International Journal of Scientific Research in Agricultural Sciences, 1(7), pp.

118-127, 2014
Available online at http://www.ijsrpub.com/ijsras
ISSN: 2345-6795; 2014 IJSRPUB
http://dx.doi.org/10.12983/ijsras-2014-p0118-0127


118
Review Article

The Changing Scenario in Indian Agriculture: A Review

Afroz Alam
1*
, Aqeel Hasan Rizvi
2
, Khushbu Verma
1
, Chhaya Gautam
1


1
Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Banasthali University, Banasthali-304022, Rajasthan, India
2
International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas, South Asia & China Regional Program, NASC Complex,
New Delhi, India
*Corresponding Author: afrozalamsafvi@gmail.com

Received 24 July 2014; Accepted 27 August 2014

Abstract. Farming is an important and key factor for the economy of developing countries. Since last several years, farmers
once again welcomed many traditional farming systems to get crop yield for completion of food requirement. Although,
traditional techniques are not much sufficient in new agriculture world because farming is getting new challenges from biotic
and abiotic factors. New techniques and systems are getting popularity in present farming because of their important benefits
which can solve all challenges on farming. In this review, new farming systems especially organic farming system and
genetically modified crop system have been discussed along with traditional farming system in India. The aim of present
review is to highlights the benefits of organic farming system and genetically modified crop system over traditional farming. A
comparison has also been made between organic and genetically modified crop systems.

Keywords: Abiotic factor, biotic factor, genetically modified crops, organic farming, traditional farming

1. INTRODUCTION

Agriculture has undergone significant developments
since the time of the earliest cultivation. Involvement
of revelation of plants and animals in agriculture was
developed around 10,000 B.C.E., altering of
communities of flora and fauna were already started
by earlier people for their benefit by other means such
as fire-stick farming (Bar-Yosef and Meadows, 1995).
Each farming system has its pros and cons in past as
well as in present scenario. Like nature, change is an
avoidable rule in agricultural practices as well. From
ancient to present time we have seen development of
many such patterns to get better quality and quantity
using available resources with new dimensions. India
being an agriculture based country is been discussed
here.

1.1. History of agriculture in India

In India, agriculture started around 9000 BCE as a
consequence of early farming of plants, crops along
with animals domestication. Almost immediately
people established life with the implication of
practices developed for agriculture (Bowman and
Rogan, 1999). Due to the occurrence of double
monsoon harvesting were done twice a year (Baber,
1996).
Barley, wheat and jujube were cultivated in
the Indian subcontinent by 9000 BC (Dev, 2006).
Varieties of tropical fruit like muskmelon and
mango were indigenous to the Indian subcontinent
(Gulati, 2006). The Indians also domesticated hemp
and rice which was cultivated in the Indus Valley
Civilization (Dev, 2006). It was also stated that rice
cultivation was started during second millennium BC
in Kashmir and Harrappan regions (Pillay, 1972). The
basis of farming in Indus valley economy was mixed
farming (Dev, 2006). The development of
irrigation was made in the Indus Valley Civilization
about 4500 B.C. Due to the development of irrigation
prosperity grew in Indus valley civilization and
eventually these leads to more sophisticated
settlement of make use of drainage and sewers (Rodda
and Ubertini, 2004).
In Vedic period the ploughing of top soil was done
several times and seeds were spread. Definite
succession of cropping was made from time to time.
Cow dung was usually utilized in the form of the
preferred fertilizer. Irrigation was adept accordingly in
this period. The cultivation of jute was also done in
India and was used to make rope and cordage in this
period (Ray et al., 1985).
During ancient Mauryan-Empire (322185 BCE)
meteorological observations were made and
categorization of soils were made for agricultural use
Alam et al.
The Changing Scenario in Indian Agriculture: A Review
119
(Lynda, 2000). In this period facilitation like
construction and maintenance of dams were done
along with provision of horse-drawn chariots (Singh
and Yadava, 2003).

1.1.1. High Middle Ages (2001200 CE): Early
Common Era

In high middle Ages for sustained agriculture
methodical ploughing, weeding, manuring, irrigation
and crop safeguard was implemented (Burton, 1998).
Water storage systems were also developed during
this era. A dam named Kallanai was built during (1
st

2
nd
century CE) on river Kaveri during this period,
and it is considered as one of the oldest water-
regulation structures in the world still in use (Dev,
2006).

1.2. Different Agricultural practices in India

1.2.1. Traditional agriculture

The evolution of traditional farming was over the
foremost 10,000 years of agriculture. Traditional
agriculture is basically sustainable and steady farming
system that has been employed for a number of
generations and is able to produce the material
required by its producers. Through traditional farming
a production of incredible variety of household crops
and livestock, and systems of farming was made
possible. Several conventional farmers in the
developing world are still employing these farming
methods that are in equilibrium with the nearby
ecosystems, steady, sustainable and highly organized.
Conventional agriculture symbolizes the novel system
of farming that developed through the interaction of
societal and ecological systems. This system involves
the rigorous use of local information and natural
wealth supporting biological diversity by means of
alternating practices. Conventional farmers centered
on methods that preserve soil fertility, check the loss
of topsoil, grip water in the soil and produce steady
harvests. Farming system of this type is distinguished
above all by a high degree of biodiversity (Burton,
1998; Acquaah, 2002; Alam, 2014).

1.2.1.1. Types of traditional farming (Deshmukh,
1986)

Forest gardening,
Forest gardening is considered as one of the oldest
agro-ecosystem, it is a plant- based food production
system. Useful trees and plant species were identified,
protected and improved and undesirable species were
eliminated. Likewise superior species were selected
and incorporated in familys garden (Altieri, 1987).

Agro-Pastoralism,
In India agro-pastoralism incorporated threshing,
planting crops in strips either of two or of six and
storing up of grains in granaries (Baber, 1996).

Mixed farming,
Mixed farming was the basis of the Indus valley
economy (Thulasamma, 2006). In mixed farming
arable farming is mixed with rising of livestock hence
it is an agrarian system (Myrdal and Morell, 2011).
Often the dung from the cattle is used as manure for
increasing the production of cereal crops. Horses and
cattle raised and used for haulage and bullocks to haul
the cart and the plough (Grigg, 1974).

Shifting cultivation,
It is also known as slash and burn farming. It is a
system in which forests are burnt for the release of
nutrients which support for several years in the
cultivation of annual as well as perennial crops
(Acquaah, 2002). Then the plot is left as it is to grow
again as a forest, mean while the farmer moves to
another plot. Basically it is an ancient agricultural
technique in which forests or woodlands are cleaned
by burning of trees and plants so that the land can be
used for farming. It is subsistence agriculture which
typically uses little technology or other tools. It is a
typical part of transhumance livestock herding and
shifting cultivation agriculture (Tony, 2007).

1.2.1.1.1. Characteristics of Conventional farming

(a) Traditional farming center on threat diminution.
(b) Perennial vegetative cover of soils is attained
through it.
(c) System diversity: Farm systems based on
numerous cropping systems, and cropping systems are
based on a combination of crops, and crops with
varietal and other genetic variability upholds system
diversity.
(d) Tropic complexity impending natural systems:
Manifold interactions among plants, weeds, pathogens
and insects occur in conventional farming because of
which complexity occurs and remain maintained in
natural systems.
(e) Traditional farming systems also promote genetic
diversity: In India the Mangifera indica (mango), has
been bred to produce 1,000 varieties, and some
100,000 varieties produced by one species of rice,
Oryza sativa. India had more than 40 thousand
varieties of rice, as of 1987, only 30 were commonly
grown (Green, 1987).


1.2.1.1.2. Disadvantages of traditional farming

International Journal of Scientific Research in Agricultural Sciences, 1(7), pp. 118-127, 2014
120
(a) During the old days, agricultural technology was
not well developed compared to now. People did not
use any machinery to farm their land, machinery
which are much more efficient replaced those animals
used in the agricultural.
(b) Previously, farmers had to be depended on land
suitability, climate factor and the availability of
adequate water supply before planting a crop that
suited those criteria.
(c) In the old days, farmers worked on their land to
produce crops for their own domestic use because
with the methods used in traditional agriculture were
not very effective to produce huge amount of crops.
The crop yield was really low according to the
population in traditional agriculture.
(d) Pest management and disease management
were not so effective in traditional agriculture.
(3) Due to environmental factors and undeveloped
techniques overall production was low in traditional
farming.

1.2.2. New farming systems

Due to many challenges in traditional farming system,
new techniques are used now days. In new techniques,
organic farming, genetically modified crops, vertical
farming, polytonal farming, green house farming and
multi-crop farming are main farming system. Two
most important systems are described:

1.2.2.1. Organic farming system

Organic farming is a method of crop production that
involves much more than choosing not to utilize
pesticides, fertilizers, genetically modified organisms,
antibiotics and growth hormones. It works in
agreement with nature and involves using techniques
to get good crop yields without harming the natural
environment. Organic farming, evolved on the basic
theoretical expositions of Rodale in the United States,
Lady Balfour in England and Sir Albert Howard in
India in the 1940s, has progressed to cover about 23
million hectares of land all over the world. In modern
times, the general population is more aware about
environmental benefit thats why organic farming is
gradually getting popularity throughout the world
(Behera et al., 2012).

1.2.2.1.1. Overview of organic farming system

This system relies on such techniques like crop
rotation, green manure, compost, and biological pest
control. This system focused on the appropriate
application of soil organic matter to augment soil
fertility. Animal dung, crop residue, green manure,
food processing wastes and biofertilizers are some
resources which are usually used for enhancing soil
fertility in this system (Ramesh et al., 2005).
There are many types of organic farming system
which are mentioned here:
Biodynamic farming was developed by Rudolf
Steiner. This method emphasizes the use of manures
and composts and excludes the use of artificial
chemicals on soil and plants. It treats soil fertility,
plant growth, and livestock care as ecologically
interrelated tasks.
Do nothing or Natural farming is established by
Masanobu Fukuoka, Japanese farmer (Fukuoka,
1975). This farming is a closed system, in which
system demands no inputs and imitates nature (Mirret,
2001). This farming have refined into five ideologies
that are no use tillage, fertilizer, pesticides, weeding
and pruning.
Bio-intensive farming system is based on closed
system which main aims maximum crop yield from
minimum area of land. This system is focused on
simultaneously improving and maintaining the
fertility of the soil (http://bionica.org/classes-
library/biointensive-method/).
Other systems of this organic farming are holistic
management, permaculture, SRI and no-till farming
(Murray, 2011).

1.2.2.1.2. Major benefits of organic farming system

(a) Crop yield and plant diversity
Many reports have shown that higher yield in
organic agriculture system observed than comparable
traditional agriculture. Although, many studies
reported that in organic transition effect period (first
1-4 year of organic agriculture in a land) crop yield
decline, followed by a yield increment with well
developed biological activity of soil (Liebhardt et al,
1989; Peters, 1994; Neera et al., 1999). A report on
trial of organic cotton at Nagpur (Maharastra; India)
showed that after 3 year transition period of organic
farming, organic farm produced as a large amount of
cotton as that cultivated with them (Rajendran et al.,
2000). A similar report conducted in Punjab, clearly
indicates that after initial 3 years of organic farming,
this system gave higher or equal yields of different
cropping systems in comparison of chemical farming
(Kler et al., 2002).
Now days, this system seems to be beneficial for
biodiversity. Organic methods of this farming such as
rotating crops to build soil fertility and naturally
raising animals helps to promote biodiversity, which
returns health to each species. Many reports support
this positive effect of organic farming in enhancement
of soil fertility and enrichment of biodiversity
(Stockdale et al., 2000; Rundolf and Smith, 2010;
Rundlof et al., 2010). Rundlof and Smith (2010)
Alam et al.
The Changing Scenario in Indian Agriculture: A Review
121
demonstrated in their study that organic farming
practice at a local and a landscape level independently
can influence plant species richness. Another report
supports this fact and reported that extension of
organic farming could contribute to restoration of
biodiversity in agricultural landscapes (Rundlof et al.,
2010).

(b) Organic farming and environmental earnings
Many reports have indicated that significant
environmental amelioration through conversion from
conventional farming to organic farming is awesome
(Kler et al., 2001). A review report showed that in 12
environmental factors out of 18, organic farming
performed better than conventional farming (Kler et
al., 2002). Organic farming is a system in which
chemical and pesticides are avoided for crop
production. So, organic farming discourages
environmental exposure to these harmful inputs and
fight for environment protection (Kler et al., 2002).
This system can be helpful in the fighting against
green house effect. It has shown by Rodale Institute
Farming Systems (U.S.A) that an organic agriculture
system can actually reduce CO
2
and play an important
role in slowing down the climate change. In fact, the
Rodale research shows that: "If only 10,000 medium
sized farms in the U.S. converted to organic
production, they would store so much carbon in the
soil that it would be equivalent to taking 1,174,400
cars off the road, or reducing car miles driven by
14.62 billion miles" (Stolze et al., 2000).

(c) Insect and ailment control in organic farming
In organic farming system, prevention from pest
and disease is done by means of naturally resistant
crops against disease and pest or by selecting suitable
sowing times that avoid pest and disease and
subsequent pest epidemics. Other methods which
generally applied to control pest and disease attack
are; encouraging natural biological agents for control
of diseases, insects; rotating crops; by using semi
chemical for trapping pests (Ramesh et al., 2005).
Some reports have indicated that organic crops are
more tolerant and opposing to insect attack. Organic
rice is reported to have bulky cell wall and lesser level
of free amino acid than customary rice (Lotter et al.,
1999; Kajimura et al., 1995). Studies have reported
that root diseases are less severe in organic crops than
conventional crops because of regular and prolong use
of diverse crop rotation, crop mixtures in organic
farming (Van Bruggen, 1995; Azcon Aguilar and
Barea, 1996).

(d) Nutrient management and safety of organic
foods
In recent time, organic farming system is getting
value and popularity due to its positive results in
nutrient management and safety of food produced.
Crop rotation and use of varieties of crops are suitable
method in this system because of potential to balance
the demand of nitrogen for crops (Ramesh et al.,
2005).
Organic foods as conventional foods have same
quality and safety standards according to CODEX
General Principles of Food Hygiene and Food Safety
Programmes (Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards
Program, 1999). Studies have found out that Nitrate
contaminants are lesser in organic food in comparison
of conventional food (Woese et al., 1997; Muramoto,
2008).

1.2.2.2. Genetically modified crops system

Genetically modified crops (GM crops) are crops of
which, the DNA has been modified using various
genetic engineering techniques. The aim of making
GM crops is to set up a new characteristic to the plant
which does not occur in nature in particular plant
species e.g. in food crops various pest resistant,
abiotic stress resistant, spoilage resistant, chemical
resistant genes have been incorporated along with
those genes which have improved the nutrient profile
of the crop. In India this system is not very popular
because of serious socio-economical reasons but the
system is getting attention at the level of research for
various factors.

1.2.2.2.1. Making of GM crops

As earlier stated, GM crops are developed in a
laboratory conditions by altering their genetic
configuration. This is generally done by adding up
one or more genes to a genome of selected plants
using various gene manipulating methods (Boyle,
2011). However, most of the GM crops by and large
are developed using biolistic method (particle gun) or
Agrobacterium tumefaciens mediated transformation
method. The best known example of making of GM
crops is the use of Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) genes in
the crops like corn and cotton. It is a naturally
occurring bacterium that produces crystal (cry)
proteins which are fatal to insect larvae. Bt crystal
protein genes have been transferred into crops,
facilitating the crops to produce its own pesticides
against insects like corn borer (Whitman, 2000).
Tobacco and Arabidopsis thaliana are the most
accepted GM plants due to well setteled and trusted
methods of transformation, effortless propagation and
well studied genomes (Koornneef and Meinke, 2010;
Banjara et al., 2012). Hence, they serve as model
organisms for other plant species also.
International Journal of Scientific Research in Agricultural Sciences, 1(7), pp. 118-127, 2014
122

1.2.2.2.2. Advantages of GM crops

GM crops grown or under trial development, have
been tailored with traits according to benefit of
farmers, customers, and industry. In recent times, few
researches have been targeted the development of
crops which will be important for developing nations
such as insect resistant brinjal for India (ISAAA
Pocket K No. 35), and insect-resistant cowpea for
Africa (CSIRO 2006 press release). Some major
advantages are as follows:

(a) Stress resistance
GM crops are engineered to tolerate various kind
of stresses like drought, cold and high soil salinity.
Cold stress causes sensitive seedlings viability. For
making GM crops targeted for cold stress tolerance,
an antifreeze gene isolated from cold water fish has
been successfully incorporated into plants such as
tobacco and potato. As a result, these GM plants are
able to survive in very cold temperature that normally
destroys seedling viability (Kenward et al., 1999).
To overcome the drastic effect of drought and salt
stress on the yield of crops, some GM crops have been
engineered that can survive with long periods of
drought or high salt concentration in the farm (Zhang
and Blumwald, 2001).

(b) Pathogen resistance
Pathogens attack on crops resulting in distressing
monetary loss for farmers and shortage of food in
developing nations. Generally, farmers use chemical
pesticides for preventing their crops from these
pathogens. BT Tobacco, corn, rice and many other
crops have been generated that express genes
encoding for insecticidal proteins from Bacillus
thuringiensis and can help eliminate the excess use of
chemical pesticides (Moellenback et al., 2001; US
Patent 6313378, Nov 2001).
GM squash, papaya and potatoes have been
developed to combat certain viral pathogens, such as
cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) which is contagious to
a wide variety of plants (National Academy of
Sciences, 2001). However, the use of these is
somewhat restricted in India.

(c) Improved nutrition
Other important aim of making GM plant is to
improve nutrition in crops. Some examples of GM
crops under development include a genetically
tailored cassava with lesser cyanogen glucosides
content and better-quality of protein and other
nutrients (called BioCassava, funded by the Bill &
Melinda Gates Foundation) (Sayre et al., 2011), while
"Golden Rice", rice containing an unusually high
content of -carotene (vitamin A) was produced by
researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of
Technology Institute for Plant Sciences (Burkhardt,
1996). By making of golden rice malnutrition from
developing nations including India can be conquer
(Burkhardt, 1996; St. Louis, 1999) Strategies are also
underway to develop golden rice that also has
increased iron content. An international group of
scientists has developed a corn variety (M37W)
derived from South African white corn which is
enriched with vitamins with 169 fold increase in
carotene, 6 fold the vitamin C and 2 fold folate, but
still it is not in production anywhere due to some issue
(Naqvi et al., 2009). Camelina sativa has been
modified in research labs to produce plants with
elevated content of oils parallel to fish oils (Ruiz-
Lopez et al., 2013).


(d) Herbicide resistance
"Roundup Ready" is one of the most widespread
types of GM crops. Monsanto has created this strain
of soybeans genetically modified to be not affected by
their herbicide product Roundup
(http://www.biotechknowledge.monsanto.com/biotech
/knowcenter.nsf). Tobacco plants have been produced
to be resistant against herbicide bromoxynil
(MacKenzie, 1994). Crops have been commercialized
that are resistant to the herbicide glufosinate (Gianessi
et al., 2002).



(e) Production of biofuels
Genetically modified Jatropha sp., has been
modified for its traits improvement for better fuel
product. Recently, Swiss-based Syngenta has get
USDA approval to market genetically developed
maize seed trademarked Enogen which covert its
own starch into sugar to speed up process of ethanol
conversion into biofuel (Lochhead, 2012).

(f) Role in Bioremediation
GM plants have also been developed and used for
bioremediation of tainted soils. GM plants containing
genes which produce bacterial enzymes responsible
for bioremediation have been utilized to remove
heavy metals like mercury, selenium and organic
pollutants such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs),
RDX and TNT from soil (Meagher, 2000; Martins dos
Santos et al., 2008).


1.3. Organic farming system verses GM crops

Organic farming system and GM crops both have their
characteristic value on the basis of their benefits for
human being. But many environment activists are
against the use of GM crops. In India, many
objections are coming in the light by which organic
Alam et al.
The Changing Scenario in Indian Agriculture: A Review
123
farming is seems more beneficial than GM crops in
following aspects:
Unintended harm to non-targeted organisms is
major disadvantage of GM crops: For example in BT
crops, produced Bt toxins, kill many species which are
not harmful for crops. This study was re-scrutinized
by the USDA, the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) by which concluded that this fact may
be imperfect (Niller, 1999; Powell, 2000), while in
case of organic farming system, farmers never face
such problem.
Genetic contamination -Possibilities of desired
gene transfer into non-targeted species are much high
in GM crops: For example if GM crop of herbicide
tolerance and weed will cross breed, ensuing in the
transfer of the genes for herbicide resistance from
source crops into weeds. These superweeds would
be then become herbicide tolerant which would be
harmful for crops (Whitman, 2000). On the other
hand, this kind of problems is not faced in organic
farming system.
Human health issue is very controversial issue in
the regarding of GM crops: Allergenicity is one of
the most negative aspects of GM crop uses. Many
children in US and Europe have affected with allergy
to transgenic peanut and other food. Thats why
proposal of making transgenic soybean through Brazil
nuts gene was dump (Nordlee et al., 1996). Other
unknown effect also observed on health like effect of
GM potatoes on digestive tract on rats but these
studies are not fully confirmed yet (Ewen and Pusztai,
1999; Enserink, 1999). Moreover, a gene of snowdrop
flower, lectin introduced into potatoes is known as
toxic for humans so these potatoes were never used
for humans (Whitman, 2000). All these kind of issues
are not faced in organic based farming based system
because there are many kind of natural source used for
nutrient management of crops (Ramesh et al., 2005).
According to economics concern, bringing of GM
food to market is a very extensive and expensive
process. Many researches are remains to solve
unidentified risk of GM foods with human health
which are time taking and costly. So GM crops are not
economically favorable (Whitman, 2000). On the
other hand, organic farming is seems to be favorable
to economic point of any country because of less
financial input (Ramesh et al., 2005).

2. CONCLUSION

Farming is backbone of economy in most of the
countries, including India. Humans are using different
techniques to enhance crop yield from many years
before. But in present time that traditional techniques
are not completely fruitful according to ever
increasing requirement of food because this type of
farming has many drawbacks like diseases and pest
management, making them economically less
beneficial. So, new techniques are trying to get more
yields of crops with reference to environment health.
In new techniques, organic farming is getting fame
due to its environmental benefits with yield
enhancement, nutrient management, health and safety;
economical benefits and most important pest and
disease management. If government of India will get
some major steps in favour of organic farming to get it
popular in farmers, this technique will surely play a
major role to get better results in agriculture. On the
other hand, GM crops have future possibilities to
solve major problems in agriculture but it takes time
to sort out many harmful aspects like negative effect
on human health are coming to the reference of GM
crops. In Future, major researches will be required for
GM crops to convert it 100% beneficial for humans.
So, more researches and financial support from
government are required for exploration of organic
farming and GM crops in the realm of common
agriculture practice.
Classification of organic food is based on whether
pesticides and other chemicals are used in production
of that particular food or not. While, the nutrient
profile of the food being grown based on the quality
of soil and air. Hence, organic food is more costly, it's
more difficult to grow as one can't do it in huge fields
and saturate it all in chemical. It maintains health just
fine, probably better because ingestion of fewer
chemicals.
GMO foods aren't inherently bad. However, the
methods they use to add new genes into the plants
genome isn't a "cut and paste" affair as they'd have
you believe. We don't understand yet the DNA and
genes entirely. Very few genes are actually one-gene-
one-effect. Genes act together in many ways and
researchers are just at the initial stages of perception.
If we add one gene in that is completely foreign to an
organism, it's very hard to tell exactly what effect it
has. It may demonstrate the trait we want it to, but it
may be doing something else that is unseen to the eye.
Once the GMO plants are out there, it is almost
impossible to take it back any negative effect because
seeds scatter uncontrolled, causing gene flow. We
owe it to ourselves and the world to properly
investigate - like several years long studies - not a few
weeks on a few animals, which is what is out there,
and, these studies frequently have shown negative
effects on the digestive tract. A lot of these studies are
swept away and not made public.
It is also interesting to note that the manner a lot of
GMOs are declared as "safe" is by research done by
the company that is hoping to sell the product. Does
that appear correct? Of course they would like it to be
declared safe! A lot of these studies have been
International Journal of Scientific Research in Agricultural Sciences, 1(7), pp. 118-127, 2014
124
reviewed by outsiders to the company and the
methods used to gather the "safe" results are doubtful.
Hence, GMO is not essentially a bad craze within a
limit because we need to make sure about each facet
of GM crops especially in India. In present scenario
Government of India banned the genetically modified
crops and taking several steps for the promotion of
organic crop system.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

Authors are thankful to Professor Aditya Shastri, Vice
Chancellor, Banasthali University, Rajasthan, India
and Prof. Vinay Sharma, Dean, Faculty of Science
and Technology, Banasthali University for their kind
cooperation and encouragement.

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Dr. Afroz Alam, working as Associate Professor in the Department of Bioscience and
Biotechnology, Banasthali University, Rajasthan. He is currently supervising seven Ph. D.
students in different aspects of Plant Science. He has vast experience of teaching and research in
plant science. He has over 60 research publications in prestigious International and National
Journals and a 4 text books with reputed publication houses to his credit. He is life member of
various associations of Plant Sciences. He is also recognized as one of the experts in Bryology
(Botany) by ENVIS CENTER ON FLORAL DIVERSITY, Botanical Survey of India (BSI),
Howrah (Kolkata), India.



Dr Aqeel Hasan Rizvi is working as Project Manager, India-Morocco Food Legume Initiatives at
South Asia and China Regional Program, International Center for Agricultural Research in the
Dry Areas, NASC Complex, New Delhi, India. Had also worked with Indian Agricultural
Research Institute, PUSA, New Delhi in Chickpea Breeding Program. He aided Institute for
Micronutrient Technology as Training and Technical Officer. He did his Master of Philosophy in
Plant Physiology (Plant Nutrition) and PhD in Genetics and Plant Breeding. He has more than
more than 30 national and international publications in form of book chapters, research papers,
abstracts, popular articles, etc. He has a good experience of Molecular, physiological and field
experiments. He is a member of many scientific societies.





Ms. Khushbu Verma has done her M.Sc. Degree in Applied Microbiology & Biotechnology
(AMBT) from Banasthali Vidyapith, Rajasthan, India. She has also qualified GATE examination.
She is presently working as a research scholar in the Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology
and specialises in the area of plant stress biotechnology.









Ms. Chhaya Gautam has done her M.Sc. Degree Bioscience (Plant Science) from Banasthali
Vidyapith, Rajasthan, India. She is presently engaged as a research scholar in the Department of
Bioscience and Biotechnology and specialises in the area of plant stress biotechnology.