Directors Desk
Rendered 27 years of service as a teacher, researcher and extension scientist with 15 years of expertise in cotton and 12 years in Millets breeding. Trained in molecular tools and their application in Plant Breeding and Genetics at International laboratories. Having nine years of administrative experience as Head of the Department at Maize Research Station, Vagarai and Department of Millets, TNAU, Coimbatore.
- Developed and released 19 crop varieties and hybrids (Cotton, Maize, Pigeon pea, Millets) for the benefit of farmers
- Leaf Hopper resistant cotton germplasm (TCH 1728) and Maize inbreds with high beta carotene (UMI 1230 & UMI 1200) were registered with national identity.
- Developed mapping populations in cotton for drought and fibre quality traits.
- Obtained 21 externally funded schemes and handled 19 University research projects and two inter-institutional projects
- Guided 15 M.Sc. and 5 Ph.D. students
- Facilitated and guided international faculties / students to take up research on Millets at TNAU from Switzerland and BARI, Bangladesh
Organised international and national level trainings and seminars and also trained Plant breeders across the country as a resource person in seminars, trainings and CAFTs
- Active member in 9 Professional bodies and Scientific journals
Lead Millet Mission in Tamil Nadu from 2012 for popularizing TNAU millet varieties through seed production, establishing millet processing units to make farmers as entrepreneurs
Published more than 120 research papers in international and national peer reviewed journals