SEETHARAM Kaliyamoorthy
Maize Breeder
Summary
Scientist with more than10 years of experience in plant breeding, with a expertise in abiotic stresses (Drought, Heat, Water logging & Salinity) breeding in Maize, Sorghum and Rice. Adept in conventional and molecular breeding, deriving best products (Hybrids or varieties) for up-scaling through multi-location national and international trials, data compilation and analysis for decision making. Can also execute, training, manage people and resource for crop management, breeding and trialing related activities.
Overview
17
17
years of professional experience
Work History
Germplasm Development Scientist- Tropical Corn
Syngenta Seed India Pvt. Ltd
5 2022 - Current
- Developing and implementing resource optimized breeding strategy for Line and hybrid development suitable for tropical marker segment
- Improving germplasm to meet the tropical segment product profile through conventional and genomic selection approach
- Evaluation, selection and advancing early and late-stage hybrids through stage gates based on multi-location trials
Research Scientist-Managed Stress Breeding
Corteva Agrisciences
12.2020 - 02.2022
- Established Managed drought screening site and developed protocol for screening of materials
- Screened > 1500 pre-codes, >600 DHs, 150 advanced stage hybrids under managed flowering and grain filling stage stress
- Developing breeding strategies and product for kharif drought breeding.
Scientist
International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre
08.2012 - 08.2020
- Population improvement through conventional and rapid genomic selection approach
- Contributed in release of 4 CMLs in 2015 and 3 CMLs in 2017
- Line development for abiotic stress tolerance (Heat, Drought, and Water logging) by conventional and molecular approach
- Constituting, phenotyping and genotyping of training and testing set for GWAS and GS analysis
- Developed phenotyping manual for screening maize inbred lines and hybrid under abiotic stresses
- Development of maize hybrids (Single cross and three way crosses) from elite lines with abiotic stress tolerance
- Data curation, statistical and bio-metrical analysis, selection of best lines, hybrids and decision making on product up-scaling
- Seed inventory management -Production and dispatch
Research associate
GKVK, UAS, Bangalore, India
12.2011 - 08.2012
- Screening rice germplasm and breeding population under drought, aerobic condition for root and yield related traits under controlled and field condition
- In-charge of physiology and molecular marker lab
- Data analysis and interpretation of experimental results
- Teaching and training interns, post graduate students in breeding techniques and molecular techniques
Research fellow
PAJANCOA&RI, Tamil Nadu, India
08.2007 - 08.2008
- Screening of two gamma irradiated mutant populations for salinity tolerance under controlled and field condition
- Selection of best mutants with salinity and alkalinity tolerance and desirable cooking quality related traits
- Screening of rice germplasm and land races for salinity tolerance
- Maintenance breeding of breeding lines, released varieties
- In-charge of Molecular marker lab
- Teaching and training interns, post graduate students in breeding techniques, molecular techniques
Education
PhD - Plant breeding and Genetics
Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore
M.Sc (Agri) - Plant breeding and Genetics
Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru College of Agriculture & Research Institute, U.T of Puducherry (affiliated to TNAU, Coimbatore)
PG Program in Data Analytics And Machine Learning - Data Science
Imarticus Learning Pvt Ltd
Hyderabad04.2023
Skills
Breeding for abiotic stress – Conventional and molecular breeding
Strong biometrics, statistical and data driven decision-making knowledge
Knowledge on stage gate process and up scaling of products
Strong communication skills
Working knowledge in R and Python
Projectsinvolved
- Heat Tolerant Maize for Asia (HTMA) - Phase I and Phase II - Funded by USAID, USA
- Abiotic Stress Tolerance Maize for Asia (ATMA) - funded by GIZ, Germany
- Climate Resilient Maize for Asia (CRMA) - Funded by GIZ, Germany
- Stress Resilient Maize for Odisha (SRMO) - Funded by Govt. of Odisha
Accomplishments
- Established a managed post flowering drought screening site in Corteva Agrisciences
- Contributed in release of 7 CMLs in CIMMYT
- Contributed in releasing of one medium maturing salinity tolerant rice variety- KKLR-1
- Identified eight mutant lines with salinity tolerance and good cooking quality
Publications
- Genetic gains in tropical maize hybrids across moisture regimes with multi-trait based index selection, Front. Plant Sci. Sec. Plant Abiotic Stress Volume 14 - 2023, 10.3389/fpls.2023.1147424
- Genomic regions associated with heat stress tolerance in tropical maize (Zea mays L.), Sci Rep 11, 13730 (2021), 10.1038/s41598-021-93061-7
- Genotype × environment interaction and selection of maize (Zea mays L.) hybrids across moisture regimes, Field Crops Research 270 (2021), 10.1016/j.fcr.2021.108224
- Genetic gains with genomic versus phenotypic selection for drought and waterlogging tolerance in tropical maize (Zea mays L.), The Crop Journal,2021, 10.1016/j.cj.2021.03.012
- Field evaluation of heat stress-resilient maize hybrids for improved and stable maize production in Nepal, SAARC J. Agric., 19(1) 27-43 (2021), 10.3329/sja.v19i1.54776
- Genome wide association study and genomic prediction for stover quality traits in tropical maize (Zea mays L.), Sci Rep 11, 686 (2021), 10.1038/s41598-020-80118-2
Internationaltrainingsattended
- Pioneer Agronomy essentials, held in Corteva agrisciences in virtual mode, from June 8th to august 31st, 2021
- Technologies for Tropical maize breeding held in CIMMYT, Mexico, during Aug 31 to Sep 11, 2015
- Statistical & Genomic Analysis course held in CIMMYT, India, during 12th to 24th May, 2014.
- Quantitative methods in Maize breeding held in CIMMYT, India, during Sep, 2013
Personal Information
Date of Birth: 12/19/83
Symposiumsseminarsattended
- International symposium on 100 Years of rice science and looking beyond
- Golden Jubilee Commemorative National Seminar on Fifty years of Indian Agriculture: Problems, Prospects and Future Thrusts
Languages
Tamil
Advanced (C1)
English
Advanced (C1)
Telugu
Intermediate (B1)
Hindi
Beginner (A1)
References
- Dr. P.H. Zaidi, Principal scientist, International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), phzaidi@cgiar.org, +91-4030713780, +91-9000525267
- Dr. M Govindraj, Senior Scientist, International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), m.govindaraj@cgiar.org, +91 9676802617
- Dr Venkatesh selvarengam, EZ Lead APIK - India Kharif, Seed, Research & Development, Corteva Agrisciences, Hyderabad, India, venkatesh.selvarangam@corteva.com, +91-8374278787
Work Preference
Work Type
Full TimeLocation Preference
On-SiteHybridImportant To Me
Career advancementWork-life balancePersonal development programsCompany CultureTeam Building / Company RetreatsSoftware
R language
Python
SVS-Suite
Timeline
Research Scientist-Managed Stress Breeding
Corteva Agrisciences
12.2020 - 02.2022
Scientist
International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre
08.2012 - 08.2020
Research associate
GKVK, UAS, Bangalore, India
12.2011 - 08.2012
Research fellow
PAJANCOA&RI, Tamil Nadu, India
08.2007 - 08.2008
Germplasm Development Scientist- Tropical Corn
Syngenta Seed India Pvt. Ltd
5 2022 - Current
PhD - Plant breeding and Genetics
Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore
M.Sc (Agri) - Plant breeding and Genetics
Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru College of Agriculture & Research Institute, U.T of Puducherry (affiliated to TNAU, Coimbatore)
PG Program in Data Analytics And Machine Learning - Data Science
Imarticus Learning Pvt Ltd