Education: B.Sc. (Honours) Agriculture, PAU, Ludhiana (1988); M.Sc. Soils, PAU, Ludhiana (1992); Ph.D. (Plant and Soil Sciences), WVU, USA (2002)

Positions held: Agricultural Development Officer (1992-2005); Assistant Professor, PAU Ludhiana (2006-2015); Associate Professor (March 2016 onwards)

Field of Specialization: Soil Fertility and Chemistry

Research Interests:

1. Soil fertility evaluation with special emphasis on geostatistical modelling.

2. Development of spectral models for predicting soil and crop attributes.

3. Nutrient dynamics in soil-crop systems.

Research Projects :

1. Utilization of Paddy Straw for Biochar and Energy Purposes

2. Effect of PROM (phosphate-rich organic manure) and Biogold (granulated organic manure) on yield and soil properties under rice-wheat cropping system.

Selected Research Publications :

1. Sekhon B S and Bhumbla D K (2016) Using soil survey data for modeling phosphorus sorption capacity. Environmental Earth Sciences 75: 638. (NAAS rating = 7.77)

Awards/Honours/Distinctions:

1. ICAR Junior Fellowship for M.Sc. Soils.

2. University Merit Fellowship throughout the B.Sc. (Honours) Agriculture degree programme.