Deepti Srivastava, PhD, is Assistant Professor in the Department of Agriculture at Integral University, Lucknow, India. She is the author and co-author of research articles, book chapters, and several books. Her major research area involves plant biotechnology and molecular breeding in rice. Dr. Srivastava previously worked at the CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute, Lucknow, where she was engaged in the development of hybrids of cotton. Her current research work includes development of drought and heat-tolerant rice varieties. Md. Shamim, PhD, is Assistant Professor and Jr. Scientist in the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering at Bihar Agricultural University, Sabour, India. He is the author or coauthor of journal articles, book chapters, and conference papers as well as several books. Dr. Shamim previously worked at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, where he was engaged in heatresponsive gene regulation in wheat, and at the Indian Institute of Pulses Research, where he worked on molecular and phylogeny analysis of several Fusarium fungus of pulses. He currently specializes in the area of biotic stress management in rice. Malik Mobeen Ahmad, PhD, is Assistant Professor of Microbial Biotechnology at Integral University, Lucknow, India. With his expertise in the area of microorganisms, he oversees the development of ready-to-use diagnostic kits for mycotoxins or other toxins produced in food crops of importance to developing countries. He has published over 20 scientific papers in national and international journals and five books. His current research focuses on bioprospecting of novel bioactive metabolites from endophytic fungi and their biotransformation. R. S. Upadhyay, PhD, is a Professor of Botany (since 1997) at Banaras Hindu University, India, where he is also the Programme Coordinator of the Centre of Advanced Study in Botany. A prolific author and academic mentor, he has published over 140 research papers, over 60 book chapters, and several edited books. He has carried out collaborative research at prestigious institutes in India, USA, and UK and has received several honors and awards for his works. Dr. Upadhyay is credited with the discovery of the perfect state of Fusarium udum, the causal agent of the wilt of pigeon pea.
