Dr. Prabhu Dayal Meena, is working as Principal Scientist (Plant Pathology) & Incharge, Crop Protection Unit, at ICARDirectorate of Rapeseed-Mustard Research, Bharatpur, Rajasthan, India after joining ICAR on 15.3.1989. He is also working as the Principal Investigator of All India Coordinated Research Project on Rapeseed-Mustard. He has conducted research on different aspects of rapeseed-mustard diseases including host resistance, management, epidemiology, screening techniques and variability of Alternaria, Albugo candida and Sclerotinia. He has developed and registered seven trait specific novel germplasm including DRMR-2019 (IC0598622/ INGR17077), DRMR-2035 (IC0598623/ INGR17078) for white rust resistance, DRMRTJ 2016 (INGR 20038) for tetralocular siliquae, long main shoot (119.7 cm), high siliqua density (1.09), DRMR 4001 (IC632086/INGR 19085) for drought tolerance, DRMR 4005 (IC632087/INGR 19086) for thermos tolerance at junenile stage coupled with high seed and oil yield, DRMRTJ 2016 (IC 635042/INGR 20038) tetralocular siliquae, long main shoot, high silique density, DRMR-WFYSM 15 (INGR 20039) for white flower, yellow seed coat colour, appressed siliqua orientation of Indian mustard. He has been associated in the development of six high yielding B. juncea variety NRCDR-02 (MDOC 43 X NBPGR 36), NRCHB-101 (BL 4 X Pusa Bold), the first hybrid in India of Indian mustard (B. juncea) NRCHB-506 (MJA 05 X MJR 1), NRCDR-601 (NBPGR 272 X RK 9903), DRMR 2017-15 (Ashirwad x DRMR 2486), and one Yellow Sarson (B. rapa spp Yellow Sarson) variety NRCYS-05-02. Dr. Meena has been identified Rhizoctonia leaf spot of groundnut caused by Rhizoctonia solani Kuhn first time in India. He also reported Alternaria citri Ellis & Pears causing yellow leaf spot of rapeseed-mustard was reported first in India, first report of Nigrospora oryzae (Berk. & Broome) Petch causing stem blight disease of Brassica juncea and reported Bacterial rot caused by Erwinia carotovora cv. carotovora (Jones) Bergy emerged as a threat for rapeseed-mustard production system in India and reported a new fungal species, Fusarium equiseti (Corda) Sacc., from Brassica juncea in Rajasthan.

He has been involved in conducting research mainly on diseases of rapeseed-mustard including white rust (Albugo candida), downy mildew (Hyaloperonospora parasitica), Alternaria blight (Alternaria brassicae), powdery mildew (Erysiphae cruciferarum), and Sclerotinia rot (Sclerotinia sclerotiorum). His research has mainly focused on epidemiology, chemical and other abiotic factors on yield, chemical and biological, and integrated control, disease resistance and developing disease forecasting models. He has developed forecasting models and image based user friendly software for risk analysis, decision support, identification and management of different diseases in rapeseed-mustard. He identified and developed formulation of Trichoderma harzianum isolate GR and aqueous bulb extract (1%) of Allium sativum for effective control of Alternaria blight and Sclerotinia rot of rapeseed-mustard. Dr. Meena identified the critical growth stages of crop was 45 and 75 days after sowing, Lower three leaf removal at 40 days after sowing, and application of micronutrients i.e. Zn, S, Cu for the Alternaria blight disease development. Collected about 800 Alternaria brassicae isolates infecting rapeseed-mustard in India, purified, characterized and developed National Repository of 22 isolates with passport data at NBAIM, Mau (NAIMCC-F-02599-02620). Pathogenic variability among A. brassicae population in India studied using seed, cotyledonary and adult stage of oilseed Brassica. He developed a methodology for production and germination of oospores of Albugo candida and a new technique for rapeseed screening of germplasm and also devise a new rating scale against Alternaria blight in laboratory condition at cotyledonary stage. He has published about 110 research papers, reviews, in reputed national and international journals, bulletins, book chapters and 10 books by CABI, Springer etc.

Dr. Meena has been honored with Fellow of Indian Society of Mycology and Plant Pathology, Plant Protection Association of India, Indian Society of Oilseed Research, Society for Rapeseed-Mustard Research, Indian Phytopathological Society, and also awarded with Dr. P.R. Kumar Outstanding Brassica Scientist Award by the Society for Rapeseed-Mustard Research. He has been awarded as the best scientist award-2013 of the ICAR-DRMR. He served as the founder Secretary of Society for Rapeseed-Mustard Research since 2008, and managing editor (2012-13, 2015-20) for the Journal of Oilseed Brassica, editor of Journal of Mycology and Plant Pathology. He has been organized four successful National Brassica Conferences at CCSHAU, Hisar (2012), PAU, Ludhiana (2014), IARI, New Delhi (2017), and CSAUAT, Kanpur (2019) as Convener & Secretary of SRMR. He visited UK during 2007 under Indo-UK Collaborative Research on Oilseed Brassica crops. He has been supervised 9 M Sc and Co-supervised one Ph D student. He has been worked as member of different selection committees for selection of Associate Professor, Asstt. Professor, Technical, Administrative and supporting positions in CAU, SAU, ICAR etc.