I got my MSc and Doctoral degree from the University of Helsinki, majoring in Crop Science. My interest towards crop production comes from my background as I grew up in farm which I now run. My doctoral thesis was related to exogenous glycinebetaine application and its role in plant stress tolerance. Since that I have been working with topics related to plant nutrition, cropping sequences, secondary metabolites and their utilization in plant production. Lately, my interest has mainly been forage maize cultivation, mixed cropping as well as glycinebetaine.
I am an Estonian who, while growing up in my grandparents' farm, grew more interested in solutions increasing the sustainability of agriculture. After completing my BSc degree with distinction at Estonian University of Life Sciences, I started MSc studies here at University of Helsinki.
My research interests include ways to improve nutrient recycling, soil fertility, organic farming and recycling fertilizers and biochars as ways to improve the sustainability of crop production. The main focus of my doctoral thesis was to study the effects of biochar use as a soil amendment on soil fertility, earthworms and cereal and legume yield formation in boreal soils. My postdoctoral research continued along these lines and currently my
I am involved also in two
My research journey has taken me from Japan to the USA, Germany, and now Finland. I have always been fascinated by the question of why some plants grow faster than others, and I have explored this using various omics approaches. Currently, I am part of
I am a crop physiologist specializing in crop stress physiology and climate-resilient agriculture. I recently completed my PhD in Crop and Soil Sciences at the University of Georgia, where I studied heat tolerance mechanisms in cultivated peanut using wild-derived genetic resources and advanced physiological phenotyping. My Ph.D work research integrated chlorophyll fluorescence (OJIP), gas exchange measurements, and biochemical indicators to understand plant responses to heat stress and recovery. I hold a Master’s degree in Sustainable Agriculture from the University of Padova (Italy) and a Bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Education and Extension from Egerton University (Kenya). My academic and professional experiences span multiple regions, including Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and North America, where I have worked on crop production systems, agricultural sustainability, and climate adaptation. At the University of Helsinki, I will be working as a post-doctorate to contribute to research on crop–soil interactions and sustainable cropping systems within the broader context of resilient water–food systems. My research interests include crop stress physiology, plant–environment interactions, climate-resilient agriculture, and translating physiological insights into practical strategies for sustainable crop improvement.
I am a horticulture scientist interested in primary production of horticultural crops, plant nutrition and crop quality. I have studied Agricultural Science in the University of Helsinki, and I received my MSc degree (2022) in plant production science majoring in horticultural crops. Currently, I study in the doctoral programme in Sustainable Use of Renewable Natural Resources (AGFOREE). In my PhD project, I study how root-applied osmolytes affects on lettuce physiology and commercial quality.
My interest towards agriculture and agronomy specifically relates to my background, since I come from a farm directed at crop production. In my PhD project I investigate how genotype, cutting and availability of nutrients affect the root growth and root activity of grass swards. I have received Bachelor's and Master's degree from the University of Helsinki majoring in Plant Production Biology. During my studies I have worked among research in several companies.
My academic journey began in Sri Lanka, where I earned my BSc degree in Agricultural Resource Management and Technology, majoring in Crop Science, from the University of Ruhuna. I moved to Finland to pursue my MSc degree in Agricultural Sciences (Plant Production Sciences/Crop Science), which I completed in 2025 at the University of Helsinki. I have always been fascinated by how crops adapt to new and challenging environments, particularly their phenotypic plasticity. In Sri Lanka, I studied phenotypic plasticity of various ornamental plant species under dry zone conditions where their cultivation was typically considered difficult compared to wet zones. Currently, I am part of the sweet potato research project focused on introducing sweet potato, a tropical crop to the northern climates. I am planning to begin my PhD studies with a focus on the growth, yield, physiological responses, and nutritional quality of different sweet potato cultivars cultivated under Finnish conditions.
I am a soil and crop scientist and achieved my Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh and Master of Science from University of Helsinki, Finland. My solid background in soil science indulged me to conduct research in plant physiological responses and yield under stressed soil. I have research interest in soil-plant interactions, crop growth under biotic and abiotic stress, sustainable agriculture, nutrient cycling from soil to plants after organic amendments. I have been working as an Assistant Professor at University of Barishal, Bangladesh and teaching and supervising Master’s and Bachelor’s students for more than 8 years. As a doctoral student with deep roots in soil-plant systems, I bring a synergistic blend of academic rigor and field-based expertise to the Crop Science group. I am driven by an insatiable curiosity to unravel how soil management strategies can enhance crop resilience in changing climates. I am eager to contribute my expertise in soil biogeochemistry and stress physiology. Together, I am confident we can advance transformative solutions for sustainable food systems in boreal and global contexts.