Breeding and Genetics

Dr. Emel KAÇAL is an Associate Professor specializing in apple growing and breeding at the

Fruit Research Institute, Eğirdir, Isparta, Türkiye. She graduated from Süleyman Demirel

University, Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Horticulture, in 1999, where she also

completed her master’s and Ph.D., earning her doctorate in 2009 with a specialization in crop

load management in apples. Dr. KAÇAL has over 23 years of professional experience in

apple research, including leading numerous projects and publishing extensively on the

subject. From 2001 to 2007, she served as a research assistant at Süleyman Demirel University.

Since 2007, she has been part of the Breeding and Genetics Department at the Fruit Research

Institute, focusing on the development of apple varieties resistant to scab and pear varieties

resistant to fire blight. Her research interests include resistance breeding, sensory analysis,

and crop load management in pome fruits. Dr. KAÇAL is actively involved in professional

organizations and continues to contribute significantly to the fields of temperate fruits and

plant genetics.

Dr. Şerif ÖZONGUN is the Director of the Fruit Research Institute, where he has been

working as a researcher since 2001 and serving as Director since 2016. He graduated from

Gaziosmanpaşa University, Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Horticulture, in 1997. He

earned his master’s degree from the same institution in 2001 and completed his Ph.D. in

Horticulture at Süleyman Demirel University in 2014. Dr. ÖZONGUN specializes in the

genetic resources of apples, with a focus on developing rootstocks resistant to fire blight and

root rot diseases. He has been leading a breeding project aimed at improving disease-resistant

apple varieties and rootstocks and has contributed to numerous studies and projects related to

apples throughout his career.

Dr. Mehmet AKSU is a researcher specializing in apple and pear cultivation and breeding at

the Fruit Research Institute, Eğirdir, Isparta, Türkiye. He graduated from Süleyman Demirel

University, Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Horticulture, in 2008, where he also

completed his masters in 2011. In 2023, he received his PhD in the Department of

Agricultural Biotechnology at the same university, specializing in gene expression analysis in

stone fruit rootstocks under drought stress. Dr. AKSU has taken part in many studies on

apples in his more than 26 years of professional experience. He has been working in the

Breeding and Genetics department at the Fruit Research Institute since 2008, working on

apple varieties resistant to scab and pear varieties resistant to fire blight individuals. His research interests include resistance breeding in temperate climate fruits, selection using

molecular markers, and gene expression analysis. He also conducted a molecular marker

study on genes related to the genes affecting coloration in apple flesh and skin color. Dr.

AKSU continues to work in the field of orchard management and plant genetics.