Dr.Merkuz Abera Admassu

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FULL NAME:  Merkuz Abera Admassu (PhD)

CURRENT ADMINISTRATIVE TITLE

•Laboratory Manager of College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences (Since 2016)

•Course chair of Plant Protection section in Plant Science department (Since 2011)

•Co-ordinator of MSc. in Plant Protection program (Since 2014)

OFFICE ADDRESS (Dept.  and BLDG/Office No.): Plant Science, Bldg 1, Ground, No 35

MOBILE NUMBER (Optional):..    +251 0918 767016

OFFICE PHONE NUMBER (if any:    +251 58229018

E-MAIL ADDRESS:   merkuzabera@yahoo.com

FAX ADDRESS:

EDUCATION

Undergraduate                                             

    •Year of Degree:  1984          Degree:  BSc. in Plant Science        Institution:  AAU, Alemaya 

        College of Agriculture

Postgraduate

    •Year of Degree:  2001          Degree:  MSc. in Plant Protection               Institution:  AUCA,    

       Alemaya, Harar, Ethiopia, 2001

Postgraduate

    •Year of Degree:  2010          Degree:  PhD. in Plant Pathology   Institution:  HUCA, School   

        of Plant Sciences, Haramaya, Harar, Ethiopia, 2010

ACADEMIC APPOINTMENTS

•2010, Assistance Professor in Plant Pathology, Plant Science, Bahir Dar University

•2014, Associate Professor in Plant Pathology, Plant Science, Bahir Dar University

AWARDS AND HONORS

    •2014, Honorable AWARD from International Conference of Pakistan Phytopathological  

  Society “Climate Change and Plant Diseases: Challenges and Opportunities” Presented to Dr.

  Merkuz Abera In appreciation of Contributions to Plant Pathology, January, 23-25, 2014,  

  University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan

UNIVERSITY COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS:

• 2010-2014, Coordinator of the project team JICA/EIAR Technical Coperation Project for         

   Enhancing Development and Dissemination of Agricultural Innovations through Farmer

   Research Groups (FRGs) JICA/BDU COAES FRG II project team, College of Agriculture

• 2010-2014, Co-ordinator M.Sc. Curriculum, of Plant Protection from preparation till   

    approval for group/team

• Since 2011, Course Chair, Plant Protection division

• 2011-2012, Member of student grade approval Committee of College of Agriculture  &      

    Environmental Sciences

• 2012-2013, Project Co-ordinator CAES ISSD-II, Bahir Dar University, Integrated Seed

   Sector Development II (ISSD-II) Project for partner staffs CAES team, College of Agriculture

• 2012-2013, Member, Strengthening Rural Transformation Competences of Higher Education    

   and Research Institutions in Amhara Region, Ethiopia (TRANSACT), funded by   

   APPEAR/Austrian Development Cooperation, participating in the activities (TRANSACT 4.3),

   Project, College of Agriculture

• 2012-2013, Chairperson, of Nomination Committee of College of Agriculture & Environmental    

    Sciences

• 2012-2013, Member of quality control team of purchased laboratory materials to be used for the 

     College of Agriculture and Environmental Science

• 2013-2014, Head Plant Science Department College of Agriculture and Environmental   

    Science

OTHER MAJOR COMMITEE ASSIGNMENTS: (national, regional, international)

            (Date -Indicate role)

• Since 2011, Reviewer of African Journal of Agricultural Research, Since 22/06/11till now.

• Since 2015, Reviewer of the Ethiopian Journal of Science and Technology, BDU

• Since 2016, Principal investigator, USAID Feed the Future Post-Harvest Loss Reduction  

   Innovation Lab Mycotoxin Research Project, Bahir Dar University

TRAINING OF GRADUATE STUDENTS

• Crop Pest Management, Plag 619 (PG), MSc. Agronomy

• Agricultural Mycology Plpp 6011 (PG) MSc. Plant Protection

• Plant Bacteriology and Virology Plpp 6013 (PG) MSc. Plant Protection

• Post-harvest and Weed Management Plpp 6031 (PG) MSc. Plant Protection

• Pesticides & Integrated Pest Management Plpp 6041 (PG) MSc. Plant Protection

• PhD. Seminar I in Agronomy Agrn 8053 (PG) PhD Agronomy

TEACHING RESPONSIBILITIES            

• Crop Production and Management, Plsc 140 (UG) Plant Science, Natural. Rural, Disaster

• Plant Pathology, Plsc 142 and Plsc 2052 (UG), Plant Science

• Plant Entomology, Plsc161 and Plsc 2050 (UG), Plant Science

• Weeds and Their Management Plsc 2053 (UG), Plant Science

• Management of Crop Diseases and Insect Pests of Economic Importance Plsc 2054 (UG) Pl.Sci

• Agri. Pesticides and IPM of Major Economic Crop pests Management, Plsc 361 (UG) Pl. Sci

• Senior Research Project, Plsc 391 and Plsc 3105 (UG) Plant Science

MEMBERSHIP OF PROFESSIONAL SOCIETIES

• Member of crop protection society of Ethiopia

• Member of Ethiopian Weed Science society

OFFICE AND COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS IN PROFESSIONAL SOCIETIES

• Disseminating Annual conference program posters around Bahir Dar for members found in the   

   University, Research centers and Plant Health Clinics

PUBLICATIONS

• 2011, Archives of Phytopathology and Plant Protection (Taylor & Francis). 45(6): 717-723.

• 2011, Archives of Phytopathology and Plant Protection (Taylor & Francis). 44(18): 1785-1795.

• 2011, Archives of Phytopathology and Plant Protection (Taylor & Francis). 44(9): 821-831.

• 2011, Archives of Phytopathology and Plant Protection (Taylor & Francis). 44(13): 1261-1273.

• 2012, International Journal of Current Research. 4(05): 128-134.

• 2012, International Journal of Current Research. 4(05): 135-141.

• 2012, International Journal of Current Research. 4(04): 046-052.

• 2012, International Journal of Current Research. 4(04): 041-045.

• 2014. WebPub Journal of Agricultural Research 2(9) 105-117.

• 2014, WebPub Journal of Agricultural Research 2(3) 38-46.

• 2014, Pacesetter Journal of Agricultural Science Research, 2 (3) 25-35

• 2014, Current research in agricultural sciences, 1 (1) 21-34                                                

• 2014, IJETAE, 4 (4) 979-988

• 2015, International Journal of Pharmacy, 106 (2015) 453-463

• 2015, Journal of Civil Engineering, 108 (2015) 233-249

Publications (BOOKS)

• 2011, Academic Publishing Gmbh & Co. Germany. ISBN 978-3-8433-9126-8, 60 p.

• 2010, Lambert Academic Publishing Gmbh & Co. Germany. ISBN 978-3-8433-8115-4, 124 p.

Public Lectures delivered

• 25th Sept, 2013, at Tokyo University of Agriculture, Tokyo, Japan.

• January, 23-25, 2014, at International Conference of Pakistan Phytopathological Society,       

   University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan

MAJOR RESEARCH INTERESTS

  1. Basic Studies

• Survey and identification of most important plant diseases and their natural enemies    

      (antagonists) to determine their distribution and economic importance

• Develop the plant disease outbreak forecasting, monitoring and early warning system especially    

      for diseases like rust

• Determine the economic losses incurred due to damage by major plant diseases in various crops  

      both in field and storage conditions

• Study the biology and ecology of major diseases and their antagonists

• Mapping the major plant diseases in the region and expand the research on biotechnology

• Develop the mass multiplication technologies of various bio-control agents (Predators and  

       parasites)

• Develop the mass multiplication technologies of various beneficial fungal pathogens for insect  

       pest management

• Study the plant and disease interaction

  1. Promotion of available technologies

  • Promote the improved plant disease management technologies for minimizing pre- and post-

      harvest losses which are available at Regional, National as well as Global level

• Demonstrate the improved disease management practices at community level (pre- and post-  

      harvest) management

• Study the abiotic and biotic factors affecting post-harvest losses

• Investigate the appropriate management practices which could help to reduce post harvest  

       losses

• Develop the post-harvest handling technologies applicable at small scale as well as in  

       commercial crop production

• Encourage the indigenous disease protection practices to be used by farmers through  

      development of appropriate technology that could easily fit in to the production system

• Provide the training for farmers and extension agents or workers on various aspects of disease  

       management that will improve farmers’ perception about disease problems

• Prepare and publish a hand book (manual) or facing sheets consisting of identification and  

        management options of diseases of various crops

 

  1. Establishment of base line data

• Establish the base line data book on crop loss assessment for various economically important  

      diseases

• Collection, identification and presentation of various disease pathogens

• Establish a national based museum, diseased herbarium collections & their identified specimens  

       in the College to serve as Regional base plant disease identification site / reference

• Establish a computer data base for integrated disease management

 

  1. Development of ease, economical, sustainable and environmentally sound pest management strategies

• Develop innovative disease management strategies for economically important diseases (field  

         and storage diseases)

• Develop and implement the IDM for major diseases as component of integrated crop    

         management

• Device the means of existing antagonistic conservation

  1. Improvement of research support of the unit

• Establish the IDM working group

• Equipped the Plant Pathology laboratory at college level

• Establish the Plant Pathology club at University level

• Fulfill the facility of Plant Pathology laboratory at the College level

KEY ACHIEVEMENTS AND AWARDS

• Working participatory research with farmers by JICA Project which made farmers to adopt the

     technology easily

• Assisting farmers who works on seed multiplication through the ISSD project on disease  

     management

• Preparing of Leaflets on disease management to be used for extension experts and Development  

     agents even for farmers in Amharic and English version and so on

KEY SKILLS AND ABILITIES

• Working mainly in laboratory in the isolation and identification of plant diseseases

• Quarantine inspector