معرفی
Mohamed Mergoum serves as Professor in Wheat Breeding and Genetics at the University of Georgia's College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences within the Crop & Soil Sciences department, based at the Griffin research campus and affiliated with the Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics (IPBGG).
His research program integrates classical breeding with genomic selection and marker-assisted tools to develop improved wheat cultivars for Georgia and the US Southeast, emphasizing:
- High yield potential under regional conditions
- Durable resistance to Fusarium head blight, rust, and Hessian fly
- Abiotic stress tolerance (heat/drought)
- End-use quality trait optimization
- Barley and oats germplasm screening
Recent publications (2024-2025) reveal strong focus on genomic prediction for yield/quality under stress, disease resistance gene discovery, and cultivar development through genome-wide association studies and QTL mapping. His work demonstrates strategic application of multi-environment models and epistatic effect analysis to accelerate breeding cycles.
Dr. Mergoum trains next-generation plant breeders while maintaining critical partnerships with:
- Georgia agricultural industry (UGRAF, GSD)
- SunGrains consortium for genomic selection
- USDA-ARS Wheat and Barley Scab Initiative
He leads the UGA Small Grains Breeding and Genetics program at Griffin, directing field trials and genomic research to address southeastern US production challenges through collaborative grant-funded projects.
