Dr. Rahul Kumar, Assistant Professor, Department of Plant Sciences, University of Hyderabad has been recommended for the coveted Commemorative Y.S. Murty Medal 2021 of the Indian Botanical Society (IBS). He will receive the Medal in a felicitation function which will be organized during the forthcoming 44thAll India Botanical Conference of the IBS, planned from 18-20 October 2021 at the UGC Centre of Advanced Studies in Botany, JN Vyas University, Jodhpur (Rajasthan).
Dr. Rahul Kumar
The primary research in Dr. Rahul Kumar’s laboratory (https://rahulpmb.wixsite.com/ptrl) is focused onunderstanding the genetic mechanisms underlying phosphorus use efficiency (PUE) in plants, for which his group have already identified and characterized several candidate genes. Additionally, they have identified tomato cultivars which perform better under limited Pi availability. His group is also focused on understanding the role of plant hormones in the regulation of developmental processes such as reprogramming of root system architecture under Pi starvation or fruit ripening in tomato. His lab along with his collaborators have also developeda nano-Pi fertilizer with enhanced agronomic use efficiency. Overall, his group aims to develop crops with high PUE and cut down phosphorus usage in farmingusing technological interventions to make agriculture more sustainable.