Dr. N. Somasekhar, Principal Scientist (Nematology)

Name:- Dr N. Somasekhar

Designation:-  Principal Scientist (Nematology)

Email ID:- This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Official phone number:- 91-40-24591232

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Educational Qualification:-

• B.Sc. (Agriculture), 1988, Andhra Pradesh Agricultural University, Hyderabad.

• M. Sc. (Nematology), 1990, Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi.

• Ph.D. (Major: Nematology; Minor: Molecular Biology & Biotechnology), 1993, Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi.

• Post-Doctoral Research, (Molecular Systematics and Biodiversity of Nematodes), 1999-2001, Ohio State University, USA. 

Employment Record / Work Experience:-

01-01-2009 to Present, Principal Scientist, ICAR-Indian Institute of Rice Research, Hyderabad.

19-05-2008 to 31-12-2008, Senior Scientist, ICAR-Indian Institute of Rice Research, Hyderabad.

04-08-2006 to 18-05-2008, Senior Scientist, ICAR-Central Potato Research Institute, CPRI (RS), Muthorai, Nilgiris, TN.

14-09-2002 to 03-08-2006, Senior Scientist, ICAR-Sugarcane Breeding Institute, Coimbatore.

14-09-1998 to 13-09-2002, Scientist (Senior Scale), ICAR-Sugarcane Breeding Institute, Coimbatore.

06-09-1994 to 13-09-1998, Scientist, ICAR-Sugarcane Breeding Institute, Coimbatore.

10-02-1994 to 05-09-1994, Scientist, ICAR-Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Bangalore.

14-09-1993 to 09-02-1994, Scientist, ICAR-National Academy of Agricultural Research Management, Hyderabad.

Area research specialization:-  

Nematology/Crop Protection

Important projects under taken:-

As Principal Investigator:

Studies on plant-nematode interactions in diverse rice phytobiomes.

Evaluation of entomopathogenic nematodes for the management of insect pests in rice ecosystem.

Integrated management of potato cyst nematodes and breeding for combined resistance to late blight disease and potato cyst nematodes.

Identification of biologically based approaches for integrated nematode management in sugarcane.

Characterization of genetic diversity in stress tolerance among native isolates of entomopathogenic nematodes

As Co-Principal Investigator:

Genetic enhancement of hybrid rice parental lines suitable for aerobic and tolerance to salinity conditions through conventional and molecular approaches.

Direct Seeded Rice Consortium (DSRC), IRRI-ICAR Collaborative Project.

Improved agro-techniques for sustainable aerobic rice based cropping systems.

Organic farming in irrigated rice –influence on plant growth, productivity, grain quality and soil health.

Studies on sustainability of organic and conventional sugarcane production systems.

Investigations on System of Rice Intensification (SRI) for water saving and yield optimization in irrigated ecosystem (Funded by Ministry of Water Resources, Gov. of India).

Evaluation of entomopathogenic nematodes in the biological control of sugarcane shoot and internode borers and white grubs (Funded by European Economic Community).

Soil quality studies in alternative field crop production systems: effects of long term organic and transitional management (Ohio State University, USA).

Building ecosystem approach to pest management in turf grass: Evaluating interactions among endophytes, herbivores and weeds. (Ohio State University, USA).

Molecular Systematics and Nematode Biodiversity in agroecosystems (Ohio State University, USA).

Award and Honors:-

• Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship, Ohio State University, S.A. (1999-2001)
• D. J. Raski Young Scientist Award, Nematological Society of India, New Delhi (1998)
• Snehlatha Banerjee Gold Medal for Best Paper, Academy of Environmental Biology, India (1998)
• Lakshmi Award for Best Computer Science Project on Expert Systems for pest management, Bharatiya Vidhya Bhavan, Coimbatore (1996)
• Best Research Paper Award (Oral Presentation) at National symposium on “Emerging trends in ecofriendly insect pest management” January 22-24, 2014, TNAU, Coimbatore.
• Best Research Paper Award (Oral Presentation) at National Symposium on “Emerging trends in pest management strategies”. OUAT, Bhubaneswar, Dec 20-21, 2010.
• Best Research Paper Award (Oral Presentation) at National conference on “Innovations in nematological research” February 23-25, 2010, TNAU, Coimbatore.
• Best Paper Award (Poster Presentation) at International Rice Symposium, Nov 18-20, 2015, IIRR, Hyderabad
• Best Paper Award (Poster Presentation) at National Symposium on “Paradigms in nematological research”, Nov. 17-19, 2004, UAS, Bangalore, India.
• Best Paper Award (Poster Presentation) at National Congress on Centenary of Nematology in India: Appraisal and Future Plans, Dec 5-7, 2001, IARI, New Delhi.
• DRR (ICAR-IIRR) Best Research Paper award for the year 2013 (Co-author)
• ICAR-IIRR Best Research Paper award for the year 2022 (Co-author)
• Member, Standing Committee on Entomopathogenic Nematodes, Society of Nematologists, USA (2016).
• Fellow of Nematological Society of India
• Fellow of Plant Protection Association of India
• Fellow of Society for Plant Protection Sciences
• Fellow of Afro-Asian Society of Nematologists
• Offered Graduate Research Fellowship of Memorial University of Newfoundland, Canada (1993)
• Recipient of IARI Junior & Senior Research Fellowships in Nematology (1988-1993)
• Gold medal for outstanding academic performance in M.Sc. (Nematology) (1990)
• Gold Medal for outstanding academic performance in B.Sc. (Agriculture) (1988)
• All India First Rank in ICAR Junior Research Fellowship Exam in Genetics (1988)
• Invited to present lead talks and serve as Chair/CoChair for technical sessions at National and International conferences.

 Foreign Visits:- 

Visited Ohio State University (OSU), USA, for pursuing Post-Doctoral Research Studies (1999-2001) 

Visited Laval University, Qubec city, Canada for presenting research paper at Annual Conference of American Society of Nematologists (2000)

Technologies/Products/Varieties/Novel/germplasm/Methodologies developed:- 

• Collaborated in developing high yielding cultivars/hybrids with nematode resistance/tolerance in life sustaining crops viz. rice and potato. 
• Identified nematode resistant/tolerant genotypes and developed protocols for rapid screening for nematode resistance and multiplication of nematode inoculum.
• Developed integrated approaches for biointensive management of nematode pests in rice, sugarcane, and potato.
• Demonstrated for the first time the unique phenomenon of “selective suppression of plant parasitic nematodes by entomopathogenic nematodes without any adverse impact on beneficial nematode trophic groups in agroecosystems.” This phenomenon considered as “beneficial non-target effect” has opened new vistas in biological pest suppression.
• Assessed and monitored the changes in soil micro food-web structure due to the transition from conventional to newer cultivation systems like organic farming, system of rice intensification, aerobic rice, etc., using nematode trophic diversity as a bioindicator in corn, sugarcane, and rice
• Identified indigenous entomopathogenic nematode isolates with potential for biological control of insect pests of sugarcane and rice. 
• Characterised the indigenous entomopathogenic and plant parasitic nematode isolates using molecular and morphological methods and the DNA sequences were deposited in NCBI Gene bank.
• Laboratory protocols for mass production of indigenous entomopathogenic nematode isolates and nematode antagonistic fungi were standardized.

Patents/copyrights:- 

Student Guided:- 

Guided research work of two M.Sc. Students.

Editors/Reviewers of the Journals:-

Reviewer for the journals

• Served as Editorial Board Member/Reviewer for scientific journals in the field of plant protection viz., Indian Journal of Nematology, Indian Journal of Plant Protection, Sugar Tech, Journal of Nematology (USA), Annals of Plant Protection Sciences, CAB reviews, etc.

Member of Scientific Society:-

• Fellow & Life Member of Nematological Society of India (NSI) (2002)
• Fellow & Life Member of Plant Protection Association of India (PPAI) (2010)
• Fellow & Life Member of Society for Plant Protection Sciences (SPPS) (2005)
• Fellow of Afro-Asian Society of Nematologists (AASN) (1998)
• Member, Standing Committee on Entomopathogenic Nematodes, Society of Nematologists (SON), USA (2016)
• Life Member – Society for Plant Biochemistry and Biotechnology (SPPB)
• Life Member – Indian Science Congress Association (ISCA)
• Life Member – Environmental Protection Society
• Life Member – Society for Advancement of Rice Research (SARR)
• Member - Society of Nematologists, USA (2000-2001)
• Member – Australasian Society of Nematologists (1996-1997)

Training Organized:-

• Served as Resource Person for several training programs organized by the ICAR Institutes, SAUs, and NIPHM

Training Undergone:-

• Post-Doctoral Research training- Ohio State University, USA, Dec 21, 1999 to Dec 28, 2001
• Fred Pryor Seminar on Interpersonal Communication Skills, Ohio State University, USA. Feb. 10, 2000,
• Training course on BASIC SAS (Statistical Analysis System) Ohio State University, USA. June 18 to Sep. 6, 2001
• Training Program on “Geospatial Analysis using QGIS & R”, Feb 27-Mar.3, 2020, at NAARM, Hyderabad
• Training program on “Data analysis using SAS”, January 19^th -25^th 2011 at NAARM, Hyderabad
• Training program on “Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures and Risk Analysis to Promote Agricultural Trade in India” organized by ANGRAU and Tuskegee University, USA. July 27-30, 2009.
• Summer school on “Development of high end resources (Multimedia) for effective learning and teaching” organized by NAARM, Hyderabad, April 28-May 18, 2005.
• Winter school on “Biological control of plant parasitic nematodes” organized by TNAU, Coimbatore, Dec 2-22, 2003.
• Summer school on Recent advances in Agricultural Research Project Management, at National Academy for Agricultural Research and Management, Hyderabad. April 25 -May 15, 2002
• Summer School on Problems and Progress in Nematology during the last one decade organized by Division of Nematology, IARI, New Delhi, during August 1-31, 1997.
• Summer Institute on Biological suppression of agricultural pests including insects, diseases, nematodes and weeds. June 5-27, 1996. held at CPPS, T.N.A.U, Coimbatore.

Publications (Top 30):-

1. Somasekhar, N., Grewal, P.S., DeNardo, E.A.B., and Stinner, B.R. (2002) Non-target effects of entomopathogenic nematodes on soil nematode community. Journal of Applied Ecology. 39: 735-744. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2664.2002.00749.x
2. Somasekhar, N., Grewal, P.S., and Klein, M. G. (2002) Genetic variability in stress tolerance and fitness among natural populations of Steinernema carpocapsae. Biological control. 23: 303-310. https://doi.org/10.1006/bcon.2001.1013
3. Jagdale, G. B., Somasekhar, N., Grewal, P.S. and Klein, M. G. (2002). Suppression of plant parasitic nematodes by application of live and dead entomopathogenic nematodes on Boxwood (Buxus spp). Biological control. 24: 42-49. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1049-9644(02)00004-X
4. Bhanu Priya, D., Somasekhar, N., Prasad, JS. and Kirti, PB (2011). Transgenic tobacco plants constitutively expressing Arabidopsis NPR1 show enhanced resistance to root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne incognita. BMC Research Notes. 4:231 https://doi.org/1186/1756-0500-4-231.
5. Briar, S.S, Grewal, P.S., Somasekhar, N., Stinner, D. and Miller, S.A. (2007) Soil nematode community, organic matter, microbial biomass and nitrogen dynamics in field plots transitioning from conventional to organic management. Applied Soil Ecology. 37: 256-266. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsoil.2007.08.004.
6. Jagdale, G.B., Saeb, A.M.T, Somasekhar, N. and Grewal, P.S. (2006). Genetic variation and relationships between isolates and species of the entomopathogenic nematode genus Heterorhabditis deciphered through isozyme profiles. Journal of Parasitology. 92(3), 509–516. https://doi.org/10.1645/GE-651R1.1.
7. Richmond, D.S., Kunkel, B.A., Somasekhar, N., and Grewal, P.S. (2004) Top-Down and Bottom-up regulation of herbivores: Spodoptera frugiperda turns tables on endophyte mediated plant defense and virulence of an entomopathogenic nematode. Ecological Entomology. 29: 353-360. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2311.2004.00598.x
8. Asif, M., Prasad, J.S., Khan, R., Somasekhar, N. and Tahseen Q. (2013). A revision of the genus Metarhabditis (Nematoda: Rhabditidae) with description of three known species, a key to the identification of congeners and discussion of their relationships. Journal of Natural History. https://doi.org/10.1080/00222933.2013.798702
9. Rathod, S., Sridhar, Y., Arya, P., Katti, G., Jhansi Rani, B., Padmakumari, A.P., Somasekhar, N., Padmavathi, Ch., Ondrasek, G., Amudan, S., Malathi, S., Mallikarjuna Rao, N., Karthikeyan, K., Mandawi, N., Muthuraman, P. and Sundaram, R.M. (2022). Climate-Based Modeling and Prediction of Rice Gall Midge Populations Using Count Time Series and Machine Learning Approaches. 2022, 12, 22. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12010022.
10. Prasad, J.S. and Somasekhar, N. (2022). The unseen rice root nematode problem in irrigated rice. In: Integrated Nematode Management: State-of-the-art and visions for the future ((eds. R.A. Sikora, Desaeger and L. P. G. Molendijk). CAB International 2022. Pp. 61-65. https://doi.org/10.1079/9781789247541.0009
11. Gopalakrishnan, S., Kumar, R.M., Humayun, P., Srinivas, V., Kumari, B. R, Vijayabharathi, R., Singh, A., Surekha, K., Padmavathi, Ch., Somashekar, N., Raghuveer Rao, P., Latha, P.C., Rao, L.V. S., Babu, V.R., Viraktamath. B.C., Goud, V.V., Loganandhan, N., Gujja, B. And Rupela, O. (2014). Assessment of different methods of rice (Oryza sativa. L) cultivation affecting growth parameters, soil chemical, biological, and microbiological properties, water saving, and grain yield in rice–rice system. Paddy and Water Environment. 12: (1) 79-89. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10333-013-0362-6.
12. Chavan, S. N., Somasekhar, N. and Jhansi Rani B. (2019). Nematicidal Activity of Essential Oils Against Rice Root-Knot Nematode Meloidogyne graminicola. Indian Journal of Nematology. 49: (2) 139-145.
13. Chavan, S. N. and Somasekhar, N. (2019). Effect of agrochemicals used commonly in rice ecosystem on Meloidogyne graminicola. Pesticide Research Journal 31(2): 282-287.
14. Somasekhar, N., Sankaranarayanan, C. and Hari, K. (2008). Mass production of fungal biocontrol agents of phytonematodes on agro-industrial by-products. Indian Journal of Plant Protection. 36: 312-314.
15. Manorama, K., Somasekhar, N. and Umamaheswari, R. (2016). Integrated potato cyst nematode (Globodera sp) management strategies for south Indian hills.  Indian Journal of Plant Protection 44 (1):132-140.
16. Umamaheswari, R., Somasekhar, N., Manorama, K. and Joseph, T.A. (2012). Eco-friendly management of potato cyst nematodes in the Nilgiris of Tamil Nadu. Potato Journal. 39 (2): 185-190
17. Somasekhar, N. and Mehta, U. K. (2000) Infectivity of Pasteuria penetrans to entomopathogenic nematodes. Nematologia Mediterranea. 28: 5-6.
18. Somasekhar, N. (1999) Cropcare- a model expert system for the diagnosis and management of crop pests and diseases. Pest Management in Horticultural Ecosystems. 5: 54-56.
19. Chavan, S. N., Somasekhar, N. and Subbarao L.V. (2019). Reaction of rice cultivars to rice root-knot nematode Meloidogyne graminicola. Journal of Rice Research. 12(2): 69-70. https://sarr.co.in/wp-content/uploads/chapter-9-2019-Vol-2.pdf
20. Kumar, R.M., Surekha, K., Padmavathi, Ch., Subba Rao, L.V., Latha, P.C., Prasad, M. S., Ravindra Babu, V., Ramprasad, A.S., Rupela, O.P., Vinod Goud, Muthu Raman, P., Somashekar, N., Ravichandran, S., Singh S.P. and Viraktamath B.C.  (2010). Research Experiences on System of Rice Intensification and Future Directions. Journal of Rice Research, 2: 61-71.
21. Sivaraman, J. Srikanth, K. Hari, P. Rakkiyappan, C. Sankaranarayanan, A. Ramesh Sundar, N. Somasekhar, B. Sundara, S. Asokan and S.D. Chandrasekhar (2013). Sustainability of sugarcane productivity in a long-term organic production system vis-à-vis Conventional system. Journal of Sugarcane Research. 3 (2): 130-140.
22. Somasekhar, N. and Prasad, J.S. (2011). Plant nematode interactions: consequences of climate change. In: Crop stress and its management: perspectives and challenges (Eds. B. Venkateswarlu et al.), Chapter 17, pp 547-564. Springer, Netherland. DOI: 10.1007/978-94-007-2220-0_17
23. Somasekhar, N. and Prasad, J.S. (2012). Nematodes as indicators of environmental health. In: Environmental safety of biotech and conventional IPM technologies (eds. H.C. Sharma, M.K. Dhillon and K.L. Sahrawat). Chapter 15, pp313-323.Studium Press LLC, Houston, Texas, USA.
24. Somasekhar, N., Prasad J.S. and Ganguly, A.K. (2010). Impact of climate change on soil nematodes- implications for sustainable agriculture. Indian Journal of Nematology, 40 (2): 125-134.
25. Surekha, K., Jhansilakshmi, V., Somasekhar, N., Latha, P.C. Kumar, R.M., Shobarani, N., Rao, K.V., and Viraktamath, B.C. (2010). Status of organic farming and research experiences in rice. Journal of Rice Research. 3(1): 23-35.
26. Prasad, J. S., Somasekhar and Varaprasad, K.S. (2010) Nematode Infestation in Paddy. In Nematode Infestations Part –I: Food Crops (Eds. Khan, M.R and Jairajpuri, M. S.) National Academy of Sciences, India. pp. 17-71.
27. Somasekhar, N. Entomopathogenic Nematodes: Ecofriendly Tool for Insect Pest Management. In: Ecofriendly Insect Pest Management (eds. S. Ignacimuthu, s.j. and B.V. David), Elite Publishing House, New Delhi. pp.36-50.
28. Sankaranarayanan, C., Somasekhar, N. and Singaravelu, B. (2006). Biocontrol potential of entomopathogenic nematodes Heterorhabditis and Steinernema against pupae and adults of white grub Holotrichia serrata Sugar Tech. 8 (4): 268-271. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF02943567.
29. Mehta, U.K. and N. Somasekhar (1998). Distribution of lance nematode, Hoplolaimus species in four sugar factory zones of Tamilnadu, India. International Journal of Nematololgy. 8(2): 191-192.
30. Somasekhar (1998). Soil Biodiversity: Role in Ecosystem processes, Sustainable Crop production and Economic development. Proceedings of Academy of Environmental Biology. 7(1)31-38

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