Rice Genetics, Plant Breeding, Molecular Breeding

1. Training workshop on “Advances in Marker Assisted Selection” at International Rice Research Institute, Manila, Philippines. 2005
2. Training on “High throughput genotyping” at West Virginia State University, West Virginia, USA. 2010.

Ashok Kumar Singh has made pioneering contributions in basic and applied research on rice genetics, breeding and molecular breeding. His significant research contributions include development of fourteen Basmati rice varieties viz., Pusa Basmati 1121, Improved Pusa Basmati 1, Pusa Basmati 6, Pusa Basmati 1509, Pusa Basmati 1609, Pusa Basmati 1728, Pusa Basmati 1637, Pusa Basmati 1718, Pusa Basmati 1692, Pusa Basmati 1847, Pusa Basmati 1885, Pusa Basmati 1886, Pusa Basmati 1979 and Pusa Basmati 1985; five high yielding aromatic rice varieties viz., Pusa Sugandh 2, Pusa Sugandh 3, Pusa Sugandh 5, Pusa 1612 and Pusa 1592; one superior quality rice variety Pusa Samba 1850 and the world’s first superfine grain aromatic rice hybrid Pusa RH10. His research contributions particularly development of Pusa Basmati 1121, the world’s longest cooked rice and Pusa Basmati 1509, the early maturing, semi-dwarf and high yielding Basmati rice variety is of special significance and has won him national recognition. Pusa Basmati 1121 and Pusa Basmati 1509 contributed nearly 75% of the total forex earnings through export of Basmati rice which amounts to a cumulative of ~Rs. 2 lakh crores, while improving the livelihood of millions of Basmati rice farmers. He is a pioneer in developing a fast-track protocol for screening resistance to Bakanae disease and mapped QTLs governing resistance to Bakanae, yield and yield related traits, Basmati grain and cooking quality traits. He has authored a book on Marker assisted plant breeding: Principles and Practices.

1. Shri Ram Chandra Rao Memorial National Award, 2022
2. Vasvik Award, 2022
3. Nanaji Deshmukh ICAR Award for Outstanding Interdisciplinary Team Research in Agricultural and Allied Sciences, 2021
4. Fellow of National Academy of Sciences, India, 2021
5. Fellow of Indian National Science Academy, 2018
6. Shri Om Prakash Bhasin Award, 2017
7. ICAR-Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Award for outstanding research in agricultural sciences, 2013
8.  Bharat Ratna Dr. C. Subramanian Award for outstanding teachers, 2013
9.  Borlaug Award 2012, for outstanding contribution for Basmati rice research and   development in India.
10.  Fellow of National Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 2011
11.  National recognition certificate for Basmati rice variety development, 2009
12.  Dr. B. P. Pal Memorial Award, 2007
13.  Outstanding Agriculture Research Team Award, 2006
14.  Appreciation Certificate for ‘Excellence in Rice Genetics and Breeding’- 2005
15.  FAO Fellowship in Molecular and Applied Genetics at Texas A& M University, Texas, USA
16.  Best Teacher Award of IARI, 2003

1. Bollinedi H, Singh N, Krishnan SG, Vinod KK, Bhowmick PK, Nagarajan M, Ellur RK, Singh AK. (2022) A novel LOX3-null allele (lox3-b) originated in the aromatic Basmati rice cultivars imparts storage stability to rice bran. Food Chemistry. 369:130887.
2. Yadav AK, Kumar A, Grover N, Ellur RK, Bollinedi H, Krishnan SG, Bhowmick PK, Vinod KK, Nagarajan M, Singh AK. (2021). Genome-Wide Association Study Reveals Marker–Trait Associations for Early Vegetative Stage Salinity Tolerance in Rice. Plants, 10(3):559.
3. Grover N, Kumar A, Yadav AK, Krishnan SG, Ellur RK, Bhowmick PK, Vinod KK, Bollinedi H, Nagarajan M, Viswanathan C, Sevanthi AM and Singh AK. (2020). Marker Assisted Development and Characterization of Herbicide Tolerant Near Isogenic Lines of a Mega Basmati Rice Variety, “Pusa Basmati 1121”. Rice, 13(1):1-3.
4. Bhuvaneswari S, Krishnan SG, Bollinedi H, Saha S, Ellur RK, Vinod KK, Singh M, Prakash N, Bhowmick PK, Nagarajan M, Singh NK, Singh AK. (2020). Genetic architecture and anthocyanin profiling of aromatic rice from Manipur reveals divergence of Chakhao landraces. Frontiers in genetics, 11, 1166.
5. Gyani PC, Bollinedi H, Krishnan SG, Vinod KK, Sachdeva A, Bhowmick PK, Ellur RK, Nagarajan M, Singh AK. (2020). Genetic Analysis and Molecular Mapping of the Quantitative Trait Loci Governing Low Phytic Acid Content in a Novel LPA Rice Mutant, PLM11. Plants, 9(12), 1728.
6. Krishnan V, Rani R, Awana M, Pitale D, Kulshreshta A, Sharma S, Bollinedi H, Singh A, Singh B, Singh AK, Praveen S. (2020). Role of nutraceutical starch and proanthocyanidins of pigmented rice in regulating hyperglycemia: Enzyme inhibition, enhanced glucose uptake and hepatic glucose homeostasis using in vitro model. Food Chemistry. 335:127505.
7. Kumar A, Daware A, Kumar A, Kumar V, Gopala Krishnan S, Mondal S, Patra BC, Singh AK, Tyagi AK, Parida SK, Thakur JK. (2020). Genome‐wide analysis of polymorphisms identified domestication‐associated long low‐diversity region carrying important rice grain size/weight quantitative trait loci. The Plant Journal, 103(4):1525-47
8. Bhuvaneswari S, Gopala Krishnan S, Ellur RK, Vinod KK, Bollinedi H, Bhowmick PK, Bansal VP, Nagarajan M, Singh AK. (2020). Discovery of a Novel Induced Polymorphism in SD1 Gene Governing Semi-Dwarfism in Rice and Development of a Functional Marker for Marker-Assisted Selection. Plants, 9(9):1198.
9. Yadav AK, Kumar A, Grover N, Ellur RK, Krishnan SG, Bollinedi H, Bhowmick PK, Vinod KK, Nagarajan M, Krishnamurthy SL, Singh AK. (2020). Marker aided introgression of ‘Saltol’, a major QTL for seedling stage salinity tolerance into an elite Basmati rice variety ‘Pusa Basmati 1509’. Scientific reports, 10(1):1-5.
10. Bollinedi H, Yadav AK, Vinod KK, Krishnan SG, Bhowmick PK, Nagarajan M, Neeraja CN, Ellur RK, Singh AK. (2020). Genome-Wide Association Study Reveals Novel Marker-Trait Associations (MTAs) Governing the Localization of Fe and Zn in the Rice Grain. Frontiers in genetics, 11.
11. Basu U, Upadhyaya HD, Srivastava R, Daware A, Malik N, Sharma A, Bajaj D, Narnoliya L, Thakro V, Kujur A, Tripathi S, Bharadwaj C, Hegde VS, Pandey AK, Singh AK, Tyagi A and Parida SK. (2019). ABC transporter-mediated transport of glutathione conjugates enhances seed yield and quality in chickpea. Plant Physiology, 180: 253-275.
12. Narnoliya L, Basu U, Bajaj D, Malik N, Thakro V, Daware A, Sharma A, Tripathi S, Hegde VS, Upadhyaya HD, Singh AK, Tyagi AK and Parida SK. (2019). Transcriptional signatures modulating SAM morphometric and plant architectural traits enhance yield and productivity in chickpea. Plant Journal, 98(5): 864-883.
13. Bollinedi H, Lad JD, Gopala Krishnan S, Bhowmick PK, Prabhu KV, Singh NK and Singh AK. (2019). Kinetics of β-carotene degradation under different storage conditions in transgenic Golden Rice® lines. Food Chemistry, 278: 773-779.
14. Singh V, Singh AK, Mohapatra T, Ellur RK. (2018). Pusa Basmati 1121-a rice variety with exceptional kernel elongation and volume expansion after cooking. Rice, 11(1):19.
15. Fiyaz RA, Yadav AK, Krishnan SG, Ellur RK, Bashyal BM, Grover N, Bhowmick PK, Nagarajan M, Vinod KK, Singh NK, Prabhu KV and Singh AK. (2016). Mapping quantitative trait loci responsible for resistance to Bakanae disease in rice. Rice, 9(1):1-0.
16. Babu NN, Gopala Krishnan S, Vinod KK, Krishnamurthy SL, Singh VK, Singh MP, Singh R, Ellur RK, Rai V, Bollinedi H, Bhowmick PK, Yadav A, Mariappan N, Singh NK, Prabhu K and Singh AK. (2017). Marker aided incorporation of Saltol, a major QTL associated with seedling stage salt tolerance, into Oryza sativa ‘Pusa Basmati 1121’. Front. Plant Sci., 8:41.
17. Ellur RK, Khanna A, Yadav A, Pathania S, Rajashekara H, Singh VK, Gopala Krishnan S, Bhowmick PK, Nagarajan M, Vinod KK, Prakash G, Mondal KK, Singh NK and Singh AK (2016). Improvement of Basmati rice varieties for resistance to blast and bacterial blight diseases using marker assisted backcross breeding. Plant Sci., 242: 330-341.
18. Ellur RK, Khanna A, Gopala Krishnan S, Bhowmick PK, Vinod KK, Nagarajan M, Mondal KK, Singh NK, Singh K, Prabhu KV and Singh AK. (2016). Marker-aided Incorporation of Xa38, a Novel Bacterial Blight Resistance Gene, in PB1121 and Comparison of its Resistance Spectrum with xa13 + Xa21. Scientific Reports, 6: 29188.
19. Badoni S, Das S, Sayal YK, Gopalakrishnan S, Singh AK, Rao AR, Agarwal P, Parida SK and Tyagi AK. (2016). Genome-wide generation and use of informative intron-spanning and intron-length polymorphism markers for high-throughput genetic analysis in rice. Scientific Reports, 6, 1-15.
20. Khanna A, Sharma V, Ellur RK, Shikari AB, Gopala Krishnan S, Singh UD, Prakash G, Sharma TR, Rathour R, Variar M, Prashanthi SK, Nagarajan M, Vinod KK, Bhowmick PK, Singh NK, Prabhu KV, Singh BD and Singh AK. (2015) Development and evaluation of near isogenic lines for major blast resistance gene(s) in Basmati rice. Theor. Appl. Genet. 128(7): 1243-1259.