Principal Scientist
Email :alka.gupta@icar.gov.in
Phone No:0
Mobile No. :9447427073
| Dr. Alka Gupta Principal Scientist Email :alka.gupta@icar.gov.in Phone No:0 Mobile No. :9447427073 | |
| Qualification | Ph.D.(Microbiology) |
| Specialization | Soil and Industrial Microbiology |
| Area of interest | My broad research interests include PGPR and biofertilizer technology and agricultural biomass recycling. I am currently working on isolation, characterization, evaluation and cataloguing of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi associated with coconut, arecanut and cocoa crops. I am studying the diversity of Bacillus and Bacillus- derived genera prevalent in extremely acidic soils and predominance of actinomycetes in arecanut rhizosphere under extreme acid conditions. I was instrumental in developing fermentation technique for production of virgin coconut oil for adoption by cottage industry. I also study microbiological profile of soils under coconut-based multi-species cropping systems. I had a brief stint trying my hands to develop biocontrol strategies for controlling one of the economically important diseases of coconut using epiphytic bacteria. I also worked on phytoplasmology of coconut root (wilt) disease and role of microorganisms in allelopathic interactions between plant species in coconut cropping systems. |
| Total publications | 228 |
| Selected publications | 23 |
| Awards | • Prativa Mukherjee Memorial award (1987, Delhi University). • All India Entrance Scholarship (1986-89, Delhi Univ.) • Best all round student award (BSc.) (1986-89, Delhi Univ.) • 5th Rank Holder in DU, B.Sc.(Bot.) (1989, Delhi Univ.) • Delhi Univ. South Campus Endowment Fellowship (1989-91, Delhi Univ.) • University Gold Medal for academic Excellence during M.Sc. (Microbiol.) (1991 Delhi Univ.) • CSIR-JRF/ SRF Fellowship (1991, CSIR) • University Grants Commission -Lectureship (1991, UGC) • National Eligibility Test (NET) (1992, ICAR) • IARI Doctoral Fellowship (1991-95, IARI) • ICAR Award for Outstanding Interdisciplinary Team Research in Agriculture and Allied Sciences for the biennium 2005-06 (2008, ICAR). |
| Significant achievements | Nill |