Arunachalam Muthiah

Biography:

Dr. Arunachalam    Muthiah    studied    Agricultural    Science    at Tamilnadu     Agricultural     University(TNAU),     Coimbatore,     India during 1970—74. Graduated as Master of Science (1976) and Doctor of Philosophy in  Plant  Breeding and  Genetics in  1990  at  TNAU.  He joined  the  research  group  in  grain  legumes  in  1995  and  worked nearly for two decades in improvement grain legumes specifically for pigeonpea  improvement  with  higher  yield  potential  coupled  with biotic resistance for gram pod borer (Helicoverpa armigera ) and he is   responsible   for   the   development   of   pigeonpea   cultivar   CO8, maturing  in  170  – 180  days  with  average  grain  yield  of  1600  kg  /ha under    rainfed    conditions    ,    drought    tolerant    and    moderately resistant  to  pod  borer  complex.  This  variety  is  released  for  general cultivation   in   2017   in   India.   PPV   and   FR   authority   of   India   is provided  with  DNA  finger  printing  profile  for  this  cultivar.  During the  year  2013,  Dr.  Arunachalam  Muthiah  obtained  the  position  of Director,   Centre   for   Plant   Breeding   and   Genetics   Tamil   Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore,  India.