Smart Horticulture Production

Rajni Rajan, PhD, is a Subject Matter Specialist (Climate Change) at the Bankers Institute of Rural Development, India. Her research focuses on fruit breeding, biotechnology, tissue culture, abiotic stress management, and mutation breeding in fruit crops. She has published research papers, book chapters, and popular articles in journals and magazines and serves on the editorial boards of multiple reputable publications. She has also published two patents and was awarded one design patent by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India.

Duniya Ram Singh, PhD, serves as the Vice Chancellor of Bihar Agricultural University, India. Prior to this, he was Vice Chancellor at Chandra Shekhar Azad University of Agriculture and Technology, where he spearheaded its accreditation as the first NAAC-accredited state agricultural university in the country. Additionally, he has served as the Vice Chancellor in charge of Chhatrapati Shahu Ji Maharaj University and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel University of Agriculture and Technology, India. Other roles include Director of the ICAR-National Research Centre for Orchids in Sikkim; Senior Scientist at the ICAR-Central Island Agricultural Research Institute, Port Blair; among others. A prolific scholar, Dr. Singh has published 250 research papers, authored 19 books, many bulletins, and eight policy papers. His work has earned him 32 awards from national and international bodies. Dr. Singh initiated the planting of 60,000 plantlets and promoted noni as a major crop in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, alongside coconut and areca nut. He also developed a standardized tissue culture protocol for dragon fruits and introduced three new orchid varieties.