A journey of growth: Sharukh’s experience at WorldVeg

My name is Sharukh Pasha Mohammed, and I am from India. I started my colorful and enriching journey at WorldVeg in February 2024, and over ten months, I worked alongside the tomato breeding team at WorldVeg headquarters here in Taiwan, conducting my research, and engaging with individuals from diverse backgrounds that showed me a new path in my career and that broadened my perspectives.

This all began during an internship at ICRISAT in Hyderabad, India, where I learned about the World Vegetable Center as they have their South and Central Asia regional offices there. Harsha Vardan explained the mission of WorldVeg, to alleviate poverty and malnutrition through increased production and consumption of nutritious, health-promoting vegetables. I became enthusiastic about conducting research with them due to this focus. After my time at ICRISAT, I went to study at Tamil Nadu Agricultural University for a MSc degree in Plant Physiology, having cleared the ICAR examination. With encouragement from Sai Pratap BR, and from friends, family and mentors, I applied for the WorldVeg Golden Jubilee Scholarship. And it was truly a dream come true to be selected, and to work with Dr Assaf Eybishitz, renowned for his extensive experience in tomato breeding.

Climate change is escalating global temperatures, which significantly impacts food production by reducing crop yields. Understanding root architecture is crucial, as roots play a vital role in water, nutrient, and mineral uptake, especially under heat stress conditions. I studied root architecture of tomato plants under both optimal and heat stress conditions. I used advanced techniques like the LICOR-6800 Plant Photosynthesis System, and the Phenospex Trait Finder. This comprehensive evaluation of morphological, physiological and root traits helped to identify characteristics that contribute to heat tolerance. This research strives to identify and characterize root, morphological, physiological, and yield traits that indicate heat stress tolerance in a diverse array of tomato genotypes, to deliver a comprehensive understanding of how heat stress impacts these traits, with the goal of contributing to developing heat-tolerant tomato lines tailored for future climatic conditions.

Collecting physiological data collection with the LICOR-6800 (left), and the Phenospex trait finder (right)

Understanding plant response to heat stress at both physiological and morphological levels, is pivotal for developing more resilient crop varieties. This research is thus important for contributing to food security amidst rising global temperatures and unpredictable impacts of climate change. By identifying traits that enhance heat tolerance, we can breed crops to thrive under challenging conditions, safeguarding our agricultural future.

At WorldVeg, I participated in many seminars and conferences, and engaged with scientists, scholars, support staff and fellow interns from around the globe, which offered so much learning and networking opportunities. I also helped to advance our understanding by becoming lead author of a scientific article, ‘Heat stress in tomato plants: current challenges and future directions for sustainable agriculture’. This discusses pressing challenges and potential strategies for developing heat-resilient tomato varieties, pivotal for sustainable agriculture in the context of global climate change.

Amongst participants at the International Plant Resistance to Insects Symposium

This experience at WorldVeg has really benefitted my personal and professional growth. Aside from research, I explored Taiwan and participated in local events like the Lantern Festival, gaining a deeper understanding of the culture and life of Taiwanese people. This was my first time outside of India, and I am grateful to everyone involved for making my experience so memorable.

I am profoundly grateful to the government of Taiwan for funding my scholarship, and to the World Vegetable Center for hosting me. Special thanks are due to Dr Marco Wopereis, Director General, for his personal encouragement in my research endeavors at WorldVeg, and I extend my deep appreciation to my supervisor, Dr Assaf Eybishitz and the tomato breeding team for their invaluable support and guidance. I would like to express my gratitude also to many at WorldVeg headquarters who have supported me throughout my journey, including Srini Ramasamy and his family, Joyce, Grace, Sherry, Yun Ping, Roland, Martin, Derek, Ya-ping, Stephen, Susan Tsai, Nick and Alex. My experience was also greatly enhanced by the camaraderie and shared insights of all of my fellow interns. I am particularly grateful to Mr Wang (River) and Lokeshwar for their friendship and support.

Back in India, I express my gratitude to Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, Vice Chancellor Dr V. Geethalakshmi, Registrar Dr R. Thamizh Dean, SPGS Dr D. Suresh, Director DCM, Dr M. Kalarani, HOD Crop Physiology Dr A. Senthil, my supervisor Dr N. Sritharan, advisory committee members Dr V. Ravichandran, Dr M. Prasanthrajan and Dr P. Kannan, and all my professors, including Dr V. Meenakshisundaram. Special thanks to Deepika, my friends and family for support and encouragement, which made my experience truly amazing.

I wish my time could have been longer, but these ten months have been wonderfully rewarding. I will be completing my internship in January 2025, and it feels very hard to leave this place. The hospitality, facilities, and the people here have made my experience truly memorable. Now, as I return to India, I will complete my MSc degree and aspire to pursue a PhD. In the future, I aim to contribute towards the higher goal of improving food and nutritional security for all. Thank you. And together, we can help to make the world a better place.

Cultural visits, at Chung She Flower Garden, Taichung (left), and the Pingtung Aboriginal Park (right)

The internship of Sharukh Mohammed was supported by a grant from the Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as par of 14 Golden Jubilee studentships, to commemorate the 50^th anniversary of the World Vegetable Center in 2023.