Director

Dr. Kantipudi Nirmal Babu
Director

Indian Institute of Spices Research

Email: director.spices@icar.gov.in

Specialization

Genetics & Plant Breeding and Biotechnology

Total Publications

More than 375

Qualification

M.Sc, M.Phil, Ph.D, PDF(University of California)

Mobile

9447331455

Area of Interest:

Directing and Coordinating spices research in the country for improving production, productivity, sustainability and food safety. Working on genetic resources, crop improvement and biotechnology of black pepper, cardamom, ginger, turmeric and vanilla. Other main areas of work are micro propagation and in vitro conservation of spices; exploiting somaclonal variation for crop improvement; developing genomic resources and isolation of agronomically important genes for Marker Aided Selection and genetic modification . Released 12 crop varieties, reported 2 new species, established world collection of pepper germplasm, digital herbarium of Piper and database of pepper germplasm, in vitro gene bank, DNA Bank, Biotechnology, Accreditation & Hardening facilities. Micropropagation technologies developed for 40 spices and aromatic crops. Identified resistance source to Phytophthora meadii and Fusarium oxysporum and developed inter specific hybrids in vanilla. Research guide in Calicut, Kannur, Mangalore and Nagarjuna Universities. Member, board of studie, Calicut and Kerala Universities and guided 8 Doctoral students.

Awards/Recognitions:
  • Fellow, National Academy of Biological Sciences, Society for Applied Biotechnology, Indian Society for Spices and Confederation of Horticulture Associations of India.
  • Dr.C.S. Venkatatam Distinguished Scientist Award, 2014 for outstanding contribution to Plantation Crops.
  • Biotechnology Overseas Associateship,1999-2000 and worked with Professor Richard W. Michelmore, Department of Vegetable Crops, University of California, Davis, U.S. A.
  • Jawaharlal Nehru Award , 1998
  • ICAR Team Research Award, 1996
  • Dr. J S Pruthi Award - three times- in 1996-1997, 1997-1998 and 2004 - 2005
  • Award for Meritorious contribution to Spice Industry to IISR, 2017
Expert Assignments
  • Expert Assignments
  • Member, RCGM, Ministry of Environmentand Forests, GOI, New Delhi, March 2012 - March 2014.
  • Member, Task force, DUS guidelines for betel vine, PPV&FRA Member- GI Registry on Spices.
  • Member, Editorial Board - The Open Horticulture Journal, Bentham Science Publishers. USA, International Journal of Innovative Horticulture, Journal of Tropical Agriculture, Indian Journal of Horticulture (HSI) and reviewer for many International Journals.
  • President (2013- 2017) and founder life member, Indian Society for Spices
  • Others:
  • Co edited - 3 monographs - one each on the genus Cinnamomum, Zingiber and Curcuma, CRC press, USA.
  • Co edited a compendium on Advances in Spices Research, Agrobios, India.
  • Co edited a 5 volume series on Advances in Horticulture Biotechnology, Westville Publisher, India.
Selected Publications
Research Papers
 
  1. Poonam Kulyal, Lalitha N. Kuchibhatla, K. Uma Maheshwari, K. Nirmal Babu, Sarada D. Tetali, Agepati S.Raghavendra (2016) Highly sensitive HPLC method for estimation of total or individual curcuminoids in Curcuma cultivars and commercial turmeric powders, Current Science 111(11): 1816-1824
  2. Anu Cyriac and Nirmal Babu K (2016). Isolation and characterization of genomic microsatellite markers for small cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum Maton) for the utility in genetic diversity analysis. Physiology and Molecular Biology of Plants (Springer) 22(2): 219-229.
  3. Suraby EJ, Nirmal Babu K , Prasath D, Johnson KG and Anandaraj M (2015) Expression analysis of Resistance gene analogs in Piper colubrinum – Phytophthora capsici incompatible interactions, International Journal of Innovative Horticulture 4(2):105-.110
  4. Cissin Jose, Reena Narayanan, Suseela Bhai R, Eapen SJ, Nirmal Babu K, and Anandaraj M (2015) Development and characterization of microsatellite markers from expressed sequence tags for analysing genetic diversity among Phytophthora isolates from black pepper, International Journal of Innovative Horticulture 4(1):34-40, 20154
  5. Sinoj J, Sheeja TE, Bhai RS, Suraby EJ, Minoo D, Soji J, Jayakumar VN, Anandaraj M, Bansal KC and Nirmal Babu K (2014) Somatic embryogenesis and transgenics development in black pepper for delayed infection and decreased spread of foot rot caused by Phytophthora capsici, Journal of Plantation Crops, 42(1): 20-28
  6. Utpala Parthasarathy, Nandakishore OP, Nirmal Babu K, Senthil Kumar and Parthasaraty VA (2013) Comparative effectiveness of inter- simple sequence repeats and randomly amplified polymorphic DNA markers to study the genetic diversity of Indian Garcinia, African Journal of Biotechnology, Academic Journals, 12(46): 443- 451.
  7. Rebijith KB, Asokan R, Ranjitha HH, Krishna V and Nirmal Babu K (2013). In silico mining of novel microRNAs from coffee (Coffea arabica) using expressed sequence tags Journal of Horticultural Science & Biotechnology 88 (3) 325–337
  8. Utpala Parthasarathy, K Nirmal Babu, Senthil Kumar R, Ashis GR, Mohan S and Parthasarathy VA (2013) Diversity of Indian Garcinia – A Medicinally Important Spice Crop in India. Acta Horticulturae (ISHS), 979: 467-476
  9. Minoo D, Geetha SP, Nirmal Babu K and Peter KV (2008) Isolation and fusion of protoplasts in Vanilla species. Current Science 94: 113-118
  10. Minoo Divakaran, Jayakumar VN, Veena SS, Vimala J, Basha A, Saji KV, Nirmal Babu K and Peter K. V (2008) Genetic variations and relationships in cultivated Vanilla planifolia and few related species using RAPD polymorphism. Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution 55:459-470
  11. Yamuna G, Sumathi V, Geetha S P, Praveen K, Swapna N and Nirmal Babu K (2007) Cryopreservation of In Vitro grown shoot of Ginger (Zingiber officinale Rosc). CryoLetters. 28(4):241-252.
  12. Minoo Divakaran, Nirmal Babu K and Peter KV (2006) Conservation of Vanilla species - In vitro Scientia Horticulturae 110: 175-180.
  13. Minoo Divakaran, K Nirmal Babu, Ravindran PN and Peter KV (2006) Inter specific hybridization in vanilla and molecular characterization of hybrids and selfed progenies using RAPD and AFLP markers. Scientia Horticulturae. 108:414-422.
  14. Anu A, Nirmal Babu K and Peter KV (2004) Variations among somaclones and its seedling progeny in C. annuum L, Plant Cell, Tissue and Organ Culture, 76 : 261-267.
  15. Delphine Sicard, Erik Legg, Sarah Brown, Nirmal Babu K, Oswaldo Ochoa and Richard. W. Michelmore (2003). A Genetic map of the lettuce downy mildew fungus, Bremia lactucae, constructed from molecular markers and avirulence genes. Fungal Genetics and Biology. 39:16-30.
  16. Nirmal Babu K, Sajina A, Minoo D, John CZ, Mini PM, Rema J and Ravindran PN (2003) Micropropagation of camphor tree Cinnamomum camphora (Presl.). Plant Cell, Tissue and Organ Culture 74 (2): 179-183.
  17. Nirmal Babu K, Anu A, Remashree AB, and Praveen K (2000) Micropropagation of curry leaf tree, Murraya koenigii (L.) Spreng. Plant Cell, Tissue and Organ Culture 61 (3): 199-203
  18. Samsudeen K, Nirmal Babu K Minoo D and Ravindran PN (2000) Plant regeneration from anther derived callus cultures of ginger (Zingiber officinale Rosc.). J. Hort. Science and Biotechnology, 75 (4): 447 – 450.
  19. Nirmal Babu K Samsudeen K and Ratnambal MJ (1992) In vitro plant regeneration from leaf derived callus in ginger (Zingiber officinale Rosc). Plant Cell, Tissue and Organ Culture, 29(2):71-74.
Book chapters
  1. K. Nirmal Babu, Samsudeen K, Minoo Divakaran, Geetha S Pillai, Sumathi V, Praveen K, Ravindran PN and Peter KV (2016) Protocols for In Vitro propagation, conservation, synthetic seed production, embryo rescue, micro-rhizome production, molecular profiling and genetic transformation in ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe.). pp 403-426. In SM Jain (Ed), Springer Protocols, Methods in Molecular Biology 1391, Protocols for In Vitro Cultures and Secondary Metabolite Analysis of Aromatic and Medicinal Plants, (Second Edition) Springer, USA.
  2. K. Nirmal Babu , Minoo Divakaran, Geetha S. Pillai, Sumathi V, Praveen K, Rahul P. Raj, Akshita H.J, Ravindran PN and Peter KV (2016) Protocols for In vitro propagation, conservation, synthetic seed production, micro-rhizome production and molecular profiling in turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) pp 387-401. In SM Jain (Ed), Springer Protocols, Methods in Molecular Biology 1391, Protocols for In Vitro Cultures and Secondary Metabolite Analysis of Aromatic and Medicinal Plants, (Second Edition) Springer, USA.
  3. Nirmal Babu K, Minoo Divakaran, Yamuna G, Ravindran PN and Peter KV (2016) Protocols for improvement of black pepper (Piper nigrum L.) utilizing biotechnological tools pp 367-385. In SM Jain (Ed), Springer Protocols, Methods in Molecular Biology 1391, Protocols for In Vitro Cultures and Secondary Metabolite Analysis of Aromatic and Medicinal Plants, (Second Edition) Springer, USA.
  4. Minoo D, Nirmal Babu K and Peter KV (2016) Protocols for biotechnological interventions in improvement of Vanilla (Vanilla planifolia Andrews.) pp 47-63. In SM Jain (Ed), Springer Protocols, Methods in Molecular Biology 1391, Protocols for In Vitro Cultures and Secondary Metabolite Analysis of Aromatic and Medicinal Plants, (Second Edition) Springer, USA.
  5. K Nirmal Babu, E.V.D. Sastry, K.V. Saji, Minoo Divakaran, H.J. Akshitha, S. Aarthi, A. Sharon, P.N. Ravindran and K.V. Peter (2015) Diversity and Erosion in Genetic Resources of Spices, In MR Ahuja and SM Jain et al eds Sustainable Development and Biodiversity 7.Genetic Diversity and Erosion in Plants Indicators and Prevention,Volume 1 Springer, Switzerland, p: 225-261
  6. Nirmal Babu K, Minoo Divakaran, Rahul PR, Anupama K, Peter KV and Sarma YR (2015) Biotechnological approaches in improvement of Spices – a review, in B. Bahadur, M. Venkat Rajam, L. Sahijram, K.V. Krishnamurthy (Eds.) Plant Biology and Biotechnology - Vol.2, Plant Genomics and Biotechnology, Springer .p: 487-516.
  7. Sarma YR, K. Nirmal Babu and Aziz S (2014) Spices and Aromatics, In Neal Van Alfen (Ed).. Encyclopedia of Agriculture and Food Systems, Vol. 5, SanDiego: Elsevier, pp.211-234.
  8. Nirmal Babu K, Rajesh M. K., Samsudeen K., Minoo D., Suraby E. J., Anupama K., and Ritto Paul (2014) Randomly Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and Derived Techniques, in Pascale Besse (ed.) Molecular Plant Taxonomy: Methods and Protocols, Methods in Molecular Biology, Vol.1115, Springer Science + Business Media, New York, p.191-209
  9. Nirmal Babu K, Yamuna G, Praveen K, Minoo D, Ravindran PN and Peter KV (2012) Cryopreservation of Spices Genetic Resources, In Igor I. Katkov (Ed). Current Frontiers in Cryobiology , ISBN- 978-953-51-0191-8, InTech-Open Access Publisher.(Croatia) P. 457- 484
  10. Nirmal Babu K, Shiva KN, Sabu M, Minoo D and Ravindran PN (2011) Turmeric, In Ram J. Singh (Ed), Genetic Resources, Chromosome Engineering and Crop Improvement, Medicinal Plants -Volume 6, CRC Press, Boca Raton, USA. pp. 451- 511.
  11. Nirmal Babu K, Sabu M, Shiva KN, Minoo D and Ravindran PN (2011) Ginger, In Ram J. Singh (Ed), Genetic Resources, Chromosome Engineering and Crop Improvement, Medicinal Plants - Volume 6, CRC Press, Boca Raton, USA. pp. 393- 450.
  12. Minoo Divakaran, Nirmal Babu K and Michel Grisoni (2010) Biotechnological applications In Vanilla, pp. 51-73 In Eric Odoux and Michel Grisoni (Eds), Vanilla, CRC Press, Boca Raton, USA.
  13. Nirmal Babu K , Minoo D, Geetha SP, Sumathi V and Praveen K (2007) Biotechnology of Turmeric and Related Species, pp- 107-125. In PN Ravindran, K Nirmal Babu and K Sivaraman (Eds), Turmeric – The genus Curcuma, CRC Press, Boca Raton, USA
  14. Ravindran PN, Nirmal Babu K and Shiva KN (2007) Botany and Crop improvement of Turmeric, pp- 15-70 In PN Ravindran, K Nirmal Babu and K Sivaraman (Eds), Turmeric – The genus Curcuma, CRC Press, Boca Raton, USA.
  15. Nirmal Babu K, Samsudeen K, Minoo D, Geetha SP and Ravindran PN (2005) Tissue culture and Biotechnology of Ginger, pp. 181- 210. In PN Ravindran and K Nirmal Babu (Eds), (2005) Ginger – The genus Zingiber, CRC Press, Boca Raton, USA.
  16. Ravindran PN, Nirmal Babu K, and Shiva KN (2005) Botany and crop improvement of Ginger, pp. 15- 86, In PN Ravindran and K Nirmal Babu (Eds), (2005) Ginger – The genus Zingiber, CRC Press, Boca Raton, USA.
  17. Ravindran PN, Nirmal Babu K, and Krishnamoorthy B (2004) Botany and crop improvement of Cinnamon. pp. 14- 79. In PN Ravindran, K Nirmal Babu and R Shailaja (Eds), Cinnamon and Cassia – The genus Cinnamomum, CRC Press, Boca Raton, USA.
  18. Ravindran PN, Nirmal Babu K, Sasikumar B and Krishnamoorthy KS (2000) Botany and crop improvement of black pepper, pp. 23-142, In PN Ravindran (Ed.), Black pepper, Piper nigrum. Harwood Academic Publishers, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

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