Merah Othmane

Category : Biology - Biochemistry - Agronomy - Geology

MERAH Othmane

Professor of Agronomy and Plant Sciences

University of Toulouse / IUT Paul Sabatier of Auch, France

Origins & Education

Born in 1968 in Blida, Algeria, Othmane Merah completed his secondary education at Ibn Rochd High School. He pursued his studies at the National Institute of Higher Education in Agronomy (now University of Blida) where he obtained a degree in agronomy. His academic journey continued in France with an engineering degree from the National School of Agronomy (ENSA) in Rennes. He subsequently earned a doctorate in agronomy from Paris-Saclay University in collaboration with the National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE) in Montpellier. His expertise was further recognized with a Habilitation to Supervise Research (HDR) from the National Polytechnic Institute of Toulouse, certifying his ability to lead high-level scientific research projects.

Scientific Career

After gaining experience in the private sector, Professor Merah embarked on an academic career as a lecturer and researcher at the School of Agronomy in Dijon. Since 2004, he has continued his teaching activities at the IUT Paul Sabatier of Auch, while simultaneously conducting research at the Laboratory of Agro-Industrial Chemistry (LCA, INRAE/Toulouse INP).

His research primarily focuses on:

Plant adaptation to challenging environmental conditions, particularly abiotic stresses such as drought
Optimization of exploitable thresholds of bioactive molecules derived from plants
Creation and improvement of vegetable and oilseed crop varieties
Valorization of compounds of interest from medicinal and aromatic plants

As a team leader, he coordinates innovative and multidisciplinary research projects. His expertise is internationally recognized, as evidenced by his participation in the scientific council of the Thematic Agency for Research in Health and Life Sciences (ATRSSV) and the National Institute of Agricultural Research of Algeria (INRAA). He is also sought after as an expert for the evaluation of research projects by the European Union.

Distinctions & Recognition

Professor Merah enjoys exceptional scientific recognition, illustrated by an impressive record of publications and innovations:

Four registered patents, testifying to the innovative and applicable nature of his research
More than 230 scientific publications in international peer-reviewed journals
Supervision and mentoring of 18 doctoral students and 3 post-doctoral researchers, contributing to the training of the next generation of scientists
Editor-in-Chief of the "International Journal of Agronomy" (Wiley, IF 1.9)
Ranked among the top 2% of the most influential researchers worldwide according to Stanford University's ranking (USA)
An h-index of 46 and an h10-index of 102, with more than 7,000 citations of his work, demonstrating the considerable impact of his research in the scientific community

Impact & Influence

The impact of Professor Merah's work extends well beyond the academic framework to include concrete applications in the agricultural and agro-industrial sectors:

Creation of numerous plant varieties, including a mustard variety adopted by McDonald's in France
Development of 40 vegetable varieties specifically adapted to Algerian agro-climatic conditions
Design of unique forage crop associations, contributing to innovation in sustainable agricultural systems
Pioneer in establishing coriander and chia sectors in France, introducing new high-value-added crops

His influence also extends to the scientific publishing world where, in addition to his role as Editor-in-Chief, he serves as a senior editor for numerous prestigious international journals (Elsevier, Springer, Wiley, CRC, etc.). This position allows him to guide and stimulate research in his fields of expertise on a global scale.

Learn More

Email: othmane.merah@univ.tls3.fr

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