Dr. Keshav Dahal

Image Keshav Dahal
Research Scientist
  • Crop Stress Physiology
  • Adaptattion/Acclimation to Environmental Stresses
  • Dought and Heat Stress under increasing CO2., 
  • High-Throughput Phenomics

Current research and/or projects

  • High-Throughput Phenotyping of Potatoes for Drought Tolerance: More Crop per Drop 
  • Physiology of Verticillium Wilt Resistance in Potatoes.   
  • Potatoes under Increasing CO2 and Drought 

Research and/or project statements

  • Identification and characterization of potato genotypes that exhibit enhanced capacity for drought tolerance and tuber yield.
  • Identification of drought- related physiological and biochemical traits in potatoes.
  • Application of hyperspectral reflectance as a high-throuput phenotyping tool for proxy estimation of leaf physiological and biochemical traits.
  • Unraveling the physiological mechanism of Verticillium wilt resistance in potato plants.
  • Understanding the effects of elevated CO2 on potato plant growth and tuber yield.

Professional activities / interests

  • Adaptation/acclimation to environmental stresses such as drought, heat, nutrient stresses.
  • High-Throughput Phenotyping of leaf physiological and biochemical traits. 
  • Remote sensing of crop health and yield prediction using Hyperspectral Imaging.
  • Improving light utilization efficiency in to biomass and crop yield.

 

Education and awards

Education:

  • Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of Toronto, 2017
  • PhD in Plant Biology, Western University, London, 2012
  • M. Sc. Ag. University of Bonn, Germany, 2004
  • B.Sc.Ag. Tribhuwan University, Nepal

Awards:

  • George Duff Travel Bursaries  Canada, 2015 and 2016.
  • Western Graduate Research Scholarship, Western University, London, 2007-2012.
  • Dr. Irene Uchida Fellowship in Life sciences, Western University, London, 2011.
  • Green Crop Network Travel Award, Canada, 2007-2011.
  • German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) Award, Germany, 2006.
  • Europe-Asia Link Award, 2005-2006.
  • Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Fellowship, 2005 (declined).
  • Ministry of Agriculture, Government of Egypt Fellowship, 2005 (declined). 
  • German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) scholarship, Germany, 2002-2004.
  • University Merit Scholarships while pursuing B.Sc.Ag. in Nepal.

International experience and/or work

  • Agriculture Officer, Ministry of Agriculture, Nepal, 2006
  • Project Cycle Management, Humbold University, Germany. 2006.
  • Basic Soil Parameters, University of Kiel, Germany, 2005

Key publications

  1. Dahal, K., Weraduwage, S.M., Kane, K., Rauf, S.A., Leonardos, E.D., Gadapati, W., Savitch, L., Singh, J., Marillia, E.F., Taylor, D.C., Micallef, M.C., Knowles, V., Plaxton, W., Barron, J., Sarhan, F., Hüner, N., Grodzinski, B., Micallef, B.J. (2014). Enhancing biomass production and yield by maintaining enhanced capacity for CO2 uptake in response to elevated CO2. Canadian Journal of Plant Science, [online] 94(6), 1075-1083. http://dx.doi.org/10.4141/CJPS2013-151

    2014 - View publication details

  2. Dahal, K., Gadapati, W., Savitch, L.V., Singh, J., Hüner, N.P.A. (2012). Cold acclimation and BnCBF17-over-expression enhance photosynthetic performance and energy conversion efficiency during long-term growth of Brassica napus under elevated CO2 conditions. Planta, [online] 236(5), 1639-1652. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00425-012-1710-2

    2012 - View publication details

  3. Dahal, K., Kane, K., Gadapati, W., Webb, E., Savitch, L.V., Singh, J., Sharma, P., Sarhan, F., Longstaffe, F.J., Grodzinski, B., Hüner, N.P.A. (2012). The effects of phenotypic plasticity on photosynthetic performance in winter rye, winter wheat and Brassica napus. Physiologia Plantarum, [online] 144(2), 169-188. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1399-3054.2011.01513.x

    2012 - View publication details

Research facility

95 Innovation Road
PO Box 20280
Fredericton, NB E3B 4Z7
Canada

Affiliations

  • Adjunct Professor at the University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, NB, Canada
  • Member, Canadian Society of Plant Biologists
  • Member, Canadian Society of Plant Biotechnology
  • Review Editor for the Frontiers in Plant Science 
  • Associate Editor for the Canadian Journal of Plant Science

Language

English