भाकृअनुप- भारतीय दलहन अनुसंधान संस्थान ICAR-Indian Institute of Pulses Research Pulses For Nutritional Security
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Dr. Jitendra Kumar

Principal Scientist

Area of specialization

Conventional and molecular plant breeding

Current area of research

  • Lentil breeding

Major research achievements

  • Developed 12 high-yielding lentil varieties (IPL 316, IPL 526, IPL 220, IPL 315, IPL 321, IPL 534, IPL 329, IPL 225, IPL 230, IPL 341, IPL 342, IPL 232) and urdbean IPU 13-6.
  • Developed biofortified (IPL 220) and early maturing (IPL 534) lentil varieties.
  • Developed and registered six donors with NBPGR — HPU 120S (high seed zinc), IPU 99-143 (high seed iron), IPU 19-27 (extra earliness, 60–65 days) in urdbean; ILWLS 118 (early flowering), IPLPBR-1 and IG 54 (wilt resistance) in lentil — all shared with AICRP centres for the national crossing programme.
  • Developed more than 1704 intron-spanning markers, iron-metabolism-specific markers and heat-tolerance markers in lentil.
  • Mapped the MYMIV resistance gene in urdbean, launching marker-assisted selection in the crop.
  • Marker-assisted pyramiding of QTL for PHST, grain protein content and leaf rust resistance genes in the elite Indian wheat cultivar HD2329.

Awards and recognitions

  • FNAAS, FUPAAS, FISPRD, FISGPB
  • Recognition for development of the bio-fortified lentil variety IPL 220 in 2018 by ICARDA, Rabat, Morocco

Publications

Google Scholar  · ResearchGate  · ORCID

Personal information

Date of joining ICAR

30th August, 2008

Discipline and specialization

Crop Improvement (Genetics & Plant Breeding).

Training & Exposure

Genomics and Molecular Breeding

Professional Information

Contribution to the scientific advancement

    Developed eight high yielding varieties namely IPL 316, IPL 526, IPL 220, IPL 315, IPL 321,IPL 534, IPL 329 and IPL 225 in lentil including IPL 220 as one of the first bio-fortified lentil variety having high concentration of iron and zinc in their seeds and IPL 534 for earliness maturing 105-110 days. Developed several improved lines through marker assisted selection by pyramiding/combining the leaf rust resistance genes with QTLs for pre-harvest tolerance and high grain protein content in wheat. 1704 intron spanning markers developed in lentil and identified molecular markers linked to QTLs/genes flowering time and yield traits in lentil. Identified donors for root traits (IPL 98/193), heat tolerance (IG 4258) and earliness (ILWLS 118) and published more than 128 publications including research and review articles in reputed national and international journals. Dr. Kumar edited four books including “Biology and Breeding of Food Legumes” published by CABI, Oxfordshire, “Alien Gene Transfer in Crop Plants: Innovations, Methods and Risk Assessment (Volume 1)” and “Alien Gene Transfer in Crop Plants: Achievement and Impacts (Volume 2)” both published by Springer, New York, USA and Phenomics in Crop Plants: Trends, Options, Limitations, published by Springer Science+Business Media, India.

Current area of research

Genomics, molecular breeding, conventional lentil breeding, biotic and abiotic stress tolerance.

Publications

  • Kumar J, Choudhary A.K., Gupta D.S. and Kumar S. (2019) Towards Exploitation of Adaptive Traits for Climate-Resilient Smart Pulses. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 20: 2971 https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms20122971.
  • Kumar J, Sunanda G., Gupta D.S. and Singh N.P. (2018). Identification of QTLs for agronomic traits using association mapping in lentil Euphytica, 214: 75-90. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10681-018-2155-x .
  • Kumar J Gupta S., Biradar R.S., Gupta P., Dubey S. and Singh N.P. (2017). Association of functional markers with flowering time in lentil. J Applied Genetics, 59: 9-21.
  • Kumar J, Basu P.S., Gupta S., Dubey S., Gupta D.S. and Singh N.P. (2017). Physiological and molecular characterization for high temperature stress in Lens culinaris. Functional Plant Biology, 45: 474-487.
  • Kumar J, Debjyoti Sen Gupta, Gupta S., Dubey S., Gupta P., Singh N.P., and Sablok G. (2017). Identification, development and application of cross-species intron spanning markers in lentil. The Crop Journal, 6(3):299-305.

Awards and Fellowships

  • UPAAS Fellow-2019 by UPAAS, Lucknow.
  • Recognition Award-2018, ICARDA, Rabat, Morocco
  • Bioved Fellowship Award-2018, BRIATS, Allahabad..
  • ISPRD Fellow-2017 by IIPR, Kanpur.
  • Joint Secretary, ISPRD (2017).
  • Institute’s Best Scientist Award- 2016 IIPR, Kanpur
  • ICAR–NET-2001.
  • Gold Medal (M.Sc. Ag) , CCSU, Meerut.
  • CSIR-Research Associateship- 2003 , New Delhi.