Dr. Karishma Sebastian

Dr. Karishma Sebastian is an Assistant Professor of Post-Harvest Technology in the Division of Horticulture, School of Agriculture, at Karunya Institute of Technology and Sciences. She holds a Ph.D. in Horticulture from Kerala Agricultural University, Thrissur, completed in 2022, an M.Sc. in Horticulture from Kerala Agricultural University, Thrissur, completed in 2017, and a B.Sc. (Hons.) in Agriculture from the same university, completed in 2015. She qualified the National Eligibility Test for Lectureship/Assistant Professorship conducted by the Agricultural Scientists’ Recruitment Board in 2019.

Her academic and teaching expertise includes Post-harvest Management and Value Addition of Horticultural Crops. Her research interests focus on the development of novel products from minor fruits and refining the value chain in fruits. Her work is oriented towards postharvest management and value addition, with research covering postharvest treatments, fruit quality, shelf life, and related aspects of horticultural produce.

Her recent research publications include studies on the effects of postharvest treatments on the physiological, chemical, microbial, and sensory qualities of papaya fruits of the variety Surya, as well as postharvest treatments and their effects on the shelf life and biochemical and microbial quality of Red Banana. Her earlier research has examined the performance of papaya cv. Surya under fertigation and foliar nutrition and the effects of these practices on yield-contributing characters.

Through her teaching and research activities, Dr. Karishma Sebastian contributes to the areas of postharvest management, value addition, fruit quality, and fruit value-chain development. Her academic qualifications, research interests, teaching expertise, and published research reflect her focus on horticultural postharvest technologies and the development of value-added products from fruits.