fellow
    2023 - 2024

Education

Education history is unavailable.

Projects & Funding

Projects & funding information is unavailable.

Publications (34)