Upasi Tea Research Foundation
  DIRECTOR
UPASI TRF
  Valparai - 642 127,
Coimbatore Dist, India
: (04253)235301,
    235303,235229(D)
: (04253) 235302
upasitri@satyammail.com
       director@upasitearesearch.org
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Present Team of Senior Scientists

Dr. N. MuraleedharanDr. N. Muraleedharan is heading UPASI Tea Research Foundation as its Director since 1997. He joined the institute in 1980 after six years of service as scientist in the Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata. He obtained his Ph. D from the Entomology Research Institute, Loyola College affiliated to Madras University in 1976 under the able guidance of the world renowned Entomologist Prof. T. N. Ananthakrishnan. Before becoming Director of the institute, he served the TRI in different capacities such as Joint Director, Assistant Director, and Head Division of Entomology. His pioneering work on shot hole borer management is a landmark in plant protection in tea. His studies on IPM further contributed to the reduction of pesticide load on tea in south India. Many of his findings and recommendations are widely adopted by the tea industry. He has successfully guided eight students for Ph. D. He has more than 175 publications and a couple of books to his credit. His monograph on "Pest management in tea is an important source of reference on pests of tea in south India. He is member of different committees of Tea Board, Coffee Research Advisory Council and Bureau of Indian Standards. He is a Fellow of the Indian society for Plantation crops.
 
Dr. P. Mohan Kumar joined the TRF in May 2006 as its Joint Director. A post graduate in Genetics and Plant Breeding from Kerala University, he obtained Ph.D (Ag.) from Bose Institute, Kolkata University and specialized in Plant Biotechnology. Worked as Scientist in Tropical Botanic Garden, Trivandrum for two years and then joined the R&D unit of M/s Tata Tea Limited in Munnar, Kerala. He worked with M/s Tata Tea Ltd for over 20 years both in their South Indian and North Indian units. He served as member of Board of studies for the Biotechnology Department in the Kerala University (1995-98) and served as member in the Research Advisory Council of Rain Forest Research Institute, Jorhat, Assam (2004-06). He has over 30 publications to his credit and co-guided two Ph.D students.
 

Mr. K. G. UdayabanuMr. K. G. Udayabanu M.Sc., Senior Advisory Officer, Koppa (Karnataka) joined the Institute in 1982 in an ICAR sponsored project on the bio-ecology of shot hole borer. He is in the advisory wing of the TRF for the past 18 years.

 
Mr. R. SashidarMr. R. Sashidar joined the Institute in 1978. He has worked at Coonoor, Meppadi, Karnataka and Vandiperiyar. At present he is the Senior Advisory Officer at the Regional Centre, Munnar.
 
Mr. N. PalaniMr. N. Palani M.Sc., Sr. Chemist joined the Institute in 1983. His main area of research is on soil and plant nutrition. He holds the additional charge of Quality Manger of the Institute.
 
 
Dr. B. RadhakrishnanDr. B. Radhakrishnan Senior Advisory Officer, Coonoor, joined the Institute in 1984 and took his doctorate in tea entomology under the guidance of the present Director, Dr. N. Muraleedharan. His work on natural enemies of tea aphids in noteworthy. He joined the advisory wing in 1995.
 
Dr. R. PremkumarDr. R. Premkumar joined the Institute in 1980. His area of research is tea disease management with special reference to blister blight. His work on forecasting of blister blight disease is noteworthy. At present he heads the Division of Plant Pathology.
 
Dr. A. BabuDr. A. Babu serves as Entomologist in TRF Valparai. He did his Ph.D under the guidance of Prof. Dr. T. N. Ananthakrishnan. He did his post doctoral research in the Institute of Plant Sciences, Zurich, Switzerland. He was conducting research on the bio- ecology and biological control of important tea pests at Vandiperiyar from 2002-2006. Currently he is in charge of Entomology division and working on biological control of tea pests and Semiochemicals.
 
Dr. R. V. J. IlangoDr. R. V. J. Ilango Senior Botanist and head division of botany joined the Institute in 1989. His research area includes mechanization of cultural operations, nursery grafting, pruning and harvesting practices and chemical weed control. Currently he is involved in the establishment of a tea germplasm bank at the TRI.
 
Dr. A. K. Azad MandalDr. A. K. Azad Mandal joined the TRF in the year 2004 as Sr. Scientist in Plant Physiology Department. He is involved in improvement of tea through biotechnology.
 
Mr. S. N. PrasadMr. S. N. Prasad joined the Institute in the year 1975. He is now working as Advisory officer in the Regional Centre, Coonoor. Earlier he had worked at the TRI and the Regional Centre, Gudalur.
 
Mr. Siby MathewMr. Siby Mathew M.Sc., joined the institute in 1992. At present he is Advisory officer at the Regional Centre, Vandiperiyar. Earlier he served in the Regional Centre, Meppadi.
 
Dr. R. Raj KumarDr. R. Raj Kumar Sr.Plant Physiologist, joined the Institute in 1984. He is working on photosynthesis, partitioning of assimilates, plant growth regulators, stress physiology and plant tissue culture.
 
Mr. P. SankaranarayanMr. P. Sankaranarayan joined in the institute in 1987 in an ICAR sponsored project on the "Bio-ecology of flushworm infesting tea. He is in the extension service for the last 14 years. Currently he is working in the Regional Centre, Gudalur as Advisory officer.
 
Mr. R. S. SenthilkumarMr. R. S. Senthilkumar M.Sc., Tea Technologist and Officer-in-charge of the division, joined the Institute in 1997. His area of research includes, process optimisation of black tea manufacture, quality evaluation of tea, exogenous addition of enzymes for quality improvement and studies on flavour profile of black teas.
   
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