Education: B.Sc., PAU, Ludhiana (1983); M.Sc., PAU, Ludhiana (1986); Ph.D., PAU, Ludhiana (1990)

Positions held: Assistant Soil Chemist, PAU Ludhiana (1990-1999), Soil Chemist (1999-2007), Principal Soil Chemist (2007-2017), Head of the Department (2017-2022), University Librarian (2022-To date)

Field of Specialization: Soil and Water Salinity/Sodicity

Research Interests: (Maximum up to three areas of interest)

1. Management of saline/sodic water irrigation

2. Crop selection for salt and sodium tolerance

3. Drip and fertigation in fruits and vegetable using brackish water

Research Projects – Total -19 worth Rs 56 crores

Salient Projects

• World Bank Sponsored ICAR NAHEP-CAAST Project on School for Natural Resources Management for Sustainable Agriculture (PI)
• Centre of Excellence for Utilization of Brackish Water for Fruit and Vegetable Production in South-Western Punjab (PI)
• Niche Area of Excellence -Genetic Improvement of Kinnow mandarin for fruit quality, biotic and abiotic stress tolerance (Co-PI)
• Utilization of paddy straw for biochar and energy purposes (Co-PI)
• Genetic transformation of sugarcane and molecular characterization of putative transgenic sugarcane plants having DREB1A gene (Co-PI)
• Genetic engineering and event evaluation for water-use efficiency and productivity in rice (Co-PI)
• Centre of Advanced Faculty Training in Soil Science (PI)

Publications: Total - 336; 106 research publications (55 International), 9 books (authored/edited), 21 book chapters/review papers, 76 Full research papers/abstracts published in Conferences/Symposia, 18 invited papers, 13 bulletins/monographs/ manuals, 55 popular articles and 38 other publications)

Selected Research Publications:

1. Choudhary OP, Josan AS and Bajwa MS (2001) Yield and fibre quality of cotton cultivars as affected by sustained sodic irrigations in semi-arid conditions. Agricultural Water Management 49: 1-9 (NAAS rating – 12.61).
2. Choudhary OP, Josan AS, Bajwa MS and Kapur ML (2004) Effect of sustained sodic and saline-sodic irrigations and application of gypsum and farmyard manure on yield and quality of sugarcane under semi-arid conditions. Field Crops Reearchs 87: 103-116 (NAAS rating – 12.15)
3. Choudhary OP, Ghuman BS, Josan AS and Bajwa MS (2006) Effect of alternating irrigation with sodic and non-sodic waters on soil properties and Sunflower Yield. Agricultural Water Management 85: 151-156 (NAAS rating – 12.61).
4. Choudhary OP, Ghuman BS, Dhaliwal MS and Chawla N (2010) Yield and quality of two tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) cultivars as influenced by drip and furrow irrigation using waters having high residual sodium carbonate. Irrigation Science 28: 513-523 (NAAS rating – 9.52).
5. Bijay-Singh, Sharma RK, Kaur J, Jat ML, Martin KL, Yadvinder-Singh, Varinderpal-Singh, Chandna P, Choudhary OP, Gupta RK, Thind HS, Singh J, Uppal, HS, Khurana, HS, Kumar, A, Uppal, RK, Vashistha, M, Raun, WR, and Gupta, Raj (2011). Assessment of the nitrogen management strategy using an optical sensor for irrigated wheat. Agronomy & Sustainable Development 31: 589–603 (NAAS rating – 13.83).
6. Choudhary OP, Ghuman BS, Bijay-Singh, Thuy N and Buresh RJ (2011) Effects of long-term use of sodic water irrigation, amendments and crop residues on soil properties and crop yields in rice-wheat cropping system in a calcareous soil. Field Crops Reearchs 121: 363-372 (NAAS rating – 12.15).
7. Choudhary OP, Gill J.K. and Bijay-Singh (2013) Water-extractable carbon pools and microbial biomass carbon in sodic water-irrigated soils amended with gypsum and organic manures. Pedosphere 23: 88-97 (NAAS rating – 11.51).
8. Singh K, Choudhary OP, Singh A, Singh HP, and Mishra S. (2019) Sub-soiling improves productivity and economic returns of Cotton-Wheat cropping system. Soil & Tillage Research 189: 131-139 (NAAS rating – 13.37).
9. Sekhon KS, Kaur A, Thaman S, Sidhu AS, Garg N, Choudhary OP, Buttar GS and Chawla N, (2020) Irrigation water quality and mulching effects on tuber yield and soil properties in potato (Solanum tuberosum L) under semi-arid conditions of Indian Punjab. Field Crop Reearchs 247: 107544 (NAAS rating – 12.15).
10. Sharma S, Singh P, Choudhary OP and Neemisha (2021) Nitrogen and rice straw incorporation impact nitrogen use efficiency, soil nitrogen pools and enzyme activity in rice-wheat system in north-western India. Field Crops Res 248: 108131. https://doi.org/10.1016/ j.fcr.2021.108131 (NAAS rating – 12.15)
11. Singh Gurpreet, Mavi MS, Choudhary OP, Gupta N and Yadvinder-Singh (2021) Rice straw biochar application to soil irrigated with saline water in a cotton-wheat system improves crop performance and soil functionality in north-west India. Journal of Environmental Management 295: 113277 (NAAS rating – 14.91).
12. Singh G, Mavi MS, Choudhary OP, Kaur M and Singh BP (2022) Interaction of pyrolysed and un-pyrolysed organic materials enhances carbon accumulation in soil irrigated with water of variable electrical conductivity. Soil & Tillage Research 215: 105193. https://doi.org/10.1016/ j.still.2021.105193 (NAAS rating – 13.37).
13. Mavi MS, Singh G, Choudhary OP, Singh A, Vashisht BB, Sekhon KS, Pathania N and Singh BP (2023) Successive addition of rice straw biochar enhances carbon accumulation in soil irrigated with saline or non-saline water. Environmental Research 217: 114733. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2022.114733. (NAAS rating – 14.43).
14. Pathania S, Bajaj A, Mavi MS and Choudhary OP (2023) Comprehensive evaluation, analysis of mechanisms and the prediction of salinity tolerance in pomegranate. Scientia Horticulturae 313: 111918. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scienta.2023.111918. (NAAS rating – 10.34).
15. Mavi MS, Singh G, Choudhary OP and Dey D (2023) Moderation of Nitrogen availability through the application of pyrolyzed and un-pyrolyzed organic materials in saline water irrigated soil. Environmental Monitoring & Assessment 195;467. https://doi.org /10.1007/s10661-023-11052-9 (NAAS rating – 9.31).

Awards/Honours/Distinctions: (Exclude best poster/paper presentations, Appreciation letters)

1. Fellowship,National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (2022)
2. Fellowship, Indian Society of Soil Salinity & Water Quality (2019), awarded in 2022
3. Dr GS Khush Distinguished Professor Chair Award by Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana (2022-contnuing).
4. ICAR-CSSRI Excellence Award on Soil Salinity (2017).
5. FAI Golden Jubilee Award for Excellence for the best work done in the field of Plant Nutrition during the last decade (2020).
6. Golden Jubilee Commemoration Young Scientist Award by the Indian Society of Soil Science (1994).
7. ISSS-Dr JSP Yadav Memorial Award for Excellence in Soil Science by the Indian Society of Soil Science (2018).
8. Played a key role as PI, ICAR NAHEP CAAST-SNRM Project in PAU securing the 1^st Position in the Green & Clean Campus Awards (worth Rs ten lakhs only) for 2020-2021 by ICAR.
9. Awarded Plaque along with Citation and Merit Certificate for the Outstanding Research Work for the year 2014-15 by Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana.
10. Prof. Manjeet S Chhinan Distinguished Professor Chair by Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana (2018-2022).
11. Agro Scientist Award by Modern Kheti Agro Society (2013).
12. Visiting Scientist at Department of Land, Air and Water Resources, University of California, Davis, USA for three months (June to Sept, 2008)
13. PAU Academic Roll of Honour & University Gold Medal for securing 1^st position in BSc (Agri) in 1983.
14. Dr Sukhdyal Nijhawan Gold Medal for securing 1^st position in BSc Agri. Hons in Soil Science (1983).
15. ICAR Senior Research Fellowship for Ph.D. (1986-1990).
16. Stood 1^st in MSc (Soil Science) & awarded Merit Certificate (1986).