Oilseed Breeder - Taramira and Orobanche and Seed Science

Dr. Manohar Ram, Ph.D. (Plant Breeding and Genetics), is presently serving as an Assistant Professor at Sri Karan Narendra Agriculture University (SKNAU), Jobner, Rajasthan, India. He possesses over 16 years of extensive experience in research, teaching, and extension activities, with a strong focus on oilseed and cereal crop improvement.
He obtained his B.Sc. (Agriculture) Honours degree from Swami Keshwanand Rajasthan Agricultural University (SKRAU), Bikaner in 2004, followed by an M.Sc. (Agriculture) in Plant Breeding and Genetics from SKNAU, Jobner in 2006. He earned his Ph.D. degree from Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Varanasi in 2008, specializing in terminal heat stress tolerance in wheat. He was awarded the Gold Medal for securing the highest academic score during his Master’s degree program and was a recipient of the prestigious BHU Scholarship during his doctoral studies.
Dr. Ram has also served as a Seed Officer in the Rajasthan State Government and functioned as a Nodal Officer for Bajra hybrid seed production under the Rajasthan State Seed program, contributing significantly to quality seed production and dissemination.
Since 2019, he has been serving as the Incharge of the AICRP on Rapeseed–Mustard (Taramira Unit) at SKNAU, Jobner. He has developed a prominent variety of Taramira (Eruca sativa) and made notable contributions to oilseed research. His scientific output includes 28 research papers, 11 popular articles, 3 book chapters, 3 technical bulletins, and 2 extension folders.
Dr. Ram has established a natural sick plot of Orobanche at SKN College of Agriculture, Jobner, which serves as a valuable national resource for screening and resistance studies. He is actively involved in the CRP on Agrobiodiversity project of ICAR–NBPGR since 2021, focusing on Orobanche tolerance in rapeseed and mustard. Under this project, he has successfully screened approximately 5,000 germplasm lines against Orobanche infestation in last five years.