Kedar Adhikari

Dr. Kedar Adhikari is a Senior Lecturer in Grain Legume Breeding at the School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney. He holds a PhD in Genetics of Cereal Rust from the University of Sydney and has over 14 years of experience in plant breeding, particularly in grain legumes such as lupins, field pea, and faba bean. His research focuses on improving crop yield, disease resistance (e.g., rust, bean leaf roll virus), and abiotic stress tolerance (frost, drought, heat). He has released three faba bean and three lupin varieties widely adopted in Australia.

Dr. Adhikari’s career includes roles at the University of Western Australia and the State Department of Agriculture and Food, WA. He is affiliated with the Sydney Institute of Agriculture and has authored over 50 publications on plant breeding, genetics, and agricultural sustainability. Key achievements include developing rust-resistant faba bean varieties and advancing genomic strategies for biotic stress management. He leads projects funded by GRDC and Murdoch University, focusing on genetic gain in pulse crops.

• Grants: Includes Pulse Breeding Australia (Faba Bean Breeding) and Murdoch University (Chickpea/Faba Bean/Lentil Improvement).
• Labs/Teams: Based at the Plant Breeding Institute Narrabri, University of Sydney.