HORIZON-CL6-2027-02-FARM2FORK-04: Plant Genomics and Genetic Resources for Sustainable and Resilient Organic Farming Systems

Research expertise and potential contribution

I am Assoc. Prof. Muhammad Azhar Nadeem, Associate Professor of Plant Biotechnology at Mersin University, Türkiye, with extensive research experience in plant genomics, genetic diversity, germplasm characterization, molecular breeding, and crop improvement, particularly in cereals and legumes.

My research expertise includes next-generation sequencing (NGS), DNA molecular markers, genetic diversity and population structure analysis, genome-wide association studies (GWAS), identification of marker–trait associations (MTAs), and development and validation of molecular markers for marker-assisted selection (MAS).

Within the Horizon Europe topic HORIZON-CL6-2027-02-FARM2FORK-04, I am interested in contributing plant genomic and molecular approaches to improve understanding of the contribution of crop genetic resources, agrobiodiversity, and crop improvement strategies to the environmental, economic, and agricultural sustainability of organic farming systems.

Potential contributions to the project include:

• Characterization and evaluation of crop genetic resources to identify diverse and locally adapted varieties suitable for organic farming systems.

• Assessment of genetic diversity and agrobiodiversity in cereals, legumes, and other agriculturally important crops.

• Identification of genetic variation associated with productivity, environmental adaptation, disease resistance, resource-use efficiency, and yield stability under organic production conditions.

• Application of GWAS and next-generation sequencing approaches to identify genomic regions and molecular markers associated with important sustainability-related agronomic traits.

• Evaluation of genotype-by-environment interactions (G×E) to identify stable and resilient genotypes under different agroecological and organic farming conditions.

• Investigation of the potential contribution of crop diversification and genetically diverse plant materials to sustainable and resilient farming systems.

• Integration of molecular, genomic, and field-based phenotypic data to support evidence-based assessment of crop diversity, genetic resources, and sustainable organic crop production.

• Contribution to interdisciplinary research assessing the role of plant genetic resources and crop improvement in strengthening the long-term sustainability of organic agriculture.

Research experience and collaboration capacity

I have participated in several national and international research projects, including ERA-NET SusCrop, COST Actions, TÜBİTAK 1001, 1003 and 1007 programmes, TAGEM-funded projects, and university-funded research projects.

My scientific contributions include more than 100 SCI/SCIE-indexed publications, over 4,700 citations, an h-index of 34, and seven edited books published by Springer. I have also been recognized among the World's Top 2% Scientists by Stanford University and Elsevier (2023–2026).

Expected collaboration

I am interested in joining an international Horizon Europe consortium as a research partner, particularly in work packages involving crop genetic resources, agrobiodiversity, molecular characterization, crop resilience, genomic-assisted breeding, field evaluation, and sustainable organic crop production.

I welcome collaboration with European universities, agricultural research institutes, organic farming research organizations, plant breeders, farmer networks, and stakeholders working on biodiversity conservation, sustainable food systems, and climate-resilient agriculture.

My objective is to contribute plant genomics and molecular breeding expertise to interdisciplinary research evaluating and strengthening the contribution of crop genetic diversity and improved plant genetic resources to the environmental, economic, and agricultural sustainability of organic farming systems.