Rameswar Prasad Sah | Plant Breeding | Outstanding Scientist Award

Dr. Rameswar Prasad Sah | Plant Breeding | Outstanding Scientist Award

ICAR-Central Rice Research Institute | India

Dr. Rameswar Prasad Sah is a Senior Scientist at the ICAR–National Rice Research Institute (NRRI), Cuttack, specializing in Genetics and Plant Breeding with a research focus on molecular breeding, direct-seeded rice, and the development of early-maturing, high-yielding rice varieties. He earned his B.Sc. (Agri.) with honours from IGKV, Raipur, and completed both his M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Plant Breeding and Genetics from Birsa Agricultural University, Ranchi, where he was the academic topper of his batch. With over 22 h-index, 46 i10-index, 1759 citations, and more than 120 scientific documents, Dr. Sah has made significant contributions to rice genomics, QTL mapping, and marker-assisted breeding. His research integrates physiological, molecular, and genomic tools to enhance stress tolerance and productivity in rice. He has co-authored several high-impact papers in journals such as Field Crops Research, Scientific Reports, and BMC Plant Biology, and contributed to numerous books and NRRI bulletins. His dedication to advancing sustainable rice production has been recognized through awards such as “Best Oral Presentation” at the 13th National Seed Congress (2024). Dr. Sah continues to contribute to national breeding programs and genomic innovations aimed at ensuring food security and climate-resilient rice cultivation in India.

Profiles: Scopus | Google Scholar | Orcid

Featured Publications

Mohanty, S., Das, S., Panda, D., Choudhury, N. K., Mishra, B., Jena, R. K., Sah, R. P., Chandrappa, A. K., Navadagi, D. B., Raj, R. K. R., et al. (2025, September 29). Identification of novel quantitative trait loci and candidate genes associated with grain yield and related traits under low-light stress conditions in rice. Biomolecules.

Snehi, S., Singh, P. K., Beena, R., Kota, S., Sanwal, S. K., Ravi Kiran, K. T., Anilkumar, C., Chattopadhyay, K., Prakash, N. R., & Sah, R. P. (2025, June). QTL-meta-analysis and candidate gene(s) for anaerobic germination potential in rice. Journal of Plant Growth Regulation.

Anilkumar, C., Sah, R. P., Muhammed Azharudheen, T. P., Behera, S., Mohanty, S. P., Anandan, A., Marndi, B. C., & Samantaray, S. (2025, March). Integrating multi-trait genomic selection with simulation strategies to improve grain yield and parental line selection in rice. Annals of Applied Biology.

Sahoo, U., Biswal, M., Nayak, L., Kumar, R., Tiwari, R. K., Lal, M. K., Bagchi, T. B., Sah, R. P., Singh, N. R., Sharma, S., et al. (2025, March 30). Rice with lower amylose content could have reduced starch digestibility due to crystallized resistant starch synthesized by linearized amylopectin. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture.

Anilkumar, C., Sah, R. P., Beena, R., Muhammed Azharudheen, T. P., Kumar, A., Behera, S., Sunitha, N. C., Pradhan, S. K., Raj, K. R. R., Parameswaran, C., et al. (2023, August). Conventional and contemporary approaches for drought tolerance rice breeding: Progress and prospects. Plant Breeding.

Lakshminarayana Vemireddy | Plant Genetics | Best Researcher Award

Prof. Lakshminarayana Vemireddy | Plant Genetics | Best Researcher Award

Acharya NG Ranga Agricultural University | India

Author Profile

Scopus
Orcid ID
Google Scholar

🧬 Summary

Dr. Lakshmi Narayana Vemireddy is a seasoned plant scientist from Guntur, India, with over 20 years of experience in plant biotechnology, molecular breeding, and crop genomics. His research primarily focuses on rice, blackgram, greengram, groundnut, millets, and sesame, with a strong emphasis on QTL mapping, DNA fingerprinting, and genomics-based trait development. He has published 70+ peer-reviewed articles, mentored 20+ postgraduate scholars, and led multiple national and international R&D projects.

🎓 Education

He holds a Ph.D. in Molecular Genetics from CDFD/University of Hyderabad, a Postdoctoral Fellowship from Oklahoma State University, and degrees in Agriculture and Genetics from ANGRAU. His doctoral work on basmati rice authentication led to the development of a commercial DNA kit and international patent applications.

🧪 Professional Experience

Currently serving as Principal Scientist at ANGRAU since 2006, Dr. Vemireddy has led numerous biotech innovations, research collaborations, and product development programs. He has previously worked at IIRR-Hyderabad as a Research Associate, focusing on rice QTLs. He has generated ₹243.80 Lakhs in project funding and established key facilities like gene editing and phenomics labs.

🛠️ Technical Skills

Dr. Vemireddy is proficient in field phenotyping, QTL/GWAS analysis, gene editing, and bioinformatics tools such as R, MapChart, Haploview, and DARWIN. He has developed protocols for genetic purity testing, DNA fingerprinting, and marker-assisted selection.

👨‍🏫 Teaching Experience

He has mentored 12 PhD and 8 MSc students, conducted national-level workshops on bioinformatics and molecular breeding, and actively contributes to capacity-building programs.

🔬 Research Interests

His current research spans trait introgression, stress tolerance, haplotype breeding, seed vigor, and crop traceability using DNA barcoding. He also explores gene editing (CRISPR/Cas9) and phenomics for future-ready crop improvement.

📖Publications

Development of activation-tagged gain-of-functional mutants in indica rice line (BPT 5204) for sheath blight resistance
  • Journal: Molecular Biology Reports

  • Year: 2024

  • Authors:  Mahendranath Gandikota, T. Krishnakanth Yadav, Raghurami Reddy Maram, Sudhamani Kalluru, M. Balachandran Sena, E. A. Siddiq, Yamini Kalinati Narasimhan, Lakshminarayana R. Vemireddy, Anuradha Ghanta

Prioritization of candidate genes for major QTLs governing yield traits employing integrated multi-omics approach in rice (Oryza sativa L.)
  • Journal: Briefings in Functional Genomics

  • Year: 2024

  • Authors: Issa Keerthi Vishnu Shukla Sudhamani Kalluru Lal Ahamed Mohammad P. Lavanya Kumari Eswarayya Ramireddy Lakshminarayana R. Vemireddy

Development of miRNA-SSR and target-SSR markers from yield-associate genes and their applicability in the assessment of genetic diversity and association mapping in rice (Oryza sativa L.)
  • Journal: Molecular Breeding

  • Year: 2024

  • Authors: Bavisetti Hemasai Dinesh K. Kumbha Vinodkumar Naik Modem Srividya K. Gannavarapu Rupeshkumar R. Bommaka Shanthipriya Mallapuram Sreelakshmi Chintala Muga D. Sreevalli Eswarayya Ramireddy Lakshminarayana R. Vemireddy

Haplotype analysis of QTLs governing early seedling vigor-related traits under dry-direct-seeded rice (Oryza sativa L.) conditions
  • Journal: Molecular Biology Reports

  • Year: 2023

  • Authors: Mounika Reddy Yamasani Vasanthi Raguru Pandu Sudhamani Kalluru Rupeshkumar Reddy Bommaka Ramanamurthy Bandela Bharathi Duddu Srikanth Komeri Dineshkumar Kumbha Lakshminarayana R. Vemireddy

Panicle transcriptome of high-yield mutant indica rice reveals physiological mechanisms and novel candidate regulatory genes for yield under reproductive stage drought stress
  • Journal: BMC Plant Biology

  • Year: 2023

  • Authors: Aparna Eragam Ankita Mohapatra Vishnu Shukla Rajashekar Varma Kadumuri Abin Panackal George Latha Putta Srividhya Akkareddy Sreenivas Chavali Lakshminarayana R. Vemireddy Eswarayya Ramireddy