Journal of Plant Pathology

Editorial Board

The Editorial Board of the journal is responsible for maintaining the quality and integrity of the journal's content. The board members are experts in their respective fields and play a crucial role in the peer review process, ensuring that all articles published meet the highest academic standards.

The Editorial Board is committed to upholding the principles of academic excellence, transparency, and ethical publishing practices. They work closely with authors, reviewers, and the editorial team to facilitate a smooth publication process.

Editor-in-Chief

Huan Qing Zhang

Huan Qing Zhang PhD

Editor-in-Chief

Department: Department of Crop Protection

Affiliation: Zhejiang Agriculture and Forest University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang

Designation: Plant Pathologist

Country: China

Prof. Chuanqing Zhang is s Plant Pathologist at Department of Crop Protection, College of Advanced Agriculture Sciences, Zhejiang Agriculture and Forest University, China, since 2011. He received PHD in Pesticide Science from Nanjing Agriculture University, China in 2005. During 2005 to 2007, he worked as a postdoc at College of Agriculture, Zhejiang University. His research is focused on plant pathogenic fungi, plant disease management, and fungicide resistance funded by national, province and other agencies.

Editorial Members

Muhammad Hamzah Saleem

Muhammad Hamzah Saleem PhD

Editorial Member

Affiliation: Office of Academic Research, Office of VP for Research Graduate Studies, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar

Department: Department of Plant Science and Technology

Designation: Research Assistant

Country: Qatar

Dr. Muhammad Hamzah Saleem is a Research Assistant at Qatar University and is recognized among the Top 2% Scientists Worldwide. He has authored over 240 peer-reviewed research articles with more than 14,000 citations, focusing on plant stress physiology, phytoremediation, nanotechnology, and sustainable agriculture. His research primarily investigates the mechanisms of plant tolerance under heavy metal stress and the application of nanoparticles and plant growth-promoting microbes for remediation strategies. Dr. Saleem has extensive editorial and reviewing experience for numerous high-impact international journals and actively contributes to advancing plant science research globally.

Udoka Vitus Ogugua

Udoka Vitus Ogugua PhD

Editorial Member

Affiliation: University of South Africa

Department: Department of Horticulture

Designation: Postdoctoral Fellow

Country: South Africa

Dr. Ogugua is currently a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of South Africa, with a strong academic and research background in crop physiology, phytopathology, and sustainable agriculture. He earned his PhD in Agriculture from UNISA, where his research examined the physiological responses of tomato plants to acid mine water and the mitigating effects of gibberellic acid.

His research interests include plant–environment interactions, biocontrol of plant pathogens, microbial inoculants, and the application of biofertilizers and biostimulants to improve crop productivity. He has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals on topics such as biological control agents, plant–microbe interactions, and bioremediation. His work combines molecular, physiological, and ecological approaches to address pressing challenges in plant health and crop production.

Dr. Ogugua has served as a reviewer for journals including Heliyon, Discover Agriculture, and 3Biotech. He is an active member of the American Phytopathological Society and the South African Council for Natural Science Professionals. With extensive experience in postgraduate supervision, scientific communication, and interdisciplinary collaboration, he is well-qualified for editorial roles in the field of plant pathology.

Zhentao Wang

Zhentao Wang PhD

Editorial Member

Affiliation: Shihezi University, Xinjiang

Department: Department of Artificial Intelligence and Smart Agriculture

Designation: Associate Professor

Country: China

Dr. Zhentao Wang is an Associate Professor and Master's Supervisor at Shihezi University, China. He holds a Ph.D. and specializes in Artificial Intelligence, Machine Vision, Deep Learning, and Smart Agriculture. Dr. Wang has extensive research experience in smart agriculture and physicochemical property evaluation. He has served as a Guest Editor for Frontiers in Plant Science and as a Youth Editorial Board Member for Agricultural Products Processing and Storage and Food Wellness. He has also chaired sessions at major international conferences, including the International Conference on Artificial Intelligence and Materials and the International Conference on Intelligent Systems and Robotics. Dr. Wang has been recognized with numerous honors, including selection for the prestigious "Tianchi Yingcai" (Tianchi Talent) program and Category A High-Level Talent at Shihezi University. He has reviewed for several SCI-indexed journals and led or participated in multiple national and provincial research projects. With over 30 publications in reputable journals such as Computers and Electronics in Agriculture, LWT - Food Science and Technology, and Powder Technology, he has also contributed two ESI Highly Cited Papers and applied for over 10 invention patents. His work reflects a strong commitment to advancing smart agricultural technologies and interdisciplinary innovation.

Feng Zhou

Feng Zhou PhD

Editorial Member

Affiliation: School of Plant Protection and Environment, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang

Department: Department of School of Plant Protection and Environment

Designation: Associate Professor

Country: China

Dr. Feng Zhou is a plant pathology and molecular biology specialist with a strong research foundation built through postgraduate studies. He currently serves as Associate Professor and Associate Dean at the School of Plant Protection and Environment, Henan Institute of Science and Technology. His academic journey has been marked by a commitment to advancing knowledge in early plant disease diagnosis, chemical control, plant-microbe interactions, and fungicide resistance mechanisms. He is actively involved in multiple editorial boards and peer review committees and has received numerous awards for scientific excellence.

Zhana Valcheva Ivanova-Doneva

Zhana Valcheva Ivanova-Doneva PhD

Editorial Member

Affiliation: Agricultural University Plovdiv, Plovdiv

Department: Department of Plant Breeding and Seed Production

Designation: Assistant Professor

Country: Bulgaria

Dr. Zhana Valcheva Ivanova-Doneva is an Assistant Professor at the Maritsa Vegetable Crops Research Institute in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. Born on March 7, 1985, in Plovdiv, she holds a B.Sc. in Plant Protection and an M.Sc. in Ecology of Urban Systems from the Agricultural University – Plovdiv. She earned her PhD in Plant Breeding and Seed Production at the Maritsa Institute, with a dissertation focused on enriching genetic diversity in melon (Cucumis melo L.) through biotechnological and conventional breeding methods.

With a strong background in agronomy and biotechnology, Dr. Ivanova-Doneva has participated in several national and international research projects, particularly those aimed at enhancing resistance to biotic stress in vegetable crops. Her research interests include tissue culture techniques for breeding variability, pathogen resistance screening, and in vitro regeneration methods. She has also completed scientific training in France and holds additional certifications in teaching methodology, databases, and experimental data analysis.

Fluent in English and proficient in French, she is also skilled in various data analysis and research tools, including SPSS and Microsoft Office. Dr. Ivanova-Doneva continues to contribute significantly to the advancement of vegetable crop breeding and plant pathology research in Bulgaria.

Muhammad Rafiq

Muhammad Rafiq PhD

Editorial Member

Affiliation: Chinese Academy of Sciences, Research institute in Beijing

Department: Department of Medicinal Plant Research

Designation: Assistant Researcher

Country: China

Dr. Muhammad Rafiq is currently serving as an Assistant Researcher at the Lushan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, in Jiujiang, China. He earned his Ph.D. in Plant Pathology from the University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan, where his doctoral research focused on the biological management of black scurf disease in potatoes using biofertilizers and Asteraceae weeds.

Dr. Rafiq specializes in plant pathology, medicinal plants, and green chemistry. His research interests include the development of antimicrobial agents from natural sources, stress biology, and the production of medicinal and functional plant products. He possesses strong expertise in plant physiological studies, compound isolation and characterization using GC-MS, HPLC, and SEM, and has demonstrated proficiency in conducting both field and lab-based research.

Throughout his career, he has held positions in academia, industry, and international research institutions. His international experience includes a research fellowship at Iowa State University (USA) where he studied antifungal compounds from Silybum marianum. Prior to his current role in China, he served as Technical Manager at Abdullah Haseeb Agrochemicals in Pakistan, where he led integrated pest management programs and biotechnological solutions for crop diseases.

Dr. Rafiq has published over 25 peer-reviewed research articles in renowned journals, contributed a book chapter, and actively participated in international conferences and scientific training programs in the USA and China. His recent work focuses on the identification and quality assessment of traditional medicinal plants, TCM plant industrialization, and natural product development.

He is a member of professional societies including the Pakistan Phytopathological Society, the Pakistan Society of Food Scientists and Technologists, and the Jiangxi Botanical Society in China.

Congyan Wang

Congyan Wang PhD

Editorial Member

Affiliation: Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province,

Department: Department of Plant Ecology

Designation: Professor

Country: China

Dr. Congyan Wang is a Professor and Ph.D. Supervisor at the School of Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University, China. He earned his Doctorate in Biology from Nanjing University, specializing in Invasion Biology. His research focuses on the ecological effects, environmental risks, and mechanistic understanding of invasive plant species. His work integrates plant ecology, community dynamics, and plant–soil–microbe interactions to explore how invasive species establish, compete, and impact biodiversity.

Dr. Wang has made several theoretical contributions to invasion ecology, including the development of indices such as the invasion intensity index, relative invasiveness index, community invasibility index, and the “seesaw theory” to explain competitive plant growth strategies in invasive contexts. He has published extensively in high-impact journals such as Science of the Total Environment, Plant Diversity, and Plants.

He currently serves on multiple editorial boards, including mSystems, Horticulturae, Journal of Plant Ecology, iMeta, Journal of Forestry Research, and Microorganisms. He is also the Lead Guest Editor of several special issues focusing on invasive plant ecology in journals like Plants, Microorganisms, Forests, and Sustainability.

With a strong interdisciplinary background, Dr. Wang contributes significantly to the advancement of plant invasion science, offering both conceptual frameworks and practical risk assessment tools for ecosystem management and biodiversity conservation.

Muhammad Faizan Latif

Muhammad Faizan Latif PhD

Editorial Member

Affiliation: Nanjing Forestry University, China

Department: Forest Protection School of Life Sciences

Designation: Postdoctoral Researcher

Country: China

Muhammad Faizan Latif is a postdoctoral researcher with a strong background in advanced biotechnology and bioinformatics. His academic journey includes a Ph.D. from Nanjing Normal University, where he conducted research on transgenic solutions for plant viral diseases. He has worked on numerous biotechnology-focused projects in both academic and industrial settings, including internships at Monsanto and training at leading biotechnology institutes in Pakistan. His work is published in multiple peer-reviewed journals. He is passionate about applying scientific innovation to address global agricultural and environmental challenges.

Alieu Mohamed Bah

Alieu Mohamed Bah PhD

Editorial Member

Affiliation: Njala University, Bo City in the Towama and Kowama villages

Department: Department of Crop Science

Designation: Associate Professor

Country: Sierra Leone

 

Dr. Alieu Mohamed Bah is an Associate Professor of Crop Science and currently serves as the Deputy Vice Chancellor at Njala University, Sierra Leone. He holds a Ph.D. in Crop Science from Zhejiang University, China, an M.Sc. in Agricultural Education, and a B.Sc. in Agricultural Education from Njala University. With over two decades of academic and professional experience, Dr. Bah has held several leadership roles, including Head of the Crop Science Department and Dean of the School of Agriculture.

Dr. Bah is an accomplished researcher in areas such as plant stress physiology, organic soil amendments, and varietal improvement. He has published over 25 scientific articles in peer-reviewed journals and has supervised numerous undergraduate, MPhil, and Ph.D. theses. He has also played a lead role in major national and international agricultural research projects, especially in food safety, rice breeding, and mutation breeding under the IAEA-AFRA initiatives.

In addition to his academic contributions, Dr. Bah has been actively involved in national development projects, consultancy, curriculum development, and capacity building. He has served as a consultant for various organizations including BBC Media Action, COOPI, IFAD, and AAH. He also coordinated several donor-funded initiatives focused on seed production, food security, and sustainable agriculture.

Dr. Bah is a member of several professional bodies including the African Crop Science Society and the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists. His service includes editorial board memberships, national agricultural boards, and leadership in educational and community development institutions.

Musa Decius Saffa

Musa Decius Saffa PhD

Editorial Member

Affiliation: Njala University, Bo City in the Towama and Kowama villages

Department: Department of Crop Protection

Designation: Lecturer

Country: Sierra Leone

Musa Decius Saffa is a Sierra Leonean agricultural scientist and lecturer at Njala University, where he has been teaching and conducting research since 2016. With a strong academic background in crop protection, he holds a BSc (Hons), MSc, and has recently completed his PhD in Crop Protection at Njala University. His work focuses primarily on plant health, including the management of agricultural pests and diseases, sustainable crop production, and integrated pest control strategies.

Musa has contributed to the scientific community with over a dozen publications in reputable journals, addressing issues such as the effect of green manure on maize productivity, pest infestation in local yam genotypes, and seasonal variations in cassava disease incidence. He has actively participated in agricultural seminars and workshops and served as a laboratory assistant with WAVE Sierra Leone. His commitment to agricultural advancement is matched by his dedication as an ordained minister since 2016.

Fluent in English, Mende, and Krio, Musa is passionate about improving food security and promoting environmentally sound agricultural practices across Sierra Leone and beyond.