Current research

Seed germination and seedling emergence are the most important and vulnerable phases of a crop cycle. A poor quality of seed and sowing conditions have both direct (e.g. the lack of seed germination translates either into the need to re-sowing with further costs or into a reduced plant density) and indirect (e.g. lower competitiveness of crops towards weeds and more favorable conditions for the development of diseases) impacts on crop health and thus on the final crop yield. This is particularly true taking into account the current agro-ecological transition which will be characterized by a significant change in terms of the seed treatments (less chemical and more biological seed treatments), number of crop species sown within the same plot (e.g. intercropping, cover cropping, cultivar mixtures) and the cropping practices adopted (e.g. no or minimum tillage, reduced use of mineral inputs….). However, our knowledge is limited concerning whether, under this transition phase, the crop establishment will be affected by biotic (mainly soil-borne pathogens) and abiotic (drought, heat and mechanical) factors. My research activities, thus, focus on a better understanding of biotic and abiotic stresses affecting seed germination and seedling emergence with the final objective of facilitating the agroecological transition.

Professional experiences

• From September 2017: Research Scientist, INRA, AGIR, the VASCO research team — investigation of biotic (mainly soil-borne pathogens) and abiotic (heat, drought, mechanical etc.) stresses affecting seed germination and seedling emergence.
• April 2014 - August 2017: Postdoc III, INRA, Eco-Innov research unit, Grignon — research within & coordination of two European networks (ENDURE & C-IPM) of Integrated Pest Management.
• 2013 - March 2014: Postdoc II, INRA, Plant Pathology research unit, Avignon — the host range determination of the Pseudomonas syringae species complex.
• 2011 - 2012: Postdoc I, the University of Tuscia — epidemiological studies of bacterial (bacterial canker and bacterial blight) and fungal (cytospora canker) diseases of hazelnut, with a particular focus on the role of pedo-climatic factors on these diseases.
• 2007 - 2010: PhD in Plant Pathology — aetiology of olive knot disease and microbial ecology of the olive phyllosphere across the Himalayas. I carried out my doctoral activities in collaboration between different institutions -- including the University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy; the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations; and the Central horticultural center, Kathmandu, Nepal.
• 2002 - 2005/2007: Bachelor's & Master’s degree in Agronomy, the University of Tuscia, Italy.

Contact:

Tel : +33 (0)5.61.28.52.50
Courriel : jay-ram.lamichhane (at) inrae.fr