About

Dr. N.K. Krishna Kumar, a renowned entomologist, was born on 5th September 1955 in Mysore, Karnataka. He completed his Ph.D. from the USA in 1993 and pursued post-doctoral research at UC Davis, California (2002-03). With a career spanning 38 years, he has held prominent roles, including Deputy Director General (Horticulture) at ICAR, Director of NBAIR, Bangalore, and Head of Entomology and Nematology for eight years. Dr. Kumar made significant contributions to Integrated Pest Management (IPM), particularly for vegetable crops, focusing on managing sucking pests and plant pathogen vectors. His work on Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus (TSWV) and vector thrips during his Ph.D. and post-doctoral studies advanced the understanding of virus transmission. He mentored students at UAS, Bengaluru, and Kuvempu University, contributing to molecular systematics of pests and pesticide resistance. He has organized several national and international meetings on IPM, insecticide resistance, and bioinformatics while leading initiatives like the ORP-Sucking Pests project. As part of his work at Bioversity International (2016-2020), he led research in South and Central Asia and organized the first International Agrobiodiversity meeting. His work included managing Tropical Race-4 of banana, developing an Agrobiodiversity Index, and valuing ecosystem services with ICAR. As DDG (Horticulture), Dr. Kumar oversaw numerous milestones, including the establishment of a horticultural PG school at IIHR, Bengaluru, and the Directorate of Floriculture at Pune. His leadership played a key role in increasing India's horticulture production, surpassing grain production. He is associated with several professional bodies and has received prestigious awards, including the Nammalvar Award for Biodiversity Conservation, the Dr. Vasanthraj David Award for Entomology, and Fellowship of the Society for Promotion of Horticulture. Dr. Kumar has authored over 110 research papers and edited key publications, such as Advances in IPM for Horticultural Crops and The Onion (ICAR). He continues to contribute as a Research Advisory Committee (RAC) member for institutions like the Central Silk Board and the Indian Institute of Spices Research.