Dr. P. Govindaraj, a renowned Plant Breeder, took charge as Director of ICAR-Sugarcane Breeding Institute in Coimbatore on August 1, 2024. With over 30 years of experience, he has developed numerous sugarcane varieties and genetic stocks.
Coimbatore: Dr. P. Govindaraj, a distinguished Plant Breeder, assumed charge as the Director of ICAR-Sugarcane Breeding Institute (ICAR-SBI), Coimbatore on August 1, 2024. Prior to this appointment, he was serving as the Head of Crop Improvement Division at the Institute.
Dr. Govindaraj, a graduate of Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, completed his post-graduation and doctorate from the same institution, earning a Gold Medal. He belongs to the 1991 batch of Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and began his career as a scientist at ICAR-SBI. He later served as Scientist In-charge at the Institute's Research Centre in Motipur, Bihar.
With over three decades of experience in Plant Breeding, Dr. Govindaraj has made significant contributions to the field of sugarcane research. He developed Co 0232 and Co 0233 sugarcane varieties, which covered over 70,000 hectares during 2018-19, accounting for 20% of the sugarcane area in Bihar. His Co 09004 variety occupies over 50,000 hectares in Karnataka and Gujarat. Additionally, he has developed 12 more improved cane varieties and over 13 genetic stocks, including six climate-resilient ones widely used by sugarcane breeders.
Dr. Govindaraj has conducted six explorations covering 13 states across India, collecting 513 new wild sugarcane germplasm. These serve as potential sources for tolerance to drought, salinity, waterlogging, low temperature, and high biomass. He also developed SBIEC 14006, a promising energycane with high biomass potential, which has been licensed to multinational and national bioenergy firms for producing hydrogen gas, biogas, and power.
The Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, deputed Dr. Govindaraj as a 'Sugarcane Expert' to Fiji Islands, where he drafted and implemented the Fiji National Sugarcane Breeding Programme. His research contributions include over 100 published papers, and he has received several national-level awards, including the prestigious 'Sir T.S. Venkataraman award for outstanding research in sugarcane agriculture'.
Dr. Govindaraj, a graduate of Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, completed his post-graduation and doctorate from the same institution, earning a Gold Medal. He belongs to the 1991 batch of Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and began his career as a scientist at ICAR-SBI. He later served as Scientist In-charge at the Institute's Research Centre in Motipur, Bihar.
With over three decades of experience in Plant Breeding, Dr. Govindaraj has made significant contributions to the field of sugarcane research. He developed Co 0232 and Co 0233 sugarcane varieties, which covered over 70,000 hectares during 2018-19, accounting for 20% of the sugarcane area in Bihar. His Co 09004 variety occupies over 50,000 hectares in Karnataka and Gujarat. Additionally, he has developed 12 more improved cane varieties and over 13 genetic stocks, including six climate-resilient ones widely used by sugarcane breeders.
Dr. Govindaraj has conducted six explorations covering 13 states across India, collecting 513 new wild sugarcane germplasm. These serve as potential sources for tolerance to drought, salinity, waterlogging, low temperature, and high biomass. He also developed SBIEC 14006, a promising energycane with high biomass potential, which has been licensed to multinational and national bioenergy firms for producing hydrogen gas, biogas, and power.
The Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, deputed Dr. Govindaraj as a 'Sugarcane Expert' to Fiji Islands, where he drafted and implemented the Fiji National Sugarcane Breeding Programme. His research contributions include over 100 published papers, and he has received several national-level awards, including the prestigious 'Sir T.S. Venkataraman award for outstanding research in sugarcane agriculture'.