Thrust Area
General
- Small RNA / SiRNA / microRNA / dsRNA strategies for disease resistance
- Exploring the genome editing tools for plant disease management
- Exploration of abiotic products for the biological control of crop diseases
- The organic based resistance inducers for disease management.
- Nano based formulation using silver, gold and copper to protect the bacterial and viral diseases.
- Studies on combination of botanical, chemical and biocontrol methods for crop disease management to reduce MRL
- Standardization of drone application of chemicals in disease management
- Elicitor mediated disease resistance
- Development of early diagnostic kits for the major disease in crop plants
- Exploiting host plant resistance / Marker assisted selection for disease management
- AI based approaches for diseases diagnosis and development of decision supporting systems
- Integrated management strategies for major diseases
- Disease management strategies for protected cultivation of crops
- Plant growth promoters and appressorium inhibitors for crop disease management
- Development of management strategies for Pokkah Boeng, rice bacterial leaf blight, false smut of rice, dieback and bacterial leaf blight of pomegranate, citrus greening, onion disease complexes etc
- Management of fungal nematode complex diseases in horticultural crops
- Development of myco-herbicides
- Effect of nanofertilizers on the status of plant disease outbreak and their severity
Bacteriology
- Exploiting the bacteriophages for the soil borne bacterial diseases
- Emerging phytoplasma diseases in crop plants
- Root wilt disease of coconut – Diagnostics and management
- Synthetic activators for bacterial diseases
Virology
- Development of infectious clones for major viruses
- IPM strategies for virus disease complexes in various crops
- Antiviral principle based product development for viral disease management
- Genomics of major plant viruses
- Plant virus-vector interactions
- Recent advances in management of virus diseases in crop plants
Biological Control
- Studies on impact assessment and minimum adoption of biocontrol strategies in crop disease management
- Exploitation of mycoparasites for plant disease management
- Development of newer bio-formulations for disease management like nanogel, flip sol and nanofiber etc
- Consortia based biocontrol formulation developed for disease management (Consortia approach)
Post Harvest and Seed Pathology
- Microbial intervention in post-harvest disease management
- Development / use of molecules for seed borne pathogens
Epidemiology and forewarning
- Epidemiology and forewarning for major diseases and developing management strategies
- Leaf wetness based forewarning models for crop diseases
- Retuning and refining of existing forewarning models
- Designing spore traps to facilitate the development of disease management strategies
Chemical management
- Assessment of fungicide resistance development in major fungal plant pathogens and fungicide residue in different crops
Mycotoxins
- Detection of various mycotoxins and their management
Mushroom Research
- Exploiting newer mushrooms for commercial cultivation including medicinal mushrooms
- Exploiting myco-molecules from mushroom fungi for plant disease management