CURRICULAM VITAE - Australasian Plant Pathology Society

(II)
(III)
(IV)
(V)
(VI)
Received the Postdoctoral Research Fellowship from Shannon Applied Biotechnology
Centre, Institute of Technology, Tralee, Ireland (March 2010 to August 2011).
Research titles:
(1): Seaweed extracts and their refined fractions, shellfish waste chitin evaluated in
tomato plants against fungal diseases;
(2): Investigation of defence related gene expressions on Arabidopsis thaliana using
seaweed extracts;
(3): Seaweed extracts and their refined fraction improves barley’s germination,
growth and yield parameters.
Received the Postdoctoral Research Fellowship from Agroinnova, University of Torino,
Turin, Italy www.agroinnova.org. Research title: “Molecular characterization of formae
speciales differentiation of pathogenic Fusarium oxysporum on vegetable crops in Italy”.
Received the Postdoctoral Research Fellowship under the mutual cooperation agreement
between Italian Ministry of University and Research (MIUR) and the Indian Ministry of Science
and Technology (October 2007 to September 2008), Agroinnova, University of Torino,
Turin, Italy www.agroinnova.org. Research title: “Biological control of Fusarium wilt on
vegetable crops using different bacterial strains”.
Won the Best Oral Presentation (Title: ISR mediated biological control of Sunflower
Necrosis Virus Disease by using consortium of biocontrol agents) at the National Symposium
on Biotechnological Methods for Crop Disease Management. Annamalai University, Annamalai
Nagar, India, March 3 - 4, 2006.
Member of European Plant Science Organization (EPSO), Europe from May 2010 to till date
(www.epsoweb.org/membership).
(VII) Member of American Phytopathological Society, USA - from August 2008 to August 2009.
(VIII) Life time member of Chennai Science Club Organization, India.
In Ireland:
Postdoctoral Research Summary: (March 2010 – September 2012)
(1): Seaweed extracts and their refined fractions, shellfish waste chitin evaluated against
Fusarium wilt on tomato plants under glasshouse conditions
In the present study, seaweed extracts (SEs A and B) and their refined fraction(s) (RFs I to VI),
shellfish waste chitin, spent-dairy yeast β-glucans, along with their suitable commercial
fungicides, pathogen treated and healthy control were used in three different inoculation methods
(pre-, co- and post-inoculations) to control the Fusarium wilt caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp.
lycopersici under glasshouse conditions. Six RFs (RFS I to VI) were extracted and quantified from
seaweed extracts A and B. Results of this study, % increases of disease reduction from 7.7 to
38.5%, 8.6 to 40.0% and 8.3 to 33.3% and % increases of plant height up to 1.7 to 15.7%, 0.3 to
16.7% and 8.4 to 25.6% were recorded in pre-, co- and post-inoculated plants, respectively when
compared to control (pathogen treated) plants. Similarly, the % increases of plant biomass up to
12.7 to 81.6% and 3.6 to 31.5% were recorded in pre- and post-inoculated plants whereas there
was no significant % increase of plant biomass recorded in co-inoculated plants. Among the
inoculation methods tested, pre-inoculation are superior to co- and post-inoculation trials. Among
the treatments evaluated, significant disease reduction were recorded by the treatments of RF I in
pre-inoculation, RF I, II and IV in co-inoculation and RF I and IV in post-inoculation. RF V and SE B
significantly improved the plant height in all the inoculation methods. Highest plant biomass was
recorded in the treatments of SEs A and B in pre-inoculated trial. Similarly, RF III enhanced the