30-04-2024

भाकृअनुप - भारतीय मक्का अनुसंधान संस्थान

ICAR - Indian Institute of Maize Research

(ISO 9001:2015 certified)

Nurturing Diversity, Resilience, Livelihood & Industrial Inputs

डॉ. पी. लक्ष्मी सौजन्या

Designation: वैज्ञानिक-Sr Scale (पादप कीटविज्ञान)

Qualification: M.Sc. (Ag.) Ph D in Agricultural Entomology, Acharya NG Ranga Agricultural University, Bapatla, Andhra Pradesh

Address: Scientist SS, ICAR-Indian Institute of Maize Research Rajendranagar Hyderabad 500 030 (INDIA)

Email: pl.soujanaya@icar.gov.in, soujanyak.scientist@gmail.com

Mobile: +91 8008607373

Phone: +91 040 24018457 (O)

Fax: +91 040 24018457

Work experience

  • Scientist SS, Indian Institute of Maize Research, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad (India) from April 21, 2013 to till date.
  • Scientist, Indian Institute of Maize Research, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad (India) from May 11, 2010 to April 20, 2013.

 Area of interest

  • Host Plant Resistance, Plant Insect Interactions, and Botanicals for the management of insect pests of maize.

  Most significant achievements (in last five years)

  • Maize treated with Ageratum conyzoides leaf powder at the rate of 2% w/w stored in High Density and Double layered polythene bags suffered minimum damage by storage pest Sitophilus oryzae L.
  • Application of Tinospora cordifolia water based leaf paste between the layers of double storage bags @ 2.0% w/w reduces the level of infestation and per cent grain weight loss by oryzae.
  • Higher concentrations of cell-wall bound p-CA, ferulic acid and tannin content are the possible biochemical defense mechanisms in maize against Sesamia inferens.

Publications in last five years

Research papers

  1. Lakshmi Soujanya, P, Sekhar, JC, Chikkappa Karjagi, Suby, SB, Sunil N, Yathish KR, Reddy MLK, Jawala Jindal, Rakshit S (2019) Field screening of maize inbred lines for resistance to stem borers Chilo partellus (Swinhoe) and Sesamia inferens Maize Journal 8(1):8-14.
  2. Lakshmi Soujanya P, Sekhar JC, Suby SB, Rakshit S, Susmitha GS, Mallavadhani UV (2018) Biopesticide treated double layered bags: Novel method of application of botanicals for Sitophilus oryzae management in stored maize. MAYDICA, 63(1):6.
  3. Lakshmi Soujanya P, Sekhar,JC, Vidhyadhari,V, Suby, SB,Vinay Mahajan (2018) Repellent and reproductive inhibitory effects of Strychnos nux vomica and Lepidium sativum L. against Sitophilus oryzae (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). Indian J Entomol , 80(3): 586-589.
  4. Lakshmi Soujanya,P, Sekhar,JC, Vidhyadhari,V,Suby,SB, Susmitha, GS and Mallavadhani, UV (2018) Management of rice weevil Sitophilus oryzae in stored maize using solar heat and plant biopesticides. Indian J Entomol 80(4): 1736-1739.
  5. Lakshmi Soujanya P, Sekhar JC, Chikkappa G. Karjagi,  Vidhyadhari V, Suby SB, Sunil N,  Sreelatha D, DharamPaul Chaudhary (2017) Impact of harvesting time on field carry over infestation of Sitophilus oryzae (L.) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in different maize genotypes, Phytoparasitica 45:485-499.
  6. Lakshmi Soujanya P, Sekhar JC, Chikkappa G. Karjagi, Dharam Paul, Kumar P (2016) Evaluation of biophysical, anatomical and biochemical traits of resistance to Sitophilus oryzae (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in stored maize. MAYDICA 61.1 M8.
  7. Lakshmi Soujanya P, Sekhar JC, Kumar P (2016) Efficacy of plant extracts against rice weevil Sitophilus oryzae (L.) in stored maize. Indian J Entomol 78(4):342-345.
  8. Lakshmi Soujanya P, Sekhar JC, Chikkappa GK, Kumar P (2015) Differential resistance  of maize germplasm to rice weevil Sitophilus oryzae (L.) and angoumois grain moth Sitotroga cerealella (Oliv.)  in stored maize. Indian J Plant Prot 43 (2):143-149.
  9. Lakshmi Soujanya P, Sekhar JC, Kumar P, Dhanalakshmi V, Sravanthi P, Mallavadhani UV (2015)   Potentiality of various extracts of Ixora coccinea and its major component tanacetenefrom rubiaceae family against stored maize pest.  J Insect Sci 28(2):252-258.
  10. Lakshmi Soujanya P, Sekhar JC, Chikkappa GK,  Kumar P (2015)  Management of post harvest pests of maize in India through enhanced hermetic storage.  Int J  Process  Post Harvest Technol 6(1):48-53.
  11. Review/Popular articles
  12. Soujanya PL, Sekhar JC, Suby SB and Rakshit S. 2018. Ecofriendly approaches for management of insect pests of maize in small scale storage. Indian Farmer, 5(10): 1338-1346.
  13. Lakshmi Soujanya, S. B. Suby, J. C. Sekhar, Jawala Jindal, MahaSingh Jaglan, M.L.K.Reddy and Sujay Rakshit 2018. Makka phasal ke mukhya keet avam unka prabhandhan. (Management of  insect pests of maize)  Krishi Chetna 1:65-72. Hindi.
  14. Lakshmi Soujanya, J. C. Sekhar, S. B. Suby, Jawala Jindal, MahaSingh Jaglan and Sujay Rakshit 2018. Laghu sthar par Bhandarith makka ke keton ka paryavaran hiteishi prabhandan. (Management of storage pests of maize) Krishi Chetna 1: 73-79. Hindi.
  15. Lakshmi Soujanya, J.C. Sekhar, P. Kumar, N.Sunil, Ch.VaraPrasad and   U.V. Mallavadhani.2016.  Potentiality of botanical agents for the management of post harvest insects of maize: a review. J Food Sci Technol 53: 2169-2184.
  16. Lakshmi Soujanya, J. C. Sekhar, Sangit Kumar, P. Kumar, K.S.Hooda and Meena Shekhar 2014 Management of post harvest losses in maize. Indian Farming 64 (4) : 37 – 43
  17. Pradyumn Kumar, J. C. Sekhar, Lakshmi Soujanya and Jaswinder Kaur 2014 Management of insect pests of maize. Indian Farming 64 (4) : 30 – 36

Book chapters

  1. Suby SB, Lakshmi Soujanya P, Jat SL, Sekhar JC, Rakshit S (2019) Status of fall armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda (E. Smith) in India and its management. in M A Ansari, S L Jat, S Saha, S Babu, G S Yadav, Anup Das, L K Baishya, R Singh, Ampee Tasung, L Bomit, Suby SB, J C Sekhar, S K Sharma, N Prakash, and S Rakshit (eds.) 2019. Highlighted achievement on fall armyworm under promoting improved technology of maize production in NEH region. 110 Pages, ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region, Meghalaya, India. ISBN NO. 978-93-5391-283-3.
  2. Pradyumn Kumar, Jaswinder Kaur, S.B. Suby, J.C. Sekhar and Lakshmi Soujanya .2018.Pests of Maize.Pp 51-79. In: Pests and their management. (Eds.) Omkar, Springer (Singapore). ISBN 978-981-10-8687-8.
  3. Kumar, J. C. Sekhar, Soujanya P. Lakshmi, S. B. Suby 2017. Mass production of biocontrol agents of insect pests. Pp 451-465. In: Industrial Entomology. (Eds.) Omkar, Springer. ISBN 978-981-10-3304-9.
  4. Chikkappa G. Karjagi, Jaswinder Kaur, J. C. Sekhar, Soujanya P. Lakshmi, S. B. Suby, Jaswinder Kaur, M. G. Mallikarjuna and Pradyumn Kumar. 2017. Breeding for resistance to insect pests in maize. Pp 201-229. In: Breeding Insect Resistant Crops for Sustainable Agriculture. (Eds.) Ramesh Arora and Surinder Sandhu, Springer (Singapore). ISBN 978-981-10-6056-4.
  5. Lakshmi Soujanya, J. C. Sekhar and P. Kumar 2015 Medicinal Plants: Promising tool for the management of post-harvest insect pests of maize. In book: Sahayaraj and Selvaraj (editors) first edition Bio pesticides: Innovations and Practices, Smith and Franklin pp 88-97.
  6. Technical Bulletins
  7. Rakshit S., Ballal CR, Prasad YG, Sekhar JC, Soujanya PL, Suby SB, Jat SL, Sivakumar G. and Prasad JV. 2019. Fight against Fall Armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (JE Smith). ICAR-Indian Institute of Maize Research, Ludhiana, pp. 52.
  8. Lakshmi Soujanya, S.B. Suby, J. C. Sekhar, Pradyumn Kumar, Jawala Jindal, M.L.K. Reddy and Vinay Mahajan 2016 Identification and management of insect pests of maize. Indian Institute of Maize Research, New Delhi.

 Significant recognition

  • Best Institute Scientist award for the year 2019 on the occasion of 6th Foundation day on 9th February, 2019 at Ludhiana, Punjab.
  • Best Young Scientist award during 6th Biopesticide International Conference held from 6.3.19 to 8.3.19 at AMITY University, Raipur, Chhattisgarh in collaboration with St. Xavier’s College, Palayamkottai, Tamil Nadu.
  • Received travel grant from Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), Department of Science and Technology (DST), New Delhi to attend 25th International Congress of Entomology at Orlando, Florida, USA.