Advances in Temperate Fruit Pest Management Challenges and Innovations

Dr. Mohd Abas Shah is currently serving as Scientist (Senior Scale) at the ICAR-Central Institute of Temperate Horticulture, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India. Previously, he worked as a Scientist at ICAR-Central Potato Research Institute, Regional Station, Jalandhar, Punjab, India. He holds a Ph.D. in Agricultural Entomology from Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir (SKUAST-K), Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India. His research interests include sustainable management of insect and mite pests of temperate fruit crops, particularly apple, and the development of decision support systems for pest control. Dr. Shah has received several recognitions for his research, including best paper and poster awards and a gold medal for his doctoral work. He has contributed extensively to scientific literature through research papers, book chapters, and edited volumes.

Prof. Akhtar Ali Khan is Professor and Head, Division of Entomology at SKUAST-K, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India. With over two decades of experience in research, teaching, and extension, he previously completed multiple externally funded projects and contributed to the development of several pest management technologies. He holds a Ph.D. in Entomology from Banaras Hindu University, Uttar Pradesh, India, and a D.Sc. in Entomology. His areas of expertise include insect pest ecology and biological control. He has received numerous awards and serves on editorial boards of academic journals.