Senior Scientist, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, India
Dr Dhandapani R (Dr D. Raju) is a senior scientist at the Nanaji Deshmukh Plant Phenomics Centre, ICAR‑IARI, New Delhi. Born on June 2, 1982, he holds an M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Plant Physiology and has over 15 years of research and leadership experience in agricultural science. His expertise lies in plant phenomics, high-throughput phenotyping, seed physiology, and abiotic stress physiology in major crops such as rice, wheat, soybean, chickpea, pigeon pea, and banana. Dr Dhandapani has led multiple national research projects and supervised numerous graduate students. He has published extensively, with several high-impact peer-reviewed papers cited over 100 times. Recognized with the Young Scientist Award (Indian Society of Plant Physiology) and prestigious fellowships (ICAR-JRF, IARI-SRF), he is a notable figure in plant science research. Dr Dhandapani is married and retains a strong commitment to advancing phenomics research to improve crop resilience and food security.
Professional Profile
🎓 Education
Dr Dhandapani’s academic journey began with a B.Sc. in Agriculture (2003, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore), where he graduated with first-class honors (8.52/10 GPA). He pursued an M.Sc. in Plant Physiology (2006, Chandra Shekhar Azad University of Agriculture and Technology, Kanpur), earning an 8.81 GPA and securing a book prize for highest OGPA. Supported by the ICAR-JRF fellowship, he proceeded to a Ph.D. in Plant Physiology at ICAR‑IARI, New Delhi, awarded in 2010 with a 7.88 GPA. His doctoral research focused on the “Nutritional Variation and Characterisation of the Carotenoid Biosynthetic Pathway in Banana (Musa sp.) Cultivars,” under the guidance of Dr VPSingh. During his graduate and postgraduate studies, Dr Dhandapani gained expertise in plant physiology, carotenoid biochemistry, and abiotic stress response mechanisms, which laid the foundation for his specialization in phenomics-driven crop improvement.
💼 Experience
Dr Dhandapani began his research career as Scientist (Probation) at ICAR‑NAARM, Hyderabad (Nov 2009–Mar 2010). He then joined ICAR‑Indian Institute of Seed Science, Mau (Mar 2010–Nov 2013) as Scientist, advancing to Senior‑Scale Scientist through 2016. Since Jan 2016, he has served at ICAR‑IARI, New Delhi: as Scientist (Senior‑Scale) until Nov 2018, and as Senior Scientist till date. Across roles, his contributions include leading research projects on genetic purity assessment, seed vigor, stress physiology, and phenomics-based crop monitoring. He has designed and implemented high‑throughput phenotyping platforms and led interdisciplinary teams integrating remote sensing, molecular biology, and machine learning. His current focus involves deciphering abiotic stress tolerance mechanisms in rice and wheat, through physiological, biochemical, and molecular phenomics. Dr Dhandapani’s leadership reflects his role as Principal Investigator on multiple projects, grant acquisition, and mentoring junior researchers and students.
🏅 Awards and Honors
Dr Dhandapani’s professional distinctions include:
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Young Scientist Award (Indian Society of Plant Physiology, New Delhi, 2010), for outstanding early‑career research;
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ICAR‑JRF Fellowship (2004–2006), recognizing academic excellence;
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Book Prize (Chandra Shekhar Azad University, Kanpur, 2006), for top OGPA in M.Sc.;
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IARI‑SRF Fellowship (2006–2010) during Ph.D.;
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NET‑Lectureship (ICAR‑ASRB), qualifying for academic and teaching roles.
These honors affirm his excellence in research and academia. The JRF and SRF fellowships reflect merit-based selection at national level. The Young Scientist Award recognizes his contribution to plant physiology, while the NET Lectureship emphasizes his foundational competence in agricultural sciences. Collectively, these accolades underscore both his academic prowess and his impact within the field of phenomics and crop science.
🧪 Research Focus
Dr Dhandapani’s current research harnesses plant phenomics and high-throughput phenotyping to decode abiotic stress tolerance in rice and wheat. Central to his work is the integration of physiological, biochemical, and molecular approaches to understand mechanisms underpinning heat, drought, salinity, and nutrient stresses. He employs hyperspectral remote sensing, thermal imaging, and machine learning for large-scale, non‑destructive monitoring of crop responses. Previous investigations included molecular regulation of seed vigor, genetic purity of hybrids, carotenoid biosynthesis in banana, and bioactive treatments enhancing crop resilience in adversarial soils. His work bridges lab and field contexts, facilitating development of stress-resilient cultivars and precision agriculture tools. By leveraging data-driven phenotypic signatures, Dr Dhandapani aims to accelerate breeding pipelines and contribute to sustainable crop production under climate variability.
📚 Publication Top Notes
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Comparison of various modelling approaches for water deficit stress monitoring in rice crop through hyperspectral remote sensing
PMS Krishna, RN Sahoo, P Singh, V Bajpai, H Patra, … Agricultural Water Management, 213:231–244 (2019).
Highlights: Comparative evaluation of regression and machine learning models for estimating rice water stress; over 112 citations.
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SpikeSegNet—a deep learning approach utilizing encoder-decoder network with hourglass for spike segmentation and counting in wheat plant from visual imaging
T Misra, A Arora, S Marwaha, V Chinnusamy, AR Rao, R Jain, RN Sahoo,… Plant Methods, 16:1–20 (2020).
Highlights: Developed a deep-learning network for automated counting of wheat spikes in images; 111 citations.
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Application of thermal imaging and hyperspectral remote sensing for crop water deficit stress monitoring
G Krishna, RN Sahoo, P Singh, H Patra, V Bajpai, B Das, S Kumar,… Geocarto International, 36(5):481–498 (2021).
Highlights: Combined thermal and spectral indices to detect rice water stress; 63 citations.
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Heterotic grouping and patterning of quality protein maize inbreds based on genetic and molecular marker studies
A Rajendran, A Muthiah, J Joel, P Shanmugasundaram, D Raju. Turkish Journal of Biology, 38(1):10–20 (2014).
Highlights: Molecular characterization of QPM inbreds; 35 citations.
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Insights into morphological and physio-biochemical adaptive responses in mungbean (Vigna radiata L.) under heat stress
R Bhardwaj, JK Lone, R Pandey, N Mondal, R Dhandapani, SK Meena,… Frontiers in Genetics, 14:1206451 (2023).
Highlights: Physiological and biochemical characterization of mungbean under heat stress; 26 citations.
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Image-based phenotyping of seed architectural traits and prediction of seed weight using machine learning models in soybean
NT Duc, A Ramlal, A Rajendran, D Raju, SK Lal, S Kumar, RN Sahoo,… Frontiers in Plant Science, 14:1206357 (2023).
Highlights: Non-destructive seed trait analysis using imaging and ML; 24 citations.
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Phenomics based prediction of plant biomass and leaf area in wheat using machine learning approaches
B Singh, S Kumar, A Elangovan, D Vasht, S Arya, NT Duc, P Swami,… Frontiers in Plant Science, 14:1214801 (2023).
Highlights: Machine-learning-based modeling of wheat biomass and morphology; 23 citations.
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Differential accumulation of β-carotene and tissue specific expression of phytoene synthase (MaPsy) gene in banana (Musa sp) cultivars
R Dhandapani, VP Singh, A Arora, RC Bhattacharya, A Rajendran. Journal of Food Science and Technology, 54:4416–4426 (2017).
Highlights: Molecular and biochemical evaluation of carotenoid biosynthesis in bananas; 18 citations.
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Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitory peptides and isoflavonoids from soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.]
A Ramlal, A Nautiyal, P Baweja, V Kumar, S Mehta, RK Mahto, S Tripathi,… Frontiers in Nutrition, 9:1068388 (2022).
Highlights: Identified bioactive compounds in soybean with ACE-inhibitory activity; 17 citations.
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Associations of direct and indirect selection for pregermination anaerobic stress tolerance in soybean (Glycine max)
A Rajendran, SK Lal, D Raju, A Ramlal. Plant Breeding, 141(5):634–643 (2022).
Highlights: Breeding strategies for anaerobic tolerance; 16 citations.
Conclusion
Dr. Dhandapani R is a strong candidate for the Best Researcher Award in the domain of plant physiology, phenomics, and abiotic stress research. His blend of impactful publications, leadership in funded projects, award recognitions, and specialization in advanced plant science make him highly deserving of recognition. With a growing focus on AI in agriculture and sustainable crop improvement, his research aligns with current global priorities.