Dr. K. Indira Petchiammal

Dr. K. Indira Petchiammal is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Genetics and Plant Breeding, School of Agricultural Sciences, at Karunya Institute of Technology and Sciences, Coimbatore. She has over 18 years of teaching and research experience in Plant Breeding and Genetics. She holds a Ph.D. in Plant Breeding and Genetics from Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, where her doctoral research focused on CGMS-based hybrids in pigeonpea with tolerance to Helicoverpa armigera, confirmed through biochemical and molecular markers. She also holds a PG Diploma in Bioinformatics and has expertise in integrating conventional and molecular breeding approaches for crop improvement.

Her research and academic interests include hybrid development, resistance breeding in pigeonpea and finger millet, maize breeding and germplasm maintenance, genetic diversity, mutation breeding, stress tolerance, and micropropagation of banana, anthurium and bulbous ornamentals. Her M.Sc. research focused on genetic analysis of rice and standardization of in vitro androgenesis using Assam Rice Cultures. She has undertaken research activities in pigeonpea and maize breeding and has contributed to research involving rice, little millet, finger millet and other field crops. At Karunya, she has provided research guidance to postgraduate and doctoral scholars and has served as an advisory committee member for students in Agronomy and Fruit Sciences.

Dr. Indira Petchiammal has served as an Assistant Professor at Karunya Institute of Technology and Sciences since January 2018 and previously served as an Assistant Professor of Plant Breeding and Genetics at S. Thangapazham Agricultural College, Vasudevanallur. Her research experience also includes Senior Research Fellow positions in maize breeding, pigeonpea breeding and hybrid pigeonpea breeding at Tamil Nadu Agricultural University and research activities under the Centre for Plant Molecular Biology, TNAU. She has guided seven M.Sc. (Agri.) and four Ph.D. scholars in Genetics and Plant Breeding and has contributed to undergraduate teaching in courses including Principles of Genetics and Crop Biodiversity and Maintenance Breeding.

She has published more than 25 research articles, reviews and book chapters covering genetic diversity, crop improvement, mutation breeding, stress tolerance, rice, pigeonpea, finger millet, little millet and other agricultural crops. Her recent publications include studies on little millet genetic diversity, pigeonpea pollen fertility, finger millet variability, rice anaerobic germination and submergence tolerance, mutation breeding, marker-assisted introgression, nano-chelates, and sustainable crop productivity. Her academic contributions also include chapters on millet microbiomes and crop improvement. Through her teaching, research guidance and breeding-related research activities, she contributes to crop improvement and the application of conventional and molecular approaches in Plant Breeding and Genetics.