Ø Collected and characterized more than 300
isolates of Foc present in India and identified the presence of 13
different strains of Foc.
Ø Characterized the leaf spot pathogens of
India and identified the presence of five different strains and also the
presence of eumusae leaf spot and not Sigatoka leaf spot disease in India.
Ø Screened more than 300 germplasm accessions
and identified 50-60 banana accessions found resistant to Foc R1 and
TR4.
Ø Made first report of occurrence of Foc
R1 and Tropical race 4 infecting Cavendish banana and corm rot disease caused
by Sclerotium rolfsii in India.
Ø Developed diagnostics specific to Indian Focraces
and eumusae leaf spot pathogen.
Ø Developed consortia of bioagents for the
management of Fusarium wilt, leaf spot and post-harvest diseases.
Ø Identified bioagents Trichoderma
asperellum and a principal compound which can increase the shelf life of
banana up to 70 days.
Ø Developed spray schedule programme
involving mineral oil and fungicides for the management of leaf spot disease at
national level.
Ø Developed cheaper, farmer and ecofriendly
method of mass production and delivery system (bio-solid and bio liquid) for
the Fusarium wilt and eumusae and post-harvest disease suppressive biocontrol
agents
Jawaharlal Nehru award for the best Ph. D research (Gold medal cash prize and citation)
Chief Minister (TN) best writer award -2009 in Agriculture
Dr.A.K. Sarbhoy Memorial Award by IPS, New Delhi
Biotechnology overseas associateship award by DBT
Cold Chain Award of Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) from the Governor of Maharashtra
Certificate of Appreciation by the Govt of Kerala
Certificate of Appreciation by the Govt of Kerala
Outstanding contribution to Science Award
Outstanding Scientist Award by SBER
CHAI-APPRECIATION AWARD
Eminent Scientist Award by AETDS
Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam Scientist Award
Fellowship :
Fellow
of National Academy of Agricultural Sciences, New Delhi
Fellow of National Academy of biological Sciences
ICAR Junior Research Fellow
Fellow of AIPUB
Fellow of CHAI
1. Thangavelu,
R., Suresh Kumar, P., Shuprajhaa, T., Varun, G.
and Selvarajan, R. 2024. Influence of native biocontrol agents and newer
molecules on controlling postharvest diseases, improving quality and extending
the shelf-life of banana cv. grand nain (aaa). Scientia Horticulturae, 334,
113292.
2. Thangavelu, R.,Edwinraj, E., Gopi, M.,
Pushpakanth, P., Sharmila, K., Prabaharan,M., Loganathan,M and Uma, S. 2022. Development of PCR-Based Race-Specific Markers for Differentiation of
Indian Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense, the Causal Agent of
Fusarium Wilt in Banana. J. Fungi, 8, 53. https://doi.org/10.3390/jof8010053.
3. Thangavelu, R; Edwin Raj, E;
Gopi, M; Loganathan, M; Pushpakanth, P; Marimuthu, N; Prabaharan M; Sharmila,
K; Sasikala, R and Uma, S. 2021. Comparative Whole-Genome Sequence Analyses of
Fusarium Wilt Pathogen (Foc R1, STR4 and TR4) Infecting Cavendish (AAA) Bananas
in India, with a Special Emphasis on Pathogenicity Mechanisms. J. Fungi, 7(9),
717; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof7090717.
4. Thangavelu
R., Saraswathi, M.S., Uma, S., Loganathan, M.,
Backiyarani S., Durai P., Edwin Raj E., Marimuthu N.
and Kannan G. 2021. Identification of sources
resistant to a virulent Fusarium wilt strain (VCG 0124) infecting Cavendish
bananas. Scientific Reports 11:3183https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-82666-7.
5. Thangavelu, R., Edwin Raj,
E., Loganathan M, Pushpakanth P, and S Uma, 2020. Draft genome of Fusariumoxysporum f. sp. cubense
strain Tropical Race-4 infecting Cavendish (AAA) group of bananas in India. Plant Disease. doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-06-20-1170-A.
6. Thangavelu, R.,
Gopi, M., Pushpakanth, P., Loganathan, M, Edwin Raj, E., Uma, S. 2020.First
report of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense VCG 0125 and VCG 01220 of Race 1
infecting Cavendish bananas (Musa sp. AAA) in India. Plant Disease.
7. Dita, M. L.A.J.
Teixeira, W. O’Neill, A.B. Pattison, M.P. Weinert, C.Y. Li S.J. Zheng, C.
Staver, R. Thangavelu and A.
Viljoen, 2020. Current state of Fusarium wilt of banana in the subtropics. Acta
Hortic. 1272. ISHS 2020. DOI
10.17660/ActaHortic.2020.1272.7.
8. Thangavelu, R. M. Loganathan,
R. Arthee, M. Prabakaran and S. Uma. 2020. Fusarium wilt: a threat to banana
cultivation and its management. CAB Reviews 2020 15, No. 004.
9. Thangavelu, R., Mostert, D.,
Gopi, M., Ganga Devi, P., Padmanaban, B., Molina, A. B., Viljoen, A. 2019.
First detection of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense tropical
race 4 (TR4) on Cavendish banana in India. Eur. J. Plant Pathol. 154 (3)
pp 777-786.
10. Ganga Devi, P. Thangavelu, R. 2019.Development of
species-specific SCAR based molecular marker for the detection of Pseudocercospora
eumusae, the causal agent of eumusae leaf spot disease in banana. Journal
of Plant Pathology.
11. Thangavelu, R. and Ganga
Devi, P. 2018. Rapid and sensitive detection of Pseudocercospora
eumusae pathogen causing eumusae leaf spot disease of banana by
loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) method. 3 Biotech, 8:442-852.
12. Mostert D, Molina AB, Daniells J, Fourie G, Hermanto C, Chao CP, Fabregar E, Sinohin VG, Masdek N, Thangavelu R, Li C, Yi G, Mostert L, Viljoen A. 2017. The distribution and host range of the banana Fusarium wilt fungus, Fusarium
oxysporum f. sp. cubense, in AsiaPLoS One. 12(7):
e0181630. doi: 10.1371
13. Thangavelu R. and Gopi M. 2015. Combined application of native
Trichoderma isolates possessing multiple functions for the control of Fusarium
wilt disease in banana cv. Grand Naine, Biocontrol
Science and Technology, 25:10, 1147-1164. (NAAS-6.94 CITATION -0)
14. Thangavelu R. and Gopi M. 2015. Field suppression of Fusarium
wilt in banana using combined application of native endophytic and rhizospheric
bacterial isolates possessing multiple functions,PhytopathologiaMediterranea, 54:2, 241-252.
15. Gopi, M. and Thangavelu,
R. 2014. Suppression of Fusarium
wilt disease of banana by Zimmu (Allium cepaL. X Allium sativum L.)
leaf extract. African Journal of Microbiology Research. 8(31),
2904-2915.
16. Thangavelu, R. Ganga Devi, P. Gopi, M. Mustaffa, M.M. 2013. Management of Eumusae leaf spot disease of banana caused by Mycosphaerellaeumusae with Zimmu (Allium sativum x Allium cepa) leaf extract. Crop Protection 46: 100-105.
17. Thangavelu R., Muthukumar, K., Ganga Devi, P. Mustaffa, M. M. 2011. Genetic Diversity of Fusarium oxysporumf.sp. cubenseisolates (Foc) of India by inter simple sequence repeats (ISSR) analysis. Molecular Biotechnology. 51, 203-211
18. Thangavelu, R. and Mustaffa, M. M. 2010. First Report on the Occurrence of a Virulent Strain of Fusarium Wilt Pathogen (Race-1) Infecting Cavendish (AAA) Group of Bananas in India. Plant Disease. 94, 1379
19. Thangavelu, R., Palaniswami, A. and Velazhahan, R. 2004. Mass multiplication of Trichoderma harzianumusing biodegradable banana waste for the control of Fusarium wilt of banana. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment. 103(1), 259-263
20. Thangavelu, R., Sundararaju, P. and Sathiamoorthy, S. 2004. Management of anthracnose disease of banana caused by Colletotrichum musaeusing plant extracts. Journal of Horticultural Science and Biotechnology. 79 (5), 664 – 668.
21. Thangavelu, R., Palaniswami, A., Ramakrishnan, G., Sabitha Duraiswamy., Muthukrishnan. S. and Velazhahan, R. 2001. Involvement of Fusaric acid detoxification by Pseudomonas fluorescens strain Pf10 in the biological control of Fusarium wilt of banana caused by Fusarium oxysporumf.sp. cubense. J. of Plant Diseases and protection. 108 (5), 433-445