Qualification |
Ph.D. |
Specialization / Discipline |
Agriultural Entomology |
Department |
Crop Protection Division |
Official email |
Mohana.Sundaram@icar.gov.in , entosundaram@gmail.com |
Salient Research Achievements
(in bullets) |
Collection and Conservations of the Lac Insect Genetic Resources - Around 50 lac insect germplasm were conserved and maintained on
Flemingia macrophylla for ten years 2011 to 2021.
- Lac insect was collected from Madurai, Thrissur and Manipur were described as new species, Kerria maduraiensis & Kerria canalis, Kerria thrissurensis and Kerria manipurensis, respectively.
- Extensive survey in 56 districts of 9 different states viz., Andaman, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Kerala, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Tamil Nadu, Tripura and West Bengal were made. New collections of lac insect (9) and lac host plants (8) were added in respective Gene Banks.
Lac insect crop Management
- Biological parameters viz., initial density, sex ratio, fecundity, cell and resin weight of 55 lac insect lines showed significant difference
among the lines which were corroborated with morphological studies.
- First time Callindra calothyrysis was identified as promising host of Kerria lacca for both strain (rangeeni and kusmi) in all four crops
(Baisakhi, katki, aghani and jethwi)
- Based on the reproductive isolation, Kerria lacca and K. chinensis were confirmed as two different species.
- First time budded, inarched and grafted plants of F. semialata on F. macrophylla were achieved and also studied Host suitability Index.
- Improved and accurate method was developed for broodlac quality of lac insects and forecasting of lac insect crawler emergence
- Developed Seri-Lac Culture Model in collaboration with CSR and TI, Mysore
- Five models of Lac integrated Agro-forestry System were demonstrated among thirteen tribal farmers in seven villages two districts of Jharkhand
Lac Insect Pest Management
- Quantitative variation in lac associated fauna was determined which varied between the location, host and crop season. Aprostocetus purpureus, a parasitoid was most prevalent
- New more precision and accurate method of in-situ parasitoid collection was developed.
- Eighteen (18 nos.) of lac associated fauna and 6 pests of lac hosts and 3 alternate hosts of A. purpureus was reported first time.
- Major semiochemicals viz., Decane, dodecane, hexadecane and nonadecane were detected in lac inoculated plants and other major compounds viz. Decane, Dodecane, Tetradecane, Heptadecane, Eicosane and Octacosyl acetate were detected in lac insect and associated products.
- Electroantennogram study revealed that the antennal receptors of Eublemma amabilis and Pseudohypatopa pulverea were differentially sensitive to lac insect and associated product extracts.
- Regression models were developed on the population fluctuation of Aprostocetus purpureus on Palas and Ber during baisakhi crops.
- – Palas : Y=-142.09+2.77(Max temp)-1.61(Min Temp)+1.41 (Eve RH)+0.015 (RF)
- – Ber : Y=-25.64+0.47(Eve RH)+0.16 (RF)
Technology commercialized
- Calliandra calothyrsus – a potential new host for lac insect, Kerria lacca, a technology was developed. It was commercialized in twenty farmers field at Ranchi and Khunti districts, Jharkhand.
- Lac Integrated Agro-forestry System was commercialized under ICRAF project in 20 farmers field at Ranchi, Khunti and Seraikella
Kharsawan districts, Jharkhand
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Current Research
Projects(Institute) |
Bio-intensive management of major insect pests of Banana (Co-PI) |
Current Research
Projects(External) |
Nil |
Area of Interest |
Biological control, Integrated Pest management and Climate change |
Total Research Publications |
35 |
Best five Publications |
- Mohanasundaram.A, Sharma K K and Meena S C. (2012)New record of Lawana conspersa (Walker) (Homoptera: Flatidae) as a pest of lac host plants. Indian Journal of Entomology, 74(4) 399-401.
- Ayashaa Ahmad, V V Ramamurthy, K K Sharma, Mohanasundaram A, A S Vidyarthi and R Ramani (2013).Three new species of Kerria (Hemiptera: Coccoidea: Tachardiidae) from India. Zootaxa 3734 (4): 442–452.
- Mohanasundaram A, Monobrullah Md, Sharma K K, Meena S C, Verma Sweta and Ramani R. (2016). Aprostocetus purpureus, a major parasitoid of
Indian lac insect, Kerria lacca (Coccoidea: Tachardiidae). Indian Journal of Ecology, 43 (Special issue-1), 517-521
- Mohanasundaram A, Monobrullah MD, Sharma KK, Anees K, Singh RK,Meena SC and Verma Sweta. (2016). Climate change: Effect of weather parameters on production of summer season crop of rangeeni strain of Indian lac insect, Kerria lacca (Kerr.) at Ranchi, Jharkhand. Journal of Agrometeorology, 16 (Special Issue-1), 108-113.
- Mohanasundaram A, Ramani R, Sharma K K and Thamilarasi K. (2018). Reproductive isolation between lac insect species, Kerria lacca and Kerria
chinensis. Indian Journal of Entomology. DOI No:10.5958/0974- 8172.2018.00282.1
- Mohanasundaram A, Sharma K K, Lohot V D, Thamilarasi K, Ghosh J, Ramani R, Gulsaz Shamim, Choudhury Neelanjana and Sajiya Eqbal. (2018)
Occurrence of lac insects and their host plants in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Indian Journal of Entomology, 80(4): 1351-1358. DoI No.: 10.5958/0974-
8172.2018.00288.2
- Thamilarasi K, Roy Tamoshree, Mohanasundaram A, Sharma K K and Ramani R. (2019). 18S rDNA PCR based detection of hymenopteran
parasitoids in the Indian Lac insect, Kerria lacca [Kerr]. Indian Journal of Experimental Biology, 57: 526-531
- Rajgopal N N, Mohanasundaram A and Sharma K K. (2021) A new species of lac insect in the genus Kerria Targioni Tozzetti (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha:
Tachardiidae) on Samanea saman (Fabaceae) from India. Zootaxa 4938 (1): 060–068. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4938.1.2
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Awards |
- Participated the ICAR Eastern region sports meet 2011 and won silver medal in 200m race and 4×100 relay race at IVRI, Izatnagar.
- Received best oral paper presentation award for the paper entitled “Abundance and emergence profile of lac associated fauna in rangeeni crop
under different climatic conditions” in National symposium on Recent Advances in Beneficial Insects at IINRG, Ranchi during 27-29 November,
2013.
- Received best oral paper presentation award for the paper entitled “Aprostocetus purpureus, a key parasitoid of Indian lac insect, Kerria lacca
vis-a-vis climate change” in National symposium on “Emerging Trends in Insect Pest Management” organized by TNAU, Coimbatore during, January 22
- 24, 2014.
- Received second runner-up oral presentation award entitled “Effect of Weather Parameters on Production of Summer Rangeeni Lac Crop at Ranchi,
Jharkhand” In: International Symposium on New-Dimensions in Agrometeorology for Sustainable Agriculture at G.B. Pant University of Agriculture & Technology Pantnagar, India during 16-18th October, 2014.
- Received best poster presentation award entitled “ Reproductive isolation between of lac insect species, Kerria lacca and K. chinensis ” In: International Conference on “Innovative Insect Management Approaches for Sustainable Agro Eco System” at Department of Agricultural Entomology, Agricultural College and Research Institute, Madurai, TNAU, Tamil Nadu during January 27-30, 2015.
- Received Young Scientist Award in 2 nd National Conference on Doubling Farmers Income for Sustainable & Harmonious Agriculture (DISHA-2018),
Ranchi during 11-12 th August, 2018 at ICAR-IINRG, Ranchi
- Received Distinguished worker Award (Scientific category) for the year 2018 during 95 th ICAR-IINRG foundation day on 20 th September, 2018 at
ICAR-IINRG, Ranchi.
- Young Scientist award (Runner up) with Rs. 5000 cash price in competitive mode during National conference on Entomology 2018: Advances and
Challenges held at PJTSAU, Hyderabad on 12 th December, 2018.
- Received best oral presentation award entitled “Lac Based Indigenous Technical Knowledge in North East India” In: National Conference on
Doubling Farmers Income for Sustainable and Harmonious Agriculture (DISHA-2019)” at Birsa Agricultural University, Ranchi, during 10 and 11 th
August, 2019.
- Received Young Scientist Award - 2019 in the National conference on “Trends in Higher Education, Taxonomy, Agriculture, Biotechnology and
Toxicology” organized by the Dr. B. Vasantharaj David Foundation on 17th November, 2019 at Chennai.
- Received Outstanding Achievement Award in the field of Agricultural Entomology (Study of Lac Insects) in the 3rd National Conference on
Promoting & Reinvigorating Agri-Horti Technological Innovations (PRAGATI - 2019) during 24 to 25th, December, 2019 at Dhanbad, Jharkhand.
- Received Young Scientist Award in appreciation of his outstanding contribution in the field of lac insect bio-diversity, tritopic interaction and
effect of climate change on lac cultivation. In National Web-Symposium on Recent Advances in Beneficial Insects, Natural Resins and Gums during 25 to
26 February 2021 at ICAR-IINRG, Ranchi by virtual mode.
- Received best oral paper presentation award for the paper entitled “Vegetative propagation of Flemingia semialata on root stock of F.
macrophylla for kusmi lac cultivation under water logged condition” In National Web-Symposium on Recent Advances in Beneficial Insects, Natural
Resins and Gums during 25 to 26 February 2021 at ICAR-IINRG, Ranchi by virtual mode.
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