Prospects and challenges of yellow mosaic disease in pulse crops

Abstract

With more than 22 years of experience in research and teaching, Dr Mohd Akram holds specialization in diagnostics, molecular characterization and management of viruses infecting pulse crops. He has developed a simultaneous detection kit of four viruses causing yellow mosaic disease in pulses for which patent has been filed. He has also submitted 368 genome sequences of viruses/fungi/bacteria and developed four mungbean high yielding and yellow mosaic disease resistant cultivars, registered five unique germplasms having resistance to bruchids/MYMIV in collaborative mode. Dr Akram is recipient of several awards including the Indo-US Norman E. Borlaug International Agricultural Science & Technology Fellowship-2007, Lal Bahadur Shastri Young Scientist Award Biennium 2005-2006 by ICAR, New Delhi, and Young Scientist Award 2003-2004 in the field of Plant Protection by National Academy of Agricultural Sciences, New Delhi. He has published 62 research papers in peered reviewed journals and guided guided 16 postgraduate students. Currently he is working as Principal Scientist (Plant Pathology) and Head (A), Division of Crop Protection at ICAR-Indian Institute of Pulses Research, Kanpur.c