Himachal: Agricultural University Scientist Wins Research Award

Himachal Pradesh: Akhilesh Sharma, a Professor of Botany at the Chaudhary Sarwan Kumar Himachal Pradesh Agricultural University, was honored with the Dr. Biswajit Choudhury Memorial Award for ‘Outstanding Vegetable Research Scientist.’ This award was presented during the Group Meeting of the ‘All India Coordinated Research Project on Vegetable Crops,’ held at the Sri Konda Laxman Telangana State Horticultural University in Hyderabad. The University’s Vice-Chancellor congratulated Prof. Sharma on this achievement and lauded his contributions to vegetable research, innovation, and human resource development. He stated that this honor is a matter of pride for the university and reflects its unwavering commitment to excellence in agricultural research and education.
Prof. Sharma was felicitated for his contributions toward the improvement of vegetable crops, benefiting both farmers and the academic community. He has developed 27 vegetable varieties and hybrids, including peas, chilies, cauliflower, fenugreek, parthenocarpic cucumber, tomato, and cherry tomato. His techniques have been commercialized through licensing agreements with 17 seed companies, thereby facilitating their widespread dissemination and adoption. He also contributed to the development of DUS guidelines for chilies, paprika, and capsicum grown under protected conditions. Furthermore, four of his vegetable production techniques have been incorporated into the ‘Official Package of Practices’ (POP).