Nematode Disease Complexes In Horticultural Crops

Dr. P. Parvatha Reddy obtained his M.Sc. (Agri.) degree from Karnatak University, Dharwad, and Ph. D. degree jointly from the University of Florida, USA and the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore.

Dr. Reddy served as the Director of the prestigious Indian Institute of Horticultural Research ( IIHR) at Bangalore from 1999 to 2002 during which period the Institute was honoured with “ICAR Best Institution Award”. He also served as the Head, Division of Entomology and Nematology at IIHR and gave tremendous impetus and direction to research, extension and education in bio-intensive integrated pest management in horticultural crops. These technologies are being practiced widely by the farmers across the country since they are effective, economical, eco-friendly and residue-free. Dr. Reddy has about 34 years of experience working with horticultural crops and involved in developing an F1 tomato hybrid “ Arka Varadan” resistant to root-knot nematodes. He has also developed bio-intensive integrated pest management strategies in horticultural crops using eco-friendly components such as bio-control agents, botanicals and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi.

Dr. Reddy has over 237 scientific publications to his credit, which also include four books on “Plant Nematology”, “A Treatise on Phytonematology”, “Integrated Pest Management in Horticultural Ecosystems” and “Advances in IPM for Horticultural crops”. He has also guided two Ph. D. students at the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore.

Dr. Reddy served as a member of the Research Advisory Committee of the National Centre for Integrated Pest Management, New Delhi; the National Research Centre for Citrus, Nagpur and the Project Directorate of Biological Control, Bangalore. He also served as a Member of the ICAR Scientific Panel for Nematology, Member, QRT to review the progress of AICRP on Nematodes and AINRP on Betelvine. He is the Honorary Fellow of the Society for Plant Protection Sciences, New Delhi, Fellow of the Indian Phytopathological Society, New Delhi and Founder President of the Association for Advancement of Pest Management in Horticultural Ecosystems (AAPMHE), Bangalore. Dr. Reddy has organized “Fourth International Workshop on Biological Control and Management of Chromolaena odorata”, “National Seminar on Hitech Horticulture”, “First National Symposium on Pest Management in Horticultural Crops:Environmental Implications and Thrusts” and “Second National Symposium on Pest Management in Horticultural Crops: New Molecules and Biopesticides”. Dr. Reddy has been awarded with the prestigious “ AAPMHE Award”, “Prof. H.M. Shah Award” and “ Hexamar Agricultural Research and Development Foundation Award” for his unstinted efforts in developing sustainable, bio-intensive and eco-friendly integrated pest management strategies in horticultural crops.