Alim AYDIN

Dr. Alim AYDIN serves as a full-time Lecturer at the Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, Kirşehir Ahi Evran University since 2023. His academic focus centers on vegetable cultivation and breeding, with specialization in grafting techniques and abiotic stress tolerance mechanisms.

Education background:

• PhD in Horticulture, Erciyes University (2018-2022)
• MSc in Horticulture, Erciyes University (2015-2018)
• BSc in Horticulture, Erciyes University (2011-2015)

Dr. AYDIN's research program investigates physiological and molecular responses of vegetable crops to environmental stresses, particularly salt tolerance in cucurbits and solanaceous species. His work integrates traditional breeding with molecular marker-assisted selection to develop resilient crop varieties. Current projects examine rootstock-mediated stress mitigation, viral disease resistance, and polyploidy effects in watermelon and tomato breeding.

Analysis of his 15 most recent publications reveals dominant research themes in grafting physiology (60% of works), salt stress adaptation (45%), and molecular breeding techniques (35%). His studies predominantly focus on cucurbits (watermelon, cucumber, bottle gourd) and solanaceous crops (tomato, pepper), addressing practical agricultural challenges through hydroponic systems and field trials.

Dr. AYDIN actively supervises graduate students and leads research projects funded by TÜBİTAK and university sources. His current grant portfolio includes 'MAS Techniques for Developing Rootstock Candidates Tolerant to Soil-Borne Diseases' (2023-2025, Principal Investigator) and 'Allopolyploid Watermelon Rootstock Development' (2021-2023). He maintains strong collaborative networks with Erciyes University researchers, particularly with Dr. Hakan Başak and Dr. Halit Yetişir.

Teaching responsibilities span graduate courses in molecular breeding methods and tropical vegetable cultivation, alongside undergraduate instruction in seed technology, mushroom production, and general vegetable horticulture. His laboratory work emphasizes phenotypic characterization of F2 hybrid populations and stress response profiling under controlled environments.