Scientists

Dr Joseph John K, Principal Scientist, NBPGR Regional Station, Thrissur is engaged in PGR conservation activities in the humid peninsular region since 1994.Between 1987 and 1994 he has worked on the enumeration and identification of weed flora of Uttarakhand hills  and on improvement of pulses and oilseeds in Western Himalayas. One bulletin each on Weed flora and less cultivated economic plants of Kumaun hills was published. Contributed to the development of VL Soya-2 and VL Masoor-4, both released varieties from VPKAS, Almora. He has conducted 47 exploration and collection missions to various parts of Western Ghats, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep Islands and North Eastern states. Taxonomy and crossability relationship in the genera Momordica, Abelmoschus and Cucumis were worked out. Taxonomic confusion regarding botanical identity of Assam Kakrol was resolved. Two new species, endemic to Western Ghats; Momordica sahyadrica and Abelmoschus enbeepeegeearensis were discovered. Contributed to description of Vigna konkanensis and Momordica X suboica. He was instrumental in the collection and exsitu conservation of RET  CWR,s like Mangifera andamanica, Artocarpus chaplasha, Baccaurea ramiflora, Garcinia hombroniana, Cucumis silentvallei, C. indicus, C. muriculatus, C. hystrix, Abelmoschus angulosus var. purpureus, A. Angulosus var. angulosus, Momordica cochinchinensis etc. Identified potential wild economic plants like Hematocarpus validus, Caryota mitis , Garcinia cowa, Sterculia parviflora , teasel gourd and sweet gourd for cultivation.  He has assembled a good collection of variability in poly-embryonic mangoes of West coast, Kerala rice land races, Teasel gourd from North East, Sweet gourd from Andaman islands, Ivy gourd and rambutan from Kerala, Leafy amaranth from tribal pockets across Western Ghats, Carotenoid rich cucumber, scented ash gourd, pumpkin and yard long bean from North Eastern states and the like. Six amphidiploids fertile synthetic species of okra with wild Abelmoschus species as paternal parent was developed for transferring YVMV resistance to cultivated okra. Conducted over 10 field days for the benefit of vegetable breeders. He had over 100 publications including a monograph on Asiatic Momordica.

1. Recipient of the Dr. R.K. Arora Best Paper Award of the Indian Society of Plant Genetic Resources for the year 2008 for his outstanding research paper entitled "Occurrence, Distribution and Ex-situ regeneration of Balsam apple (Momordica balsamina) in India" published in the Indian Journal of Plant Genetic Resources.
2. Recipient of the Dr. R.K. Arora Best Paper Award of the Indian Society of Plant Genetic Resources for the year 2010 for the research paper entitled "Floristic Diversity of Potential Horticultural Plants in Bay Islands" authored by Sharma TVRS, V Jayakumar, TC Shyju, S Rajalakshmi, KN Gaeshaiah, K Joseph John and RC Srivastava, and published in the Indian Journal of Plant Genetic Resources.