The Fig: Botany, Production and Uses

Ali Sarkhosh is currently serving as Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist (fruit crops) in the Horticultural Sciences Department at the University of Florida. Dr. Sarkhosh was born and raised in a farming family, who grew pomegranate and saffron for four generations in Iran. He did his Master thesis and Ph.D. dissertation in pomegranate genetic diversity and breeding under supervision of Professor Zamani (one of the editors in this book) at the University of Tehran in Iran. Dr. Sarkhosh worked as pomegranate expert in Australia for four years where he was responsible for all management aspects of 600 acres of pomegranate production. Toward improving pomegranate production, he published many sources of both technical and referred articles in pomegranate breeding and genetic diversity, postharvest, and production. Dr Sarkhosh has over 10 years of experience with commercial fruit production in U.S., Australia, New Zealand, and Iran. His research with tree fruits has focused on breeding, rootstocks and cultivars evaluations, and assessment of cultural practices to optimize yield and production efficiency.

Alimohammad Yavari is currently serving as a private pomologist and consultant. Mr. Yavari received his M.S. in horticulture (Pomology) from the University of Urmia, Iran. He worked as research assistant at one of the biggest pomegranate collections and germplasms in the world located in Yazd (a city in central Iran). Mr. Yavari has excellent expertise in all aspects of pomegranate production as well as interacting worldwide with commercial growers and researchers in the field of fruit production, mainly tropical and subtropical fruits. His experiences in pomegranate production are mostly related to harvesting and exporting issues, and training courses for orchardists. He provides public and private sectors with designing projects and writing proposals related to pomegranate production and other tropical and subtropical fruits.

• # Crop Science (Books)