مؤلف: Prof. Hazra (Dr) Pranab

Professor K.V. Peter, former Vice- Chancellor and Professor of Horticulture, Kerala Agricultural University, Thrissur, India and presently Director, World Noni Research Foundation, Chennai, Tamil Nadu is basically a teacher and an acknowledged Science manager. Dr. Peter is Chairman, Research Advisory Committee, Indian Institute of Vegetable Research, Varanasi, India; Trustee, Federal Ashwas Trust, Federal Bank, Aluva; Member Academic Council and Board of Studies, IGNOU, New Delhi and Chairman, NAIP-Cashew, CEPC, Quilon. He has been awarded various recognitions and awards-Rafi Ahmad Kidwai Award, Dr M H Marigowda National Award, HSI-Shivasakthi Award etc. He edited and/or written over 65 books-the most read one being the book “Plantation Crops” published by National Book Trust of India, in three languages. He is a Fellow of NAAS, NASI and NABS. Dr. Pranab Hazra (b. 1960), M. Sc. (Ag.), Ph. D. in Vegetable Science, Professor in the Department of Vegetable Crops, Faculty of Horticulture, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswa-vidyalaya, Mohanpur, West Bengal, India has professional experience of more than 26 years in teaching and research in Vegetable Science. His field of expertise is Vegetable breeding, seed production, hybrid technology and inherent pollination control mechanisms. He has so far guided 11 Ph. D. students. He has so far handled 10 research projects financed by different Governmental organizations. He is also actively engaged in “Vegetable seed village” programme and extension activities on different aspects of Vegetable Science. He was Awarded FAO Fellowship from FAO, Rome for an international course “Biotechnology in Agriculture” at Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel. He was consultant technical expert for the study on the “Feasibility of setting up an Agri- Export zone for vegetables in West Bengal”. He was the member of the working sub group “Vegetable crops” for XI Five year Plan, Planning Commission, Govt. of India. He was the member of the working group “Vegetable Production” and “Seeds and Agricultural Management” sub-committee of the Agriculture Commission”, Govt. of West Bengal.He was Visiting Scientist to the Institute of Genetics, Bulgarian Academy of Science, Sofia, Bulgaria in terms of Indo-Bulgaria project of Department of Science and Technology, Govt. of India. He has been nominated as the “Fellow” of the Indian Society of Vegetable Science. He has so far developed two non-viny, photo insensitive and high yielding vegetable cowpea variety; two tomato hybrids, one tolerant to tomato leaf curl virus and the other rich in lycopene content and several breeding lines. As a prolific writer, he has so far published 107 research papers in National and International journal of repute and written 7 books, 16 book chapters in 13 books, 3 teaching manuals, 4 technical manuals and a number of popular articles. Prof. Hazra is the member of several professional bodies and societies including European Association for Research on Plant Breeding, Vegetable Section. He has so far visited Bangladesh, Israel, Poland, Netherlands, Bulgaria, United Arab Emirates, Malaysia and Spain in connection with invited delegate, FAO Fellow, International seminars and visiting scientist.