About Department
The Department of Plant Pathology was established during the year 1965 to deliver the quality research, education and extension service in Plant Pathology with emphasis on the identification and management of disease threats in various agricultural and horticultural crops in the southern districts of Tamil Nadu. The teaching for undergraduate programme was started in the year of 1968 and the teaching programme for post graduate studies was started during the year 1980. In 1989, the Ph.D. programme of Plant Pathology was started in the Department of Plant Pathology, AC & RI, Madurai.
With regard to the extension activities, training on the edible mushroom production and spawn production was commenced in 1990 and it is being continued to impart training to the farmers, farm women, unemployed rural youth and home makers. In 1991, the production of biocontrol agents (Pseudomonas fluorescens and Trichoderma viride) was commenced and it is being supplied to the farmers.
Milestones
1968 – UG teaching was started
1980 – PG teaching was started.
1981 – Rice Tungro Virus Scheme – Plan Scheme was started.
1984 – Initiated IRRI – ADB – TNAU – Collaborative research on botanical pest (disease) control
1988 – Conducted a National Seminar on “ Management of Crop diseases with plant products and
biocontrol agents”
1989 – Started Ph.D., Programme in Plant Pathology
1990 – Commenced regular monthly one day training programme in mushroom production technology to farmers, farm women, unemployed rural youth and entrepreneurs.
1991 – Commenced commercial Agriculture mushroom culture course to B.Sc.(Ag) programme. Commenced production of pre – immunized acid lime seedlings and supplied to farmers. Commenced production of biocontrol agents (Trichoderma and Pseudomonas)
1997 – Released the Oyster mushroom(Pleurotusdjamor) variety MDU 1
1999 – Scheme for developing High Yielding Oyster Mushroom Funded by Tamil Nadu State Council for Science and Technology,Chennai was implemented
2000 – Released (Pleurotus flabellatus) was released as MDU 2 Oyster mushroom
2015 – 36th Annual Conference and National Symposium on “Challenges and Management Approaches for Crop Diseases of National Importance- Status and Prospects” jointly with Indian Society of Mycology and Plant Pathology was conducted
- To teach Plant Pathology courses for students of B.Sc.(Ag.)., M.Sc.(Ag.) and Ph.D programme
- To carry out the fundamental and applied research in various fields of Plant Pathology viz., Mycology, Bacteriology, Virology and Plant molecular biology.
- To carry out research on integrated disease management in major agricultural and horticultural crops
- To explore the rhizosphere and phyllosphere microorganisms and development of novel microbial inoculants for different crops.
- Imparting advanced education and instructional capacity of students in the field of Plant Pathology
- To improve the learning skills by providing hands on training to students on various Plant Pathological aspects
VISION
- Making plant pathology as a subject to solve disease problem in a creative and dynamic way
- Combining the research and education in Plant Pathology to serve the farming and student community
- To provide best teaching, research and extension activities in national and international level.
- To focus on applied plant pathological research
To create professionals with a holistic vision and leadership skills for excellence in Plant Pathology and to create new technology for sustainable disease management.
Awards obtained by staff
| S. No. | Name of the Faculty & Designation | Award | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dr. M. Theradimani Professor and Head |
Best UG teacher award | 2010 |
| 2 | Dr. M. Theradimani Professor and Head |
Best teacher award | 2011 |
| 3 | Dr. M. Theradimani Professor and Head |
Recognition Certificate “Evaluation of strobilurins and Triazoles Grapes, tomato, groundnut, chillies and rice” | 2012 |
| 4 | Dr. M. Theradimani Professor and Head |
Recognition Certificate “Societal upliftment of women SC /ST cultivation of milky mushroom” | 2012 |
| 5 | Dr. V Ramamoorthy Assistant Professor |
Best poster presentation award (first place) in the National conference on Advances in crop health management held from TNAU, Coimbatore | 01 & 02.12.2020 |
| 6 | Dr. K. Kalpana Assistant Professor |
Best poster presentation award (third place) in the National conference on Advances in crop health management held from TNAU, Coimbatore. | 01 & 02.12.2020 |
| 7 | Dr. R. Akila Assistant Professor |
Best Paper Award 1st place 5th National Conference on Agricultural Scientific Tamil, TNAU, Coimbatore and ASTS, New Delhi |
10.10.2020 |
| 8 | Dr. K. Kalpana Assistant Professor |
Best Paper Award 1st place 6th National Conference on Agricultural Scientific Tamil, TNAU, Coimbatore and ASTS, New Delhi |
22.12.2020 |
Awards obtained by Students
| Sl. No. | Name of the students & Designation | Award | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | M. Dhivya
[2014611501] |
TNAU Merit scholarship | 2015 |
| 2. | B. Mallaiah
[12-613-005] |
Indian Council of Agricultural Research – Senior Research Fellowship | 2015 |
| 3. | A.P. Sridharan
[13-513-107] |
Best Poster Award – Empowerment of women through mushroom cultivation and value addition of mushrooms | 2015 |
| 4. | B. Mallaiah
[12-613-005] |
Best oral presentation and research paper award – Organic synthesis of silver nanoparticles and its antifungal activity against Fusarium incarnatum associated with crossandra wilt | 2015 |
| 5. | B. Mallaiah
[12-613-005] |
Best Innovative idea/Post graduate Research work award for “Nano tools – the novel weapons in plant disease management | 2015 |
| 6. | B. Madhumitha
[2015811503] |
Student Research Fellowship – GOI- DST Scheme on“Understanding the molecular basis of resistance against YMV in mung bean through transcriptome profiling” | 2016 |
| 7. | Ms. M. Dhivya
[2014611501] |
“Dr. Mohan Sreenivasan Award”,-for the highest credit points in the major subjects of Plant Pathology in M.Sc.(Ag.). programme | 2016 |
| 8. | Ms. Sandhiya
[2015611505] |
“Dr. Mohan Sreenivasan Award”, for highest credit points in the major subjects of Plant Pathology in M.Sc.(Ag.). programme | 2017 |
| 9. | Ms. Sandhiya
[2015611505] |
MASCO 1982 Batch Award”- for best outgoing M.Sc.(Ag.) student with highest OGPA among all faculties | 2017 |
| 10. | Ms. Sandhiya
[2015611505] |
C. Subramanian Memorial Prize for securing highest OGPA in II M.Sc.(Ag.) | 2017 |
| 11. | Chandraprakash, S.
[2015611501] |
Awarded Professor Dr. N. Ramaiah award for the best outgoing students in Plant Pathology of the University | 2017 |
| 12. | Vidhya, V.
[2016611508] |
Awarded Professor Dr. N. Ramaiah award for the best outgoing students in Plant Pathology of the University | 2018 |
| 13. | N. Kavi Bharathi
[2017611503] |
“Dr. Mohan Sreenivasan Award”, for highest credit points in the major subjects of Plant Pathology in M.Sc.(Ag.). programme | 2019 |
| 14. | Abbubakkar siddiq J
PG student |
Tmt M.S. Vedavalli Merit award for the best research in Plant pathology in the field of Host pathogen interaction | 2020 |
| 15. | R.Oviya
PG student |
Best Poster Presentation Award in Technical Session IV (Group I) of the National Symposium (Virtual) held at ICAR- Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Regional Station, Wellington, The Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu. | 2020 |
| 16. | R.Rahila
PG student |
Best poster presentation award (Second place) for the paper National conference on Industrial perspective, challenges and strategies in the development of novel bio pesticides. Its implications in the sustainable pest and disease management held from TNAU, Coimbatore | 11-12th March 2021 |
