25-04-2024

भाकृअनुप - भारतीय मक्का अनुसंधान संस्थान

ICAR - Indian Institute of Maize Research

(ISO 9001:2015 certified)

Nurturing Diversity, Resilience, Livelihood & Industrial Inputs

डॉ. सुजय रक्षित

Designation: निदेशक

Qualification: M.Sc. (Ag.) in Genetics & Plant Breeding from Banaras Hindu University, Ph.D. in Genetics from Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Post-doc from Iwate Biotechnology Research Centre, Japan

Address: Director, ICAR-Indian Institute of Maize Research, PAU Campus

Email: s.rakshit@icar.gov.in

Mobile: +91 9492430207

Work experience

  • Director, Indian Institute of Maize Research, PAU Campus, Ludhiana 141 004 (India) from March 24, 2017 – to date
  • Principal Scientist (Plant Breeding) from Nov. 29, 2008 – March 23, 2017: ICAR-Indian Institute of Millets Research (formerly Directorate of Sorghum Research), Rajendranagar, Hyderabad (India)
  • Senior Scientist (Genetics) from March 22, 2005 to Nov. 28, 2008 and Scientist (Genetics) from Sep 05, 2000 to March 21, 2005 (barring June 01, 2003 – May 31, 2005): Directorate of Maize Research, New Delhi (India)
  • Scientist (Genetics) from Sep 02, 1996 – Sep 04, 2000: Indian Institute of Pulses Research, Kanpur (India)
  • Scientist (Genetics) from March 22 – Sep 01, 1996: National Academy of Agricultural Research Management (India)

Area of interest
To pursue and coordinate frontier multi-disciplinary research towards genetic improvement of crop plants to increase agricultural productivity, particularly in dryland agriculture

Most significant achievements (in last five years)
• Developed and released following maize hybrids, viz., DMRH1305 (Early Maturing Normal field corn), IMHB 1532 (Baby corn) and IMHB1539 (Baby corn).
• Developed and released forage sorghum variety, CSV 38F (Jaicar Hariyali)
• Developed and implemented AICRP on Maize Automation System, an online resource to coordinate AICRP activities.
• Established ICAR-Indian Institute of Maize Research head quarter at Ludhiana
• Initiated multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional research projects on field corns, specialty corns, biotic and abiotic stresses in maize

Publications in last five years

A. Research papers

  1. Kumar B*, Singh SB, Singh V, Hooda KS, Bagaria PK, Kumar K, Pradhan HR, Kumar S, Meenakshi, Bhati P, Kumar B, Chaturvedi G and Rakshit S. RILS development and its characterization for MLB resistance and flowering in maize (Zea mays L.). Indian J. Agril Sci. 90(1): (in press).
  2. Kumar K, Singh I*, Aggarwal C, Tewari I, Jha AK, Yadava P and Rakshit S. 2019. Expression profiling of heat shock protein genes in two contrasting maize inbred lines. J. Curr. Microbiol. Appl. Sci. 8(6): 347-348.
  3. Soujanya LP*, Sekhar JC, Suby SB, Rakshit S, Susmitha GS and Mallavadhani UV. 2018. Biopesticide treated double layered bags: novel method of application of botanicals for Sitophilus oryzae management in stored maize. Maydica 63-M3: 1-6.
  4. Soujanya LP*, Sekhar JC, Chikkappa GK, Suby SB, Sunil N, Yathish KR, Reddy MLK, Jindal J and Rakshit S. 2019. Field screening of maize inbred lines for resistance to stem borers Chilo partellus (Swinhoe) and Sesamia inferens Maize J. 8(1): 8-14.
  5. Ganapathy KN, Dayakar RB, Rakshit S, Devender V, Venkatesha SC and Tonapi VA. 2018. Variation in nutritional and shelf life parameters among rabi sorghum cultivars and effect of processing on these parameters. Res. 8(4): 513-522.
  6. Choudhary M, Kumar B*, Kumar P, Guleria SK, Singh NK, Khulbe R, Kamboj MC, Vyas M, Srivastava RK, Puttaramanaik, Swain D, Mahajan V and Rakshit S. 2019. GGE biplot analysis of genotype × environment interaction and identification of mega-environment for baby corn hybrids evaluation in India. Indian J. Genet., 79(4): 1-13.
  7. Singh A, Chaudhary DP, Kumar R and Rakshit S. 2019. Analysis of granule-associated Starch branching enzyme IIb, involved in amylose extender mutation of maize. Electronic Journal of Plant Breeding, 10(4): 1581-1585.
  8. Singh SB, Karjagi GK, Hooda KS, Mallikarjuna N, Harlapur SI, Rajashekara H, Devlash R, Kumar S, Kasana RK, Kumar S, Gangoliya SS and Rakshit S. 2018. Identification of resistant sources against turcicum leaf blight of maize (Zea mays). Maize J., 7(2): 64-71.
  9. Das IK*, Rakshit S., Sharma KK, Chattannavar SN, Gholve VM, Jayalaksmi SK and Tonapi VA. 2017. Development of a charcoal rot rating index for multilocation trials of sorghum. Crop Protection 108: 102–109
  10. Kannababu N, Rakshit S*, Madhusudhana R, Tonapi VA, Das IK and Raghunath K. 2017. Identification of superior parental lines for seed quality and storability through GGE biplot analysis of line × tester data in grain sorghum. Indian J. Genet., 77(2): 278-286.
  11. Rakshit S*, Ganapathy KN, Gomashe SS, Dhandapani A, Swapna M, Mehtre SP, Gadakh SR, Ghorade RB, Kamatar MY, Jadhav BD, Das IK and Prabhakar. 2016. Analysis of Indian post-rainy sorghum multi-location trial data reveals complexity of genotype × environment interaction. Agric. Sci. 155(1): 44-59.
  12. Nath R, Rakshit S, Lodha P, Chaudhary V, Kumar B, Sharma P and Dass S. 2016. Genetic diversity analysis of high oil maize inbred lines (Zea mays). Ann. Agric. Res. New Series 37(1): 1-8.
  13. Reynolds MP*, Quilligan E, Aggarwal PK, Bansal KC, Cavalieri AJ, Chapman SC, Chapotin SM, Datta SK, Duveiller E, Gill KS, Jagadish KSV, Joshi AK, Koehler A-K, Kosina P, Krishnan S, Lafitte R, Mahala RS, Muthurajan R, Paterson AH, Prasanna BM, Rakshit S, Rosegrant MW, Sharma I, Singh RP, Sivasankar S, Vadex V, Valluru R, Vara Prasad PV, Yadav OP (2016) An integrated approach to maintaining cereal productivity under climate change. Global Food Security, 8:9-18.
  14. Ganapathy KN, Rakshit S*, Gomashe SS, Audilakshmi S, Hariprasanna K and Patil JV. 2016. Genetic diversity in sorghum mini-core and elite rainy and post-rainy genotypes of India. Plant Genetic Resources: Characterization and Utilization: 1–11.
  15. Rakshit S*, Swapna M, Dalal M, Sushma G, Ganapathy KN, Dhandapani A, Karthikeyan M and Talwar S. 2016. Post-flowering drought stress response of post-rainy sorghum genotypes. Indian Journal of Plant Physiology, 21: 8-14.
  16. Aruna C*, Rakshit S, Shrotria PK, Pahuja SK, Jain SK, Siva Kumar S, Modi ND, Deshmukh DT, Kapoor R and Patil JV. 2015. Assessing genotype-by-environment interactions and trait associations in forage sorghum using GGE biplot analysis. Agri. Sci., 154: 73-86.
  17. Das IK*, Rakshit S and Patil JV. 2015. Assessment of artificial inoculation methods for development of sorghum pokkah boeng caused by Fusarium subglutinans. Crop Protection, 77: 94-101.
  18. Sekhar JC, Karjagi CG*, Kumar B, Rakshit S, Soujanya L, Kumar P, Singh KP, Dhandapani A, Dass A and Sai Kumar R. 2015. Genetics of resistance to Sesamia inferens infestation and its correlation to yield in maize. Plant Breeding, 134: 394-399.
  19. Innocent DA*,1 Loko LY, Adjatin A, Ewédjè EEBK, Dansi A, Rakshit S, Cissé N, Patil JV, Agbangla C, Sanni A, Akoègninou A and Akpagana K. 2015. Genetic divergence in northern Benin sorghum (Sorghum bicolor Moench) landraces as revealed by agromorphological traits and selection of candidate genotypes. The Scientific World Journal, http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2015/916476. 1-10.

 

  1. Review/Popular articles
  2. Choudhary M, Singh A, Gupta M and Rakshit S. 2019. Enabling technologies for utilization of maize as a bioenergy feedstock. Biofuels, Bioprod. Bioref., DOI: 10.1002/bbb.2060
  3. Choudhary M, Wani SH, Kumar P, Bagaria PK, Rakshit S, Roorkiwal M and Varshney RK. 2019. QTLian breeding for climate resilience in cereals: progress and prospects. Functional & Integrative Genomics, 19: 685-701.
  4. Kumar P, Choudhary M, Hossain F, Singh NK, Choudhary P, Gupta M, Singh V, Chikappa GK, Kumar R, Kumar B, Jat SL and Rakshit S. 2019. Nutritional quality improvement in maize (Zea mays): Progress and challenges. Indian Journal of Agricultural Sciences, 89(6): 895-911.
  5. 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.
  6. Ganapathy KN, Gomashe SS and Rakshit S. 2016. Sustainable technologies for revalorizing millets production and utilization. Indian Farming, 65(12): 30-33.
  7. Rakshit S, Prabhakar, Aruna C, Umakanth AV and Bhat BV. 2015. Crop improvement research in sorghum for enhancing productivity. Indian Farming, 65(4): 12-19.

 

  1. Books edited
  2. Rakshit S and Wang YH. 2016 The Sorghum Genome (ISBN 978-3-319-47787-9). Pp 318. Published by Springer Verlag

 

  1. Book chapters
  2. Hariprasanna K and Rakshit S. 2016. Economic Importance of Sorghum. In: The Sorghum Genome (eds. S Rakshit and YH Wang), Springer Pub. Pp 1-27.
  3. Rakshit S, Ganapathy KN and Visarada KBRS. 2016. Cytogenetics of Sorghum. In: The Sorghum Genome (eds. S Rakshit and YH Wang), Springer Pub. Pp 47-76.
  4. Deshpande S, Rakshit S, Manasa KG, Pandey S and Gupta R. 2016. Genomic approaches for abiotic stress tolerance in sorghum. In: The Sorghum Genome (eds. S Rakshit and YH Wang), Springer Pub. Pp 169-188.
  5. Das IK and Rakshit S. 2016. Millets, Their Importance, and Production Constraints. In: Biotic stress resistance in millets (eds. IK Das and PG Padmaja), Elsiver Pub, pp 1-22.
  6. Ganapathy KN, Rao BD, Rakshit S, Gnanesh BN and Patil JV. 2015. Sorghum for Health and Business. In: Sustainable Agriculture Reviews Vol. 16. (eds. E Lichtfouse and A Goyal). Springer, pp 173-196.
  7. Rakshit S and Swapna M. 2015. DNA markers in diversity analysis. In: Sorghum Molecular Breeding (eds. R Madhusudhana, P Rajendrakumar and JV Patil). Springer, pp. 23-46.
  8. P Rajendrakumar and Rakshit S. 2015. Genomics and bioinformatics resources. In: Sorghum Molecular Breeding (eds. R Madhusudhana, P Rajendrakumar and JV Patil). Springer, pp. 117-153.
  9. Technical Bulletins
  10. 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.

Significant recognition

  • President, Agriculture & Forestry Section, Indian Science Congress Association 2018-19
  • President, Maize Technologists Association of India, 2018 – 20
  • Associated Editor, Indian Journal of Genetics & Plant Breeding, 2016
  • Fellow, Indian Society of Genetics & Plant Breeding, New Delhi, 2014
  • NE Borlaug Fellowship (USDA) 2010
  • JSPS Post-doctoral Fellowship for Foreign Researchers, 2003
  • BOYSCAST Fellowship, 2003
  • CSIR Scientist Travel Fellowship, 2002
  • Indian Science Congress Association Young Scientist Award, 1999
  • Jawaharlal Nehru Award, 1999 for outstanding post-graduate research
  • UNESCO Fellowship in Biotechnology, 1998
  • Best Ph.D. Student of IARI Medal, 1998
  • IARI Merit Medal, 1998
  • Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Award, 1994 for outstanding performance during M.Sc. (Ag)
  • Binani Gold Medal, 1994 for ranking first during M.Sc. (Ag)
  • BHU Gold Medal for ranking first in Dept. of Genetics and Plant Breeding, BHU, Varanasi