Education: B.Sc., PAU, Ludhiana (1999); M.Sc., PAU, Ludhiana (2001); Ph.D., CCS HAU, Hisar (2005)

Positions held: Assistant Professor of Entomology, PAU Ludhiana (Sep 2006-Dec 2006), Assistant Entomologist (2006-2018), Senior Entomologist (2018-till date)

Field of Specialization: Host Plant Resistance/ Insect-plant interactions/ Pest Management in Oilseed Crops

Research Interests:

1. Host Plant Resistance
2. Plant Phenotyping for insect resistance
3. Bio-ecology and pest management
4. Insect-plant interactions

Research Projects:

1. All India Co-ordinated Research Project on Rapeseed-Mustard funded by Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), New Delhi (PI of Entomology Component)
2. Genomics led improvement of biotic and abiotic stress tolerance in mustard rape for economic and environmental sustainability funded by BBSRC, UK and DBT, India (Co-PI)
3. Marker-assisted stacking of genes associated with seed quality and aphid resistance in high-yielding mustard cultivars funded by DST-SERB, India (Co-PI)
4. Germplasm enhancement for crop architecture and defensive traits in Brassica juncea (L.) Czern. And Coss. (Co-PI)
5. Broadening the genetic base of Indian mustard through Alien introgression and germplasm enhancement (Associated)

Selected Research Publications :

1. Palial S, Kumar, S., Atri C, Sharma S and Banga SS. 2022. Antixenosis and antibiosis mechanisms of resistance to turnip aphid, Lipaphis erysimi (Kaltenbach) in Brassica juncea-fruticulosa introgression lines. Journal of Pest Science 95:749-760. doi: 10.1007/s10340-021-01418-8 (NAAS score: 11.74)
2. Agrawal N, Gupta M, Atri C, Akhatar J, Kumar S, Heslop-Harrison PJS, Banga SS. 2021. Anchoring alien chromosome segment substitutions bearing gene(s) for resistance to mustard aphid in Brassica juncea-B. fruticulosa introgression lines and their possible disruption through gamma irradiation. Theoretical and Applied Genetics 2021 Oct; 134(10):3209-3224 doi: 10.1007/s00122-021-03886-z. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 34160642. (NAAS score: 11:57)
3. Sharma S, Kumar S, Kaur G and Banga SS. 2022. Floral volatiles may influence honey bee visitations in oilseed Brassica species. Journal of Crop Improvement (Taylor and Francis) 37(1): 119-139. https://doi.org/10.1080/15427528.2022.2059604 (NAAS Score: NA)
4. Palial, S., Kumar, S. and Sharma, S. 2018. Biochemical changes in the Brassica juncea-fruticulosa introgression lines after Lipaphis erysimi (Kaltenbach) infestation. Phytoparasitica (Springer Netherlands), 46: 499-509. DOI: 10.1007/s12600-018-0686-2 (NAAS Score: 7.81).
5. Kumar, S. 2017. Potential of Ethiopian mustard, Brassica carinata as a trap crop for large white butterfly, Pieris brassicae infesting Indian mustard, Brassica juncea. Journal of Pest Science (Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg). 90:129-137. DOI 10.1007/s10340-016-0771-6 (NAAS Score: 11.74).

Book Chapters:

6. Kaur, G., Rajarammohan, S., Kumar, S., Verma R., Kaur, G., Kaur, J., Gajbhiye S., Dixit, S. and Kaur, J. 2022. Genomic designing for biotic stress resistance in rape and mustard. In: Kole, C. (ed.) Genomic designing for biotic stress resistant oilseed crops. Springer Nature, Switzerland, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-91035-8_5
7. Panwar, N. and Kumar, S. 2022. Antixenosis and antibiosis mechanisms of resistance to turnip aphid, Lipaphis erysimi (Kaltenbach) in Brassica. In: Tanda, A. (ed.) Molecular advances in insect resistance of field crops: Modern and Applied Approaches, Springer, pp. 215-237 https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-92152-1_8
8. Thirumurugan S., and Kumar, S. 2022. Glucosinolate-myrosinase system and its role in specialist and generalist insect-plant interactions. In: Tanda, A. (ed.) Molecular advances in insect resistance of field crops: Modern and Applied Approaches, Springer, pp. 117-143 https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-92152-1_4
9. Kumar, S. and Banga, S.S. 2017. Breeding for aphid resistance in rapeseed-mustard. In: Arora, R. and Sandhu, S. (eds.) Breeding Insect Resistant Crops for Sustainable Agriculture. SpringerNature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2017, pp. 171-199, DOI 10.1007/978-981-10-6056-4_6.
10. Kumar, S. and Singh, Y.P. 2015. Insect Pests. In: Kumar, A., Banga, S.S., Meena, P.D. and Kumar, P.R. (eds.) Brassica Oilseeds Breeding and Management. CABI Publishing, Wallingford, UK pp. 193-232. ISBN: 9781780644837

Awards/Honours/Distinctions:

• Australia Awards: Endeavour Research Fellowship, Government of Australia
• Fellow, Indian Society of Oilseeds Research
• Dr Dalbir Singh Sohi Merit Scholarship for the year 1998-99 during B.Sc. Ag. (Hons.)
• Best centre award (Team Award) at National Level under AICRP on Rapeseed-Mustard for best performing centre for the year 2010-11 by ICAR-Directorate of Rapeseed-Mustard Research, Bharatpur, Rajasthan
• Editor, Journal of Insect Science (India)
• Editor, Journal of Oilseed Brassica