Breeding rice for resistance to pests

Help farmers in managing pests and diseases on cotton, Chilli, Rice, Grapes for crop insurance and assured harvest.

Worked in Rice Breeding Program to improve hybrid rice for insect resistance using conventional approaches.Previously worked with ICIPE, Nairobi; CIMMYT, Mexico., PhilRice, Philippines and University Of Delhi. Published more than 50 scientific papers in international journals and attended several international conferences and served as resource person in many training workshops at CIMMYT, Mexico, ICIPE, Nairobi, Bayer crop science India and ICGEB, New Delhi. Work in science for a better life.1. Development of First BPH Resistant rice hybrid for commercial sale in India. This led to the Bayer Crop science Innovation award for breeding hybrid rice for resistance against BPH.: Strive to thrive; Insync meet- 2013; Jaipur.2. Arize Innovation Award 2011 for Research, Breeding & Trait Development -- Plant Characters as Alternative Tools in Breeding Rice for Resistance against Brown Plant Hopper. 3. Developed specific isogenic lines of rice with resistance genes for Brown Plant Hopper and Gall Midge for commercial deployment using molecular markers and phenotype selection.4. Established the Entomology laboratory, Green houses and the research work protocolsfor resistance against insects through conventional and transgenic approaches..5. Innovative work for developing germplasm screening against insects.6. Prepared manuals for pest identification and control for crops like cotton, rice, corn and storage pests for marketing, sales and breeding groups.7. Development and improvement of corn populations for resistance against second generation stem borers using recurrent selection methods at CIMMYT, Mexico.8. Identification and derivation of lines from landraces for resistance against larger grain borer at CIMMYT.9. Innovative work done for Bt crops like rice, cabbage, cauliflower and tomato which led to the start of public – private consortium for Bt cole crops. 10. Work on Seed treatment led to the commercial sales of okra seeds.

Worked to develop rice hybrids for genetic resistance to BPH and Gall Midge.

Breeding corn for resistance to major pests and diseases; both field crops and storage pests.

Host plant resistance as a component of IPM of rice.

Host plant resistance in Maize to stem borers

Corn Resistance to Stem Borers such as Child partellus, Busseola fascia and Eldana saccharina and its application in Integrated Pest Management for the resource poor farmers of Africa.