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VENKATA SAIKRISHNA LANKA

Senior Breeder with over 29 years of successful experience in Breeding. Recognized consistently for performance excellence and contributions to success in industry.

Key Skills

BREEDING
Quality Control
Product Development
Research & Development

Professional Experience

Jan 2019
Present
SENIOR BREEDER (consultant)
SAHAJA CROP SCIENCES Hyderabad, IN
 
PLANNING AND EXECUTION OF ALL RESEARCH ACTIVIES 
QUALTIY INSPETION OF PRODUCTION FIELDS 
LAISENING WITH GOVERNMENT INSTITUTIONS 
PREPATRATION OF APPLICATIONS FOR LICENCING. 
PLANNING AND EXECUTION OF PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES 
TAKING CATE OF PARENTAL SEED PRODUCTION (MAINTENANCE BREEDING) 
ANY OTHER TECHNICAL DUTY ASSIGNED BY THE COMPANY MANAGEMENT. 
Sep 2016
Jan 2019
CEO
ARC GLOBAL TRADING LIMITED Accra, GH
 
Ø Visited Tanzania and Ghana of Africa and studied the conditions for cultivation of crops and seed production.
Ø Inspected lands, crops grown, seed production possibilities and agriculture practices.
Ø Studied land leasing patterns in Ghana.
Ø Irrigation sources and procedures in those countries.
Ø Trading practices of raw cashew nuts from both the above countries.
Ø Prepared a detailed project for seed production of rice and corn on leased land of Ghana 
Dec 2009
Aug 2016
LEAD COTTON CROP RESEARCH and Q.C
SUPER AGRI SEEDS PRIVATE LIMITED Hyderabad, IN
 
RESEARCH
COTTON CROP RESEARCH:
Ø Germplasm maintenance and characterization. A total of 700 parental lines including 400 USDA germplasm lines were characterized and stabilized.
Ø Development of new germplasm lines (RILs) through recombinant breeding. There are 600 plant populations in F2 generation, 1500 populations in F3 and 1400 populations in F4 generation.
Ø Conversion of Non-Bt parental lines to Bt parental lines through back crossing. 7 lines are in BC-2 and 9 lines in BC-1 generation.
Ø Conducting MLRT trials for Monsanto and submitting samples to MMB Laboratory for event purity test.
Ø 3 hybrids (H X H), one for North zone, two for central and south zone were released for market.
Ø 5 hybrids are in pipeline, one for north zone, one for rainfed areas of central and south zone, 2 for central zone and one for south zone irrigated tracts.
Ø Maintenance of Breeder seed and foundation seed for hybrids by testing zygocity of the parental lines for cry 1Ac and cry 2Ab genes.
Ø Conducting trials in all zones to assess the adaptability of hybrids in all 3 zones.
Ø Identify suitable hybrids for each zone and submitting samples to SAU trials to Universities.
Ø Conducting IBSC meetings and submitting minutes to GEAC.
Ø Testing (ELISA) of all foundation seed lots for presence of CRY -1Ac and CRY-2Ab genes.
Ø Submission of hybrids and parents for registration of PPV-FRA (Preparation of DUS characters as per the PPV-FRA format).
Ø Reverse breeding of Bt parental lines to obtain Non- Bt lines.
Ø Screening of germplasm lines for CLCVD tolerance in North zone.
PRODUCTION (Parental seed)
Ø Taking up breeder’s seed production for all the hybrids evolved. (all crops)
Ø Organizing foundation seed production and test hybrid seed production for all the hybrids produced. (all crops)
Ø Planning coordination and record maintenance of research activities for field crops.
QUALITY CONTROL
Ø Being the head of quality control, planning and execution of all activities of Quality Control (Q.C.) Lab and field Q.C.
Ø Personally inspecting the field Q.C. in cotton and sunflower crops.
Ø Looking after the quality standards of all 244 hybrids/varieties of 32 crops.
OTHER DUTIES
Ø Looking after all the regulatory activities of Bt cotton hybrids.
Ø Supervising biotechnology laboratory ELISA testing of hybrids.
Ø Handling foundation seed store and germplasm store.
Ø Planning, distribution, inspection and preparation of reports for IHT, AHT, MLT’s for all crops. 
Jan 2002
Dec 2009
HEAD, R&D, aND QUALITY CONTROL
NARMADA AGRI-TECH PRIVATE LIMITED Hyderabad, IN
 
RESEARCH
Ø Production and evaluation of crosses in various crops viz.,Cotton, Sun flower, Maize, Sorghum, Pearl millet, Paddy, Castor, Okra, Chillies, Tomato, Brinjal and Water melon.
Ø Maintained all the germplasm lines in above mentioned crops.
Ø Conduted trials for all the research hybrids and varieties produced by the company.
Ø Developed new parental lines in Cotton and Sunflower.
Ø Planning, budgeting and execution of all research activities.
PRODUCTION
Ø Produced breeder seed for all the hybrids evolved.
Ø Organized foundation seed production and test hybrid seed production for all the hybrids developed.
QUALITY CONTROL
Ø Germination and Grow Out Tests (GOT) were conducted to all seed lots produced.
Ø Conducted vigour tests as well as field germination tests when and where ever necessary.
OTHER DUTIES
Ø Prepared information for leaflets and other brochures.
Ø Organized Packing and distribution of foundation seed.
Ø Attended workshops conducted by ICAR and Agricultural Universities. 
Feb 1998
Dec 2001
SENIOR OFFICER QUALITY CONTROL
NAGARJUNA FERTILIZERS AND CHEMICALS LIMITED Hyderabad, IN
 
DUTIES PERFORMED
Ø Worked as a co-ordinator between NARDI (Research division) and NFCL Seeds division (Production Quality control and Marketing wing of NFCL Seeds).
RESEARCH :
Ø Conducted trials for all research hybrids produced by NARDI, and third party hybrids in the farm and in farmer’s field in crops viz., Paddy, Cotton, Sunflower, Maize, Bajra, Jowar, Tomato, Bhendi, Chillies, Brinjal, Cabbage, Cauliflower and Onion.
PRODUCTION
Ø Breeder and Foundation seed production for all research hybrids and varieties produced by NARDI.
Ø Involved in test hybrid seed production for all the hybrids and varieties released by NARDI.
QUALITY CONTROL
Ø Handled sampling and conducting Germination and Grow Out Tests (GOT) for all the seed lots produced for marketing.
OTHER DUTIES PERFORMED
Ø Processing, packing and dispatching all the foundation seeds.
Ø Coordinating and planning parental seed productions and trials with NARDI. 
Jul 1996
Feb 1998
RESEARCH EXECUTIVE
VIBHA AGRITECH PRIVATE LIMITED Hyderabad, IN
 
RESEARCH
Ø Production of crosses and exploitation of hybrid vigour in crops viz., Cotton, Sunflower, Maize, Pearl millet, Sorghum, Okra, and Tomato.
Ø Production and maintenance and of parental lines of Breeder and Foundation seed of all hybrids.
Ø Maintained germplasm lines of all the above crops mentioned.
Ø Produced and evaluated three way crosses in sunflower.
Ø Developed new parental lines in sunflower through B x B, R x R, and B x R crosses.
Ø Conducted Initial Hybrid Trials (IHT’s), Advanced Yield Trials (AYT’s), and Multi Location Trials (MLT’s) to evolve new hybrids.
PRODUCTION
Ø Organized foundation and test hybrid seed productions in farmer fields.
Ø Organized foundation seed production for public bred hybrids and varieties of Cotton, Sun flower, Maize, Sorghum, Pearl millet, Tomato, Okra, and Chillies.
QUALITY CONTROL
Ø Sampling and conducting Germination and Grow Out Tests (GOT) for all the seed lots produced.
OTHER DUTIES
Ø General farm management activities including Pest management, Chemical weed control operations, scheduling land preparations, irrigation’s, fertilizer applications, and preparation of lay outs for trials.
Ø Processing, packing, and storage of different kinds of seed material. 
Dec 1992
Jul 1996
PRODUCTION OFFICER
KHATAU JUNKER LIMITED Hyderabad, IN
 
PRODUCTION
Ø Involved in revalidation of seed stocks, registration of seed production plots with APSSCA, Organized seed production of Cotton, Sunflower. Field inspections and yield estimations.
QUALITY CONTROL
Ø Sampling and conducting Germination and Grow Out Tests (GOT) to all the seed lots produced.
RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT
Ø Handled crossing program in Tomato. Used 23 parental lines in di-allele fashion and produced 458 crosses by using emasculation and pollination technique. Also worked with CMS lines in tomato.
MARKETING AND DEVELOPMENT
Ø Planned and supervised advertisement campaign, conducted trials and demonstrations in farmer’s fields, collected orders from the market (worked in Kurnool, Nandhyal, Allagadda, Koilakuntla, and Proddatur markets).
PROCESSING AND DISTRIBUTION
Ø Supervised processing, packing and dispatch of all the seeds produced. 

Education

Jun 1977
Mar 1981
S.S.C in
BOARD OF SECONDARY EDUCATION A.P.
Jun 1981
Mar 1983
INTERMEDIATE in BOARD OF INTER MEDIATE EDUCATION A.P.
Jun 1983
Jun 1987
Bachelor of Science in
A.P. AGRICULTURE UNIVERSITY
Jun 1989
May 1991
Master of Science in
ORRISSA UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE
Jun 1987
Mar 1991
P.G.DIPLOMA in BHARATIYA VIDYA BHAVN
Jun 2003
Mar 2004
TRAINING PROGRAM ON AGRICLINICS & AGRIBUSINESS in MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE ,GOVT OF INDIA

Achievements

ACCOMPLISHMENTS
 
Ø Developed 40 new cotton Hirsutum lines unique of their kind (Narmada Agritech).
Ø Released 2 intra-Hirsutum cotton hybrids through conventional breeding viz.,one short duration hybrid (NANDINI) suitable for north zone and rain fed tracts of central zone (Narmada Agritech) and one medium duration hybrid (AWANTIKA) suitable for all cotton growing areas of India, which is completely tolerant to CLCV (Narmada Agritech).
Ø Developed 5 new cotton hybrids 2 for north zone, and 3 for south and central zone (Super Agriseeds).
Ø Developed 500 recombinant inbred lines in cotton and 400 recombinant inbred lines in Sunflower (Super Agriseeds). 
ATTENDED VARIOUS TRANING PROGRAMS
 
Ø  Attended training program on “Sunflower production technology” conducted by DOR in the year 1993. 
 
Ø  Attended National Symposium on “Changing world order- cotton research, development and policy context” conducted by CRDA and ANGRAU, in 2004. 
 
Ø  Attended training program on maintenance breeding conducted by ANGRAU in 2004. 
 
Ø  Attended international work shop on cotton conducted by International Cotton Genome Initiative in 2004. 
 
Ø  Attended training program on molecular breeding in barwale foundation in 2010. 
 
Ø  Attended training course on “Transgenic: Creation, detection, breeding and regulation” conducted by Barwale foundation in the year 2011. 
 
Ø  Attended training course on “Seed regulation, Quality assurance and certification” conducted by Barwale foundation in the year 2012. 
 
Ø  Attended training course on “ Phenomics for Stress tolerance” conducted by Barwale foundation in the year 2012. 

Languages

Hindi
(Fluent)
Telugu
(Native)
English
(Fluent)

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