CTRI director bags NAAS Fellow award

Hyderabad : Director of ICAR-Central Tobacco Research Institute (CTRI) Dr Maganti Sheshu Madhav was awarded with the prestigious National Academy of Agricultural Sciences Fellow award for his outstanding research contributions in Agricultural Sciences, especially for the improvement of rice and tobacco for sustainable production.

The award was given in New Delhi recently on the eve of the Foundation Day of National Academy of Agricultural Sciences by director general of ICAR and president of NAAS Dr Himanshu Pathak. NAAS is the apex academy for Agricultural Sciences in the country.

Dr M S Madhav hails from Hanumakonda and is a post doctoral fellow from Ohio State University in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology. He has been associated with research and management of agricultural sciences for the past three decades and made significant contributions to rice and tobacco.

Dr Madhav's work has led to the identification and cloning of two major rice blast resistance genes, along with the mapping of a gene conferring resistance to bacterial leaf blight (BLB). These genes have been instrumental in the development of biotic stress-resistant rice varieties and pre-breeding lines, contributing significantly to global rice improvement efforts.

Additionally, his lab has focused on developing simple and rapid marker assays for accurately assessing blast resistance, aroma, and kernel length after cooking (KLAC) traits, expediting the creation of lines with improved quality and resistance. Leveraging molecular breeding tools, he has successfully bred six rice varieties that have been released through the CVRC, making a positive impact in the regions where they have been introduced. To enhance marker-assisted selection (MAS), his team has established a substantial chemical mutagenesis resource in the genetic background of the popular variety Samba Mahsuri. This resource has facilitated the discovery of novel sources of resistance to challenging pests such as sheath blight and yellow stem borer (YSB), thus contributing to further advancements in crop improvement.

Furthermore, he has utilised a novel technique called RNA interference (RNAi) to silence pest genes within the host plant, showcasing an innovative approach to managing yellow stem borer infestations.

The genes, molecular markers, and improved breeding lines developed by Dr Madhav's research team represent invaluable genetic and genomic resources for combating biotic stresses and promoting sustainable rice production.