Thippeswamy Sanka

To develop profitable products which suits the requirements of farmers, seed producers and customers. Bring innovative approaches for quicker product development. Develop and lead agile and collaborative teams. Develop most efficient and effective R&D organizations.

Head of Rice Seeds Development-AMEA, Syngenta,  01/16/2017 to present, 

Responsibilities:

Development of rice hybrids suitable for different market segments and countries, establishment of breeding programs in APAC countries and development of industry leading rice breeding team. Implementation of new technologies in breeding like genomic selection, DH, speed breeding and gene editing. Shifting the focus of breeding from SCA to GCA and reducing generation time. Development of more profitable products with appropriate budget. Planning and managing the programs and projects.

• Developed innovative seeds development team
• Leading field crops business in AMEA
• Established breeding program in India, Bangladesh, Philippines, Vietnam and Indonesia
• Established “One Rice Strategy” – China and AMEA
• Developed high yielding, producible and profitable products – S4003, S7004, S4002, NK7104 in India. S1205, S1206 NK17508, Win207, Win601 in Bangladesh, Syn8, Syn12, Syn18, TQ112 (Inbred) in Vietnam,
• Establishment of “Germplasm core center” in Philippines
• Bringing innovation and collaboration in the organization – Genomic selection, Gene editing, Isolation free seed production, Speed breeding Quick method of Amylose estimation, High through-put phenotyping, Mechanization & Efficient product testing (Location power analysis)
• Excellence in planning and budgeting of R&D projects
• Developed high producible CMS lines pipeline through haplotype breeding after identification of high OCR QTLs and maker assisted introgression (Allele enrichment)
• Established Standard operating principals for Breeding operations, Trialing, Parental line purification, Discovery, Seed production research, Parental line purification & Seed production
• Represented in country and regional leadership teams
• Notified multiple rice hybrids with Indian Central variety release committee (S9002, S4001, RH9000 plus, NK5231, S7004 & NK4101)
• Developed global Target Product profiles and good product pipeline
• Significantly reduced product development time to 7.5 years from 12 years
• Established Megasite with state of art modern labs, seed processing & seed bank and breeding facilities for rice and corn

Scientist (Plant Breeding), ANGRAU, 05/04/2013, 01/14/2017

• Development of High yielding and fine grain rice varieties and Hybrids with gall midge and blast resistance,

• Product Traits Released by JGL24423 Long grain, mid early, Non-lodging & Non shattering SVRC, >10 K tons sold/year
• JGL21078 Long grain, mid early CVRC for TG&Kerala
• JGL25958 Long grain CVRC for OD, BR, JH
• JGL28545 BPT type grain with excellent eating quality SVRC
• JGL27356 Super fine medium maturity variety SVRC
• Developed one fine grain hybrid (JGLH1), one short slender hybrid (JGLH257) and one long grain hybrid (JGLH6)
• Molecular marker identification for cold tolerance in rice
• Identification and development of rice cultivars suitable for aerobic conditions
• Guided two M.Sc.(Agri.) Students – Aqsa Fatima (Genetic analysis of recombinant inbred lines in Rice) and R. Nirosha (Genetic diversity analysis of Zinc, Iron, Grain Protein content and yield components in Rice)
• Handled farm management, Seed production, processing& sales, NSS program, Extension activities and teaching diploma, B. Sc (Agri) and M.Sc (Agri) students
• Leading and heading rice programs of North Telangana Zone

Rice Breeder, Syngenta, 09/28/2007, 05/03/2013, 

• Established late maturity breeding program
• Developed late maturity, BPH tolerant rice hybrid S1011
• Development of A, B and R lines for heterotic rice hybrids for different segments
• Developed competition beating hybrids in medium (S7001) and late maturity segments of South Asia
• Marker assisted selection for biotic stress (Blast, BLB and BPH) in rice
• Fine mapping of Fertility restorer Rf genes
• Experimental seed production of early stage hybrids
• Involved in identification of Notified Hybrid NK5251 by Government of India

Senior Scientist, Mahyco Research Foundation, 07/20/2005, 09/27/2007

• Development of rice hybrids and varieties insulated with blast resistance through marker assisted selection as well as traditional breeding,
• Establishment of blast screening facilities
• Fine mapping of major blast resistant genes and identification of linked molecular markers for genes present in blast tolerant genotype ‘Moroborekan’
• Training of students and scientists on marker assisted selection
• Developing and handling of different projects

Research Associate, Directorate of Rice Research (DRR), Hyderabad, and Center for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics (CDFD), Hyderabad, India, 08/10/2004, 07/19/2005, 

• Identified ten polymorphic ISSR markers to differentiate three rice gall midge biotypes
• First time in ARGM we isolated ten microsatellites; these markers will be useful for tagging avirulence genes and ARGM population genetics studies

Research Associate, ARS, Heballi Farm, Univ. of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad, India, 11/11/2003, 06/24/2004, 

• Worked in the project entitled “maintenance breeding, hybrid seed production and marker based purity assay of hybrids”
• Identified molecular markers for genetic purity analysis of DHH-11, intra hirsutum hybrid and fiber properties in cotton

Research Associate, Sorghum Research Scheme, Univ. of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad, India, 09/1999, 10/2000

• Development of new restorer and B-lines, rabi hybrids and varieties
• Conversion of desirable B lines into A lines. Seed production of new hybrids and varieties

• Development of profitable and customer centric products (Hybrids & Inbreds)
• Proactive, productive, innovative, collaborative and agile team leader
• Building innovative and collaborative team
• Implementation recent technologies for product development (Genomic Selection & Gene-Editing)
• Experience in multiple crops – rice, cotton, sorghum, maize, chickpeas and sugarcane
• Specialized in quicker development of products – commercial breeding, speed breeding (RGA& DH)
• Development of rice varieties suitable for different seasons and markets
• Parental lines development, seed production and product evaluation
• Parental line purification for hybrid rice development
• Development of agile, cohesive and efficient team
• Establishment of breeding programs in countries (India, Bangladesh, Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia)
• Collaboration across functions and geographies
• Management of breeding/research programs with clear goals and budget
• Effective planning and delivery of innovative products with excellent execution

• Seventh Hands-on training workshop “Applications of Marker Assisted Selection to Crop Improvement”, Research and Training Centre, Barwale Foundation, Hyderabad – 34, India, 08/20/2007, 08/24/2007
• Sixth hands-on training workshop “Changing paradigms in MAS for crop improvement”, Research and Training Centre, Barwale Foundation, Hyderabad – 34, India, 02/20/2006, 02/25/2006

• Genetic Analysis of Rice (Oryza sativa L.) Genotypes Under Wet Direct Seeding Condition, International Journal of Bio-resource and Stress Management, 14, 6, 916-923, B. Srinivas, Y. Chandramohan, D. Padmaja, S. Thippeswamy, S. Laxman, 2023
• Release proposal of JGL 25958 (IET 27869), JGL21078(IET26125), JGL24423, Y. Chandramohan, B. Srinivas, Thippeswamy S., 2021
• Development of high yielding rice hybrids through heterosis and combining ability analysis, The bioscan, Thippeswamy S., Y. Chandramohan, B. Srinivas, D. Padmaja, Zameema Samreen, S. Laxman, 2016
• Genetic diversity analysis of Zinc, Iron, grain protein content and yield components in Rice, Electronic Journal of Plant Breeding, 7, 2, 371-377, R. Nirosha, S. Thippeswamy, V. Ravindra babu, V. Ram Reddy, B. Spandana, 2016
• Selection of diverse parental lines for heterotic hybrid development in rice (Oryza sativa L.), SABRAO Journal of Breeding and Genetics, 48, 3, 285-294, S. Thippeswamy, Y. Chandramohan, B. Srinivas, D. Padmaja, 2016
• Identification of Blast resistant rice (Oryza sativa L.) genotypes in indigenous and exotic germplasm and validation of Pi gene linked molecular markers, Electronic Journal of Plant Breeding, 7, 1, 21-29, Thippeswamy S., Y. Chandramohan, B. Srinivas, D. Padmaja, K. Pravalika, 2016
• Identification and DNA profiling of superior grain quality genotypes in Rice (Oryza sativa L.), Journal of Research, PJTSAU, 43, 1&2, 11-17, S.Thippeswamy, Y. Chandramohan, B. Madhavilatha, K. Pravalika, Zameema Samreen, B. Srinivas, D. Padmaja, S. Laxman, 2015
• Tagging of seedling cold tolerance in rice (Oryza sativa L.) with molecular markers, International journal of plant, animal and environmental sciences, 5, 3, 144-150, S. Thippeswamy, Y. Chandramohan, K. Pravalika, B. Madhavilatha, Zameema Samreen, 2015
• Identification of rice (Oryza Sativa L.) varieties for prevention of type II diabetes, International Journal of Current Research, 6, 10, 9123-9128, Thippeswamy S., Y. Chandramohan, B. Madhavilatha, K. Pravalika, Zameema Samreen, B. Srinivas, D. Padmaja, S. Laxman, 2014
• Marker-assisted breeding of Pi-1 and Piz-5 genes imparting resistance to rice blast in PRR78, restorer line of Pusa RH-10 Basmati rice hybrid, Plant Breeding, 132, 61–69, Patil K Gouda, Surapaneni Saikumar, Chejerla M K Varma, Kancharla Nagesh, Sanka Thippeswamy, Vinay Shenoy, Mugalodim S Ramesha, Halagappa E Shashidhar, 2013
• Identification of DNA markers linked to H2 locus of fusarium wilt resistance in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.), Indian Journal of Genetics and Plant Breeding, 67, 4, 323-328, Chandakanth Soregaon, R L Ravikumar, Thippeswamy.S, 2008
• Contribution of a tetraploid cotton for improving the fiber properties of diploids in Gossypium ssp., Journal of Genetics and Breeding, 60, 2, 105-118, C.D.Soregaon, I.S.Katageri, B.M.Khadi, Thippeswamy. S., 2007
• Identification of RAPD markers in genetic purity test of DHH-11 intra hirsutum hybrid, Annals of biology, 22, 2, 107, Vamadevaiah, H, M., Katageri, I, S., Anita, B., Thippeswamy, S., Soregaon, C, D., 2006
• Effect of fusaric acid on in vitro pollen germination and tube growth in chickpea, International Chickpea and Pigeonpea Newsletter, 9, 20-22, Ravikumar, R. L., Patil, B. S., Thippeswamy, S., 2002
• Variability, heritability and genetic advance for cane yield and its components in sugarcane, Karnataka journal of Agricultural Sciences, 14, 1, 30-34, Thippeswamy, S., Kajjidoni, S. T., Salimath, P. M., Goud, J. V., Chetti, M.B., 2001

• Genetic enhancement of blast resistance in Rice, Barwale Foundation, Hyderabad, 51.55 lakh Rupees, 2006 - 2009
• Systematic collection, evaluation and genetic improvement of Jatropha curcas L. for high seed yield and oil content, Department of Biotechnology, India, 120.00 lakh Rupees, 2006 - 2011
• Development of rice hybrids with gall midge resistance, GOI, ANGRAU, 50.00 lakh Rupees, 2013 - 2018
• Identification of QTL for cold tolerance in rice, GOI, ANGRAU, 50.00 lakh Rupees, 2014 - 2017
• Rice R & D program, Syngenta, 2558 lakh Rupees, 2022, Ongoing