Purandar Mandal Author

Bhimasen Naik (b.1961) hails from an agri-horticultural family of Western Odisha (Village: Jamtalia, Tehsil: Sundargarh, District: Sundargarh). He obtained B.Sc. (Ag. & A.H.) and M.Sc. (Ag.) in Genetics and Plant Breeding from Chandra Shekhar Azad University of Agriculture and Technology, Kanpur in 1981 and 1983, respectively, and Ph.D. from Utkal University, Bhubaneswar in1999. He has been awarded ICAR Junior Research Fellowship and CSIR Senior Research Fellowship during his studies. He is a Fellow of the Indian Society of Genetics & Plant Breeding, New Delhi; and life member of the Crop Improvement Society of India, Ludhiana; the Indian Society of Plant Breeders, Coimbatore; the Society for Advancement of Rice Research, Hyderabad; the Indian Society of Oilseeds Research, Hyderabad and the Society for Plant Biochemistry & Biotechnology, New Delhi. He has worked on breeding and genetics of ginger, turmeric, mungbean and linseed, and presently working on rice. He has 36 years of research and teaching experience, and is presently working as Professor of Plant Breeding and Genetics at Regional Research and Technology Transfer Station of the Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology at Chiplima, Sambalpur, Odisha. He has 56 research papers published in peer-reviewed national and international journals, 23 abstracts of symposia, three books, one book chapter (Springer-Nature) and 20 popular articles to his credit. He has guided one M.Sc. (Ag.) and one Ph.D. student. He is associated in the development of five cultivars in ginger (Suruchi), turmeric (Surama, Ranga and Rashmi) and linseed (Arpita); collaborated in development of three cultivars in rice (Ashutosh, Gobinda and Hasanta) and registered one genetic stock of mungbean (BSN 1, INGR 00011).

Ranjan Kumar Tarai (b.1977) obtained his B.Sc. (Ag.) in 1999 from College of Agriculture, Chiplima under Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology; M.Sc. (Hort.) in Fruits and Orchard Management and Ph.D. (Hort.) in Fruits and Orchard Management in 2002 and 2006 respectively from Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswa Vidyalaya, Mohanpur, Nadia, West Bengal. He successfully qualified NET in Fruit Science during 2004 conducted by ASRB, New Delhi. He started his career in 2006 as Subject Matter Specialist (Horticulture) at Krishi Vigyan Kendra (Gajapati) and later on joined as Junior Scientist (Horticulture) at Regional Research and Technology Transfer Station, Bhawanipatna and as Programme Coordinator at KVK, Kalahandi under Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology, Bhubaneswar. Dr. Tarai is basically a Pomologist inclined to fruit research and teaching. He has an experience of over 14 years of teaching, research and extension. He has published more than 53 research papers in national and international journals, 05 Books, 26 popular articles, 18 book chapters, 20 extension booklets & Newsletters to his credit. He has guided two M.Sc. Ag. (Hort.) students. He is a life member of several societies in the field of Horticulture. He has devoted his works in development and transfer of technologies in fruits (especially minor fruit crops), vegetables and horticulture-based farming system suitable for resource poor area. Currently he is working as Associate Professor (Fruit Science) at College of Horticulture, Chiplima under Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology, Bhubaneswar.

Ajit Kumar Sahoo (b.1988) born at Jajpur and did his Graduation from College of Agriculture, Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology, Bhubaneswar in 2011, M. Sc. (Pomology) at Dr. Punjabrao Krishi Vidya Peeth, Akola in 2013 and Ph.D. (Pomology) from Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology, Bhubaneswar in 2017. He worked as Asst. Professor at College of Horticulture, Chiplima under Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology from 2015 to July 2020. Presently he is working as Asst. Professor in AICRP on Palm, Bhubaneswar. He is actively involved in teaching, research and extension activities. He is working on micropropagation of pineapple and canopy management in sapota. He has published 3 books, 2 book chapters, 1 popular article, 17 research papers and 2 review papers in national and international journals/ scientific magazines.

Purandar Mandal (b.1978) obtained his B.Sc. (Ag.) in 2001 from Veer Bahadur Singh Purvanchal University, Jaunpur, U.P.; M.Sc. (Ag.) Horticulture from Narendra Deva University of Agriculture and Technology, Faizabad, U.P. in 2003; qualified National Eligibility test for Asst. Professorship/lectureship recognized by ICAR/CSIR in Horticulture (Fruit Science) in 2005; Ph.D. (Horticulture) from Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology., Bhubaneswar in 2009. He started his career in 2006 at Reliance Retail Ltd, Bhubaneswar as Senior Associate (Horticulture supply chain), joined at College of Horticulture, Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology, Chiplima, Sambalpur as Assistant Professor (Horticulture) in 2009. Dr. Mandal is basically inclined to post-harvest management, orchard management and teaching. He has an experience of over 12 years of teaching research and orchard management; worked as Principal Investigator in the All India Network Research Project on Onion and Garlic (ICAR) from 2013 to 2018. He has published more than 35 research papers in national and international journals, 03 practical manuals (Fundamentals of Food Technology, Weed Management in Horticultural Crops, Introductory Agro-forestry) for B.Sc. Hort. students, 15 popular articles, 01 book, 05 book chapters to his credit. He has guided two M.Sc. Ag. (Hort.) students and one Ph.D. (Hort.) as a member. He is a life member of several societies in the field of Horticulture. Currently he is working as Assistant Professor (Horticulture) at College of Horticulture, Chiplima.

Sunil Samal (b.1974) obtained his B.Sc. (Ag.) from Shri Shahu Ji Maharaj University, Kanpur in 1997; M.Sc. (Ag.) in Horticulture from Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology, Bhubaneswar in 1999 and Ph.D. from Utkal University, Bhubaneswar in 2003; subsequently qualified NET in Fruit Science in 2004 conducted by ASRB, New Delhi. He started his career as Training Associate (Horticulture) at Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Dhenkanal in 2005 and later on joined as Programme Coordinator at Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Koraput. In 2010, he was selected for the post of Associate Professor (Post Harvest Management) and joined the College of Horticulture, Chiplima. In teaching he remained for eight years. Besides teaching he worked for the development of Horticulture, Horti-based farming system in the district. To his credit he accumulated an experience of over 15 years of Teaching, Research and Extension. He has published more than 12 research papers in National and International journals, 10 popular articles, 6 Abstracts of Symposia, 11 Extension Booklets and Newsletters to his credit. During his service carrier he attended a number of Refresher courses/Symposia/Seminars conducted by National and State level organizations. Presently, he is working as Senior Scientist (Horticulture) at the Regional Research and Technology Transfer Station, Dhenkanal.