| |
 Dr. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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 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. 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 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 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. 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. 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. |
