Dr. Yalcin kaya is a professor from Trakya University, Edirne, Turkey. He has longer carrier and experience on plant breeding and genetics and developed many sunflower hybrids and lines. He has worked in Trakya Agricultural Research Institute, Turkey as National Sunflower Coordinator and as Project leader for over 20 years and institute deputy director. He had M Sc in the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, US, and Post-Doctoral on sunflower breeding in USDA Sunflower Lab at Fargo, ND, US. Now he is Plant Breeding Research Center director and Genetic Engineering Dept. Head in Trakya University. He is currently FAO Sunflower Research Coordinator. He is also former President of Turkish Plant Breeders Union and International Sunflower Association.

Dr. Yalcin Kaya received many honors and awards and also organized many plant breeding, statistical analysis, and experimental designs courses, as well as five International conferences and symposium. He served in scientific committee of many international symposiums and conferences until today. He attended many congresses, conferences, and meetings as an invited speaker.  He serves also on editorial boards of some scientific journals. He had published more than 200 papers in scientific journals, as well as having book chapters in several books. 

Dr. Yalcin Kaya research interest includes Plant Breeding and Genetics, Sunflower, Oil Seeds, Orobanş, Resistance to Diseases and Pests, Genetic Engineering, Molecular Genetics, Seed Technology, Research, and Experimental Methods.