Association of Nepalese Agricultural Professionals of Americas (NAPA)

Membership Drive Committee (2026-2028)

Chair

Madhav Dhakal, PhD

Assistant Research Professor, Mississippi State University

Dr. Madhav Dhakal is an Assistant Research Professor at Mississippi State University. He earned his BSc and MSc degrees from IAAS, Tribhuvan University, and Ph.D. from Texas Tech University. His work focuses on soil-plant-water relations, crop evapotranspiration, energy fluxes in agro-ecosystems, water quality, and regenerative organic practices. Dr. Dhakal’s research advances understanding of how soil processes regulate crop water budget and resilience of agricultural landscapes, with the goal of improving soil and environmental quality. He was awarded with a George Tereshkovich Outstanding Ph.D. Graduate Award 2020. Recently, Dr. Dhakal’s dedication in soil and water conservation research has been honored by Soil and Water Conservation Society with a prestigious national award, “Conservation Research Award 2025”. Previously, Dr. Dhakal served as a PI and co-PI of USDA-funded projects in cover cropping and soil health. He has been a life member of NAPA since 2020.

Members

Mr. Basudev Sharma Pokhrel

Plant Protection Inspector III with the Maryland Department of Agriculture

Mr. Basudev Sharma Pokhrel is a Plant Protection Inspector III with the Maryland Department of Agriculture, where he works in plant pest survey and detection, biological control, noxious weed management, and regulatory plant protection. He is a broadly trained agriculturist and entomologist with extensive experience in integrated pest management (IPM), pesticide regulation, plant quarantine, nursery and seed inspection, pest surveillance, and agricultural extension. Before joining the Maryland Department of Agriculture, he served in several leadership and technical positions in Nepal, including Senior District Agriculture Development Officer, Senior Plant Protection Officer, and Pesticide Inspector. He has also delivered numerous IPM, pesticide safety, plant protection, and farmer-training programs. Mr. Pokhrel holds an M.Sc. in Agriculture with a major in Entomology and a B.Sc. in Agriculture from Tribhuvan University, Nepal, as well as graduate training in social science. His professional interests include plant health, trade facilitation, biosecurity, sustainable pest management, and agricultural development.

Mohan Kumar Bista

Mohan Kumar Bista is a PhD candidate in the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences at Mississippi State University. He earned his MS in Plant Breeding from Agriculture and Forestry University, Nepal. His current PhD research focuses on understanding the physiological basis of heat and drought tolerance in cotton through controlled-environment studies, multi-environment field trials, high-throughput phenotyping, and predictive modeling. He also conducts research on soybean, corn, and finger millet, with the primary objective of improving growth-stage-specific resilience to abiotic stresses. His long-term goal is to advance the understanding of crop adaptation to abiotic stresses and develop climate-resilient varieties and production practices by integrating crop physiology with management practices, applied breeding, quantitative genetics, functional phenomics, and predictive modeling. Outside of research, he enjoys cooking, traveling, and exploring new places and cultures.

Sailesh Pandit

Shailesh Pandit is a PhD candidate in Plant Science at South Dakota State University. His research focuses on soil health, cover crops, conservation tillage, nitrogen management, and greenhouse gas emissions. He also applies soil sensors, drone-based multispectral imaging, data analysis, machine learning, and statistical methods to improve agricultural decision-making. Shailesh has contributed to several peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters and has received multiple awards for his research presentations and data-focused agricultural