♣ Location Specific Sugarcane Variety Development.

♣ Molecular Sugarcane Breeding and Biotechnology.

♣ Sugarcane Transcriptomics and transgenics for Biotic and Abiotic Stress Tolerance

♣ Designs: Quatro sugarcane single bud cutter (QSSBC) for making large number of single bud setts in short period for benefit of sugarcane farming community (No 297432 /D/RI /SKB).

♣ Novel process for formulating a low-cost scarabid-specific bacillus thuringiensis biopesticide for management of white grub Holotrichia serrata. P. Mahesh, B. Singaravelu, J. Srikanth, K. Hari, K.P Salin, C. Sankaranarayanan, G.S. Suresha, C. Appunu, R. Nirmala, and M. Rajeshkumar IPO No. 202241011397 dated 03-03-2022

♣ “Novel lepidopteran active toxin gene(s) from Indigenous Bacillus thuringiensis and its use thereof” by B. Singaravelu, G.S. Suresha C. Appunu, J. Srikanth, K. Hari, C. Sankaranarayanan P. Mahesh, R. Nirmala and M. Rajeshkumar (27-11-2021).

♣ Original culture deposit for Bacillus thuringiensis Bt 62, Allotted accession Number: NAIMCC-IDA-3 dated 06-01-2022, was made in compliance with the BUDAPEST treaty on the international recognition of the deposit of microorganisms for the purposes of patent with National Agriculturally Important Microbial Culture Collection (NAIMCC), NBAIM, Mao by B. Singaravelu, P. Mahesh, , J. Srikanth, K. Hari, K.P Salin, C. Sankaranarayanan, G.S. Suresha, C. Appunu, R. Nirmala and M. Rajeshkumar

Ongoing Projects

♥ Enhancing Sugar Productivity in Tamil Nadu through Institute-Industry Participatory Approach (As Co-Project Leader) 2.0. SISMA-TN, Chennai.

♥ CRISPR Crop Network: Targeted improvement of stress tolerance, nutritional quality and yield of crops by using genome editing, ICAR-NASF, 85548 (66.10082), 16^th August 2022- 15^th August 2025.

♥ CRISPR/Cas mediated targeted editing for virus resistance in sugarcane (F.No. CRG/2020/003761, SERB, DST-CRG, 34.67, 30^th Dec 2020 -29^th Dec 2023.

♥ Cloning, expression and functional toxicity assay of cry1D, cry2Af and vip3Bb toxin genes from Bacillus thuringiensis isolate against Bt-resistant pink bollworm and  other important lepidopterans, Funded by M/s Rasi Seeds Attur, Salem Tamil Nadu,50, 2021-2023.

♥ Development of white grub (Holotrichia serrata) resistance in sugarcane and groundnut by deploying novel cry toxin holotype genes (Dr. C. Appunu, Dr. B. Singaravelu, Dr. G. S. Suresha, ICAR-SBI, Coimbatore) F. No. BT/PR12949/AGII/106/986/2015, ICAR-NASF, 23028, 1st August 2020-31st July 2023.

Completed Projects

♥ Isolation, functional characterization and evaluation of water deficit stress tolerance responsive genes from high drought tolerant Erianthus arundinaceus by comparative drought transcriptome analysis (As PI), DBT, New Delhi,916, 20^th June 2017 – 19^th June 2020.

♥ Development of sugarcane transgenics (As PI), ICAR Network Project, New Delhi, 22.75, 1^st Jan 2018- Continuous.

♥ Enhancing Sugar Productivity in Tamil Nadu through Institute-Industry Participatory Approach (As Co-Project Leader), SISMA-TN, Chennai, 46.20, 7^th Oct 2016 – 6^th Oct 2021.

♥ Deciphering interacting partners of PAMPs/Effectors of Colletotrichum falcatum that trigger innate immunity in sugarcane (As Co-PI), DBT, New Delhi, 50, 25^th April 2018 – 24^th April 2021.

♥ Identification of location specific sugarcane varieties suitable for different agroclimatic zones of Tamil Nadu (TASCO project) (As Co-PI), Directorate of Sugar, Govt. of Tamil Nadu, 7.00, 1^st July 2018-31^st January 2021.

♥ Development of Sugarcane bacilliform virus (SCBV) based VIGS vector for functional genomics in sugarcane (As Co-PI), Core Research Grant, DST, 40.73, 1^st April 2019-31^st March 2022.

♥ Vacuolar targeting of cellulases in sugarcane for bioethanol production, NPDF, DST, New Delhi, 19.20, 18 March 2016-17 March 2018.

♥ Isolation and functional characterization of low temperature responsive genes from high cold tolerant Saccharum spontaneum Arunachal Pradesh collection (As PI), DST, New Delhi, 22.40, 18 Feb 2014-Mar 2017.

♥ Genetic engineering of sugarcane for water deficit stress tolerance (As PI), DBT, New Delhi, 54.53 (80.21), May 2013- November 2016.

♥ Pyramiding of transcriptional factor and ROS scavenger candidate genes for improved drought tolerance in sugarcane (As PI), ICAR-EMR, New Delhi, 45.00, January 2016-March 2017.

♥ Proteomics and Biotechnological approaches to develop forage legumes with improved tolerance to abiotic stresses: genes involved and production of genetically modified plants (As PI), Ministry of Science and Innovation, Spain, 90.5, August 2010-February 2012.

♦ Click here for Publication Details

♦ Hemaprabha G, Mohanraj K, Appunu C, Mahadevaiah C, Bakshi Ram (Eds). 2018. A guide to identification of elite sugarcane clones under testing in Tamil Nadu, p.1-48. ICAR-Sugarcane Breeding Institute, Coimbatore, India.

♦ Ramasubramaniam T, Singaravelu B and Appunu C (Eds). 2016. Techniques in insect molecular biology and toxicology, ICAR- Sugarcane Breeding Institute, Coimbatore, p.1-100 (Training manual).

♦ Hemaprabha G, Mohanraj K, Appunu C, Bakshi Ram (Eds). 2016. Hand Book on Identification of Promising Sugarcane Clones, p.1-26. ICAR-Sugarcane Breeding Institute, Coimbatore, India.

♦ Govindaraj P, Appunu C, Mohanraj K, Anna Durai A and Vijayan Nair N. 2013. Manual on Breeding Climate Resilient Sugarcane Varieties p.1-278. ICAR-Sugarcane Breeding Institute, Coimbatore, India.

♦ Govindaraj P, Mohanraj K, Appunu C, Jayakumar V, Ravinder Kumar, Manjunatha T and Sivaraman K (Eds). 2012. Hundred years of research in sugarcane, p.1-317. ICAR-Sugarcane Breeding Institute, Coimbatore, India.

♦ Appunu C, Hari K, Jayakumar V, Mohanraj K and Sivaraman K (Eds). 2012. Classic papers on sugarcane – C A Barber – Volume I, p. 1-563, ICAR-Sugarcane Breeding Institute, Coimbatore, India.

♦ Appunu C, Hari K, Jayakumar V, Govindaraj P, Puthira Prathap D, Mohanraj K, Karpagam C, Murali P and Sivaraman K (Eds). 2012. Classic papers on sugarcane – C A Barber -Volume II, P. 1-175, ICAR-Sugarcane Breeding Institute, Coimbatore, India.

♦ Karpagam C, Shanthi RM, Anna Duar A, Appunu C and Viswanathan R (Eds). 2012. Exhibitors catalogue of International Symposium on New Paradigms of Sugarcane Research organized by ICAR-Sugarcane Breeding Institute, Coimbatore, 15-18 October 2012, p. 1-16.

♦ Appunu C, Jayakumar V, Puthiraprathap D, Hari K, Govindaraj P and Sivaraman K (Eds). 2012. Classic Papers on Sugarcane – Sir T S Venkatraman, p.1-397. ICAR-Sugarcane Breeding Institute, Coimbatore, India.

♦ Appunu C, Jayakumar V, Govindaraj P, Puthiraprathap D, Karpagam C, Murali P, Hari K and Sivaraman K (Eds). 2012. Classic papers on Sugarcane – Nand Lal Dutt, p.1-151, ICAR-Sugarcane Breeding Institute, Coimbatore, India.

♦ Appunu C, Jayakumar V, Govindaraj P, Puthiraprathap D, Murali P, Karpagam C, Mohanraj K, Hari K and Sivaraman K (Eds). 2012. Classic papers on Sugarcane – T S Raghavan, p.1-124, ICAR-Sugarcane Breeding Institute, Coimbatore, India.

♦ Appunu C, Jayakumar V, Hari K, Govindaraj P, Puthiraprathap D, Mohanraj K, Karpagam C, Murali P and Sivaraman K (Eds). 2012. Classic papers on Sugarcane – E K Janaki Ammal, p.1- 91, ICAR-Sugarcane Breeding Institute, Coimbatore, India.

♦ Appunu C, Jayakumar V, Hari K, Govindaraj P, Puthiraprathap D, Mohanraj K and Sivaraman K (Eds). 2012. Classic papers on Sugarcane – N Parthasarathy, p.1-31, ICAR-Sugarcane Breeding Institute, Coimbatore, India.

♦ Appunu C, Mohanraj K, RavinderKumar, Manjunatha T, Jayakumar V, Hari K, Puthiraprathap D, Sivaraman K and Manivannan B (Eds). 2012. Abstracts of Research Publications (1987-2012), p.1-332. ICAR-Sugarcane Breeding Institute, Coimbatore, India.

♥ Appunu C, G. Hemaprabha and Bakshi Ram. 2021. Performance of new varieties suitable for Tamil Nadu and results of research trials. All India Co-ordinated Research Project on Sugarcane, Co-ordinated agronomic experiments/Adaptive Research Trial and SBI-SISMA/SBI-TNCSF Varietal trials. In 51st Meeting of Sugarcane Research & Development Workers of Tamil Nadu & Puducherry, Tiruchenkode, Tamil Nadu, 241-248.

♥ Appunu C. Genetic transformation and genome editing for improved agronomic performance of sugarcane varieties. 2020. In: Recent Scientific Advances in Sugarcane Cultivation for Doubling Farmer’s Income (Eds Bakshi Ram et al.), Dilpreet Publishing House, Srinagar, J&K, pp. 134-140.

♥ Harinath Babu K., R. M. Devarumath, A. S. Thorat, V. M. Nalavade, Mayur Saindane, C. Appunu and P. Suprasanna. 2020. Sugarcane Transgenics: Developments and Opportunities. In Genetically Modified Crops (P. B. Kavi Kishor et al. (eds.), Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

♥ Arun Kumar. R, Vasantha. S, Pooja. D, C.Appunu and V. Krishnapriya Arunkumar. 2020. Temperature Extremes in Sugarcane- An Overview. In Management of Abiotic stress in Crop Plants (Gurumurthy S and Senjam Jinus S). Innovative Publication 127-138.

♥ Gauri Nerkar, G. S. Suresha, Bakshi Ram, C. Appunu. 2019. Key challenges in developing products from transgenic plants. In Advances in Plant Transgenics: Methods and Applications (Eds: Sathishkumar R, Kumar SR, Hema J, Baskar V). Springer Nature, Switzerland, p. 315-331.

♥ Appunu C, G. Hemaprabha and Bakshi Ram. 2019. Enhancing sugarcane productivity in Tamil Nadu through institute-industry participatory approach. Technical Session – IV: All India Co-ordinated Research Project on Sugarcane, Co-ordinated agronomic experiments and SBI-SISMA trials. 50th Meeting of Sugarcane Research & Development Workers of Tamil Nadu & Puducherry, Chennai 355-363.

♥ Lovejot Kaur and Appunu C. 2018. Role of biotechnology for enhancing yield under water deficit Stress conditions. In: Crop Improvement for Sustainability (Eds. PK Yadav, Sunil Kumar, Sandeep Kumar and RC Yadav) Daya Publishing House, Astral International Pvt. Ltd, New Delhi – 110 002. p. 1-547.

♥ Appunu C, G. Hemaprabha and Bakshi Ram. 2018. Enhancing sugarcane productivity in Tamil Nadu through institute-industry participatory approach. Technical Session – IV: All India Co-ordinated Research Project on Sugarcane, Co-ordinated agronomic experiments and SBI-SISMA trials. 49th Meeting of Sugarcane Research & Development Workers of Tamil Nadu & Puducherry, Erode, 355-363.

♥ Valarmathi R, H.K. Mahadeva Swamy, V. Ulaganathan and C. Appunu. Evaluation of Erianthus germplasm for drought tolerance related traits. In Payir Marabiyal. Eds. R.Vinoth, V.Ulaganathan, R. Muthu Vijaya Raghavan. ISBN978-81-939394-8-2.

♥ Ulaganathan V, H.K. Mahadeva Swamy, R. Valarmathi, Muthukumar and C. Appunu. Principal component analysis of drought tolerance traitsin Erianthus germplasm. In Payir Marabiyal. Eds. R.Vinoth, V.Ulaganathan, R. Muthu Vijaya Raghavan. ISBN978-81-939394-8-2.

♥ Lovejot Kaur, Dharshini S, Bakshi Ram and Appunu C. 2017. Sugarcane genomics and transcriptomics. In: Sugarcane Biotechnology: Challenges and Prospects (Mohan ed.). Springer Nature, Switzerland, p. 13-32.

♥ Ashwin Narayan J, Manoj VM, Lovejot Kaur and Appunu C. 2017. Unraveling the sugarcane genome: Progress made so far and challenges ahead. In: Sugarcane Biotechnology: Challenges and Prospects (Mohan ed.). Springer Nature, Switzerland, p. 33-50.

♥ Appunu C, Bakshi Ram and Subramonian N. 2017. Sugarcane: An efficient platform for molecular farming. In: Sugarcane Biotechnology: Challenges and Prospects (Mohan ed.). Springer Nature, Switzerland, p. 87-110.

♥ Suresha GS, Mahadevaiah C and Appunu C. 2017. Biotechnological interventions for improving sucrose accumulation in sugarcane. In: Sugarcane Biotechnology: Challenges and Prospects (Mohan ed.). Springer Nature, Switzerland, p. 111-122.

♥ Appunu C., G. Hemaprabha and Bakshi Ram. AICRP (S) and SBI-SISMA TRIALS. 2017. Technical Session – IV: All India Co-ordinated Research Project on Sugarcane, Co-ordinated agronomic experiments and SBI-SISMA trials. 48th Meeting of Sugarcane Research & Development Workers of Tamil Nadu & Puducherry, Salem, 269-278.

♥ Lakshmi K, C. Appunu, Ravinder Kumar, M.R. Meena and Deepak Kumar Yadav. 2016. Transgenic Approaches for Biotic Stress Tolerance in Plants. In: Recent Advances in Plant Stress Physiology (eds Dr. Praduman Yadav, Dr. Sunil Kumar, Dr. Veena Jain). Astral International Pvt. Ltd, New Delhi – 110 002. Pp. 1-539.

♥ Ganapathy S, Jeyachandran M, Shanmuganathan M, Saravanan NA, Appunu C, Anna Durai A, Chandrasekaran R and Thirumurugan A. 2016. Performance of early and midlate sugarcane clones in adaptive research trial (ART/CAE) across Tamil Nadu. 47th Meeting of Sugarcane Research & Development Workers of Tamil Nadu & Puducherry 230-234.

♥ Appunu C, Ashwin Narayan J and Lovejot Kaur. 2016. Transgenic approaches for developing stress tolerant cultivars. In: ICAR sponsored winter school on Biotechnological and conventional tools for biotic and abiotic stress management in sugarcane, ICAR- Sugarcane Breeding Institute, Coimbatore, p.277-284 (Winter school manual).

♥ Appunu C, G. Hemaprabha, A. Annadurai. 2016. Karimbu makasoolil pinnokiya maavattathuketra adhika mahasool tharum karimbu ragangal. In: Karumbu Urpathiyil Naveena thozilnutpangal (eds P. Murali, T. Puthira Prathap, V. Venkatasubramanian & T. Rajula Shanthy) Published by ICAR – Sugarcane Breeding Institute, Coimbatore – 641 007. SBI/NABARD/2016/TA/01. pp 5-8.

♥ Naveena Rani M, Appunu C and Lovejot. 2016. Confirmation of recombinant clones by colony PCR and restriction digestion In: Techniques in insect molecular biology and toxicology, ICAR-Sugarcane Breeding Institute, Coimbatore, p.74-89.

♥ Naveena Rani M, Appunu C, Love jot, Dharshini S. 2016. Preparation of coli competent cells. In: Techniques in insect molecular biology and toxicology, ICAR-Sugarcane Breeding Institute, Coimbatore, p. 59-64.

♥ Appunu C, Naveena Rani M, Dharshini S, Ashwin Narayan J, Manoj VM. 2016. Cloning of mtCOI and cry gene fragments. In: Techniques in insect molecular biology and toxicology, ICAR-Sugarcane Breeding Institute, Coimbatore, p. 65-73.

♥ Appunu C, Naveena Rani M, Ashwin Narayan J and Manoj VM. 2016. Plasmid isolation and confirmation of insert. In: Techniques in insect molecular biology and toxicology, ICAR-Sugarcane Breeding Institute, Coimbatore, p. 90-96.

♥ Appunu C, T. Manjunatha, A. Anna Durai, K. Mohanraj, G. Suresha and R. Arun Kumar. 2015. Bio-engineering of osmolytes production in plants: a novel approach to counter abiotic stress. In: Challenges and Prospective of Plant Abiotic Stress -Volume 1 (Ratna Kumar Pasala, Kiran Bhagat, Yogeshwar Singh eds), Today & Tomorrow’s Printers and Publishers, New Delhi.

♥ Nair NV and Appunu C. 2008. Application of Biotechnology in Agricultural Research. In short course: Application of molecular tools in identifying disease resistance genes/ mechanisms in crop plants, Sugarcane Breeding Institute, Coimbatore pp. 1-8.

1. Fellow of National Society of biological Sciences (FNABS)
2.  
3. General Secretary, Society for sugarcane Research and Development (SSRD), Coimbatore (2021 onwards)
4.  
5. Best Scientist Award by ICAR- Sugarcane Breeding Institute, Coimbatore
6.  
7. Joint Secretary, Society for sugarcane Research and Development (SSRD), Coimbatore (2019-2021)
8.  
9. Received Noel Deerr Gold Medal Award 2019 in 77^th Annual Convention of The Sugar Technologists’ Association of India (STAI), New Delhi.
10.  
11. Assistant Public Information Officer, ICAR-SBI, Coimbatore since 19.12. 2019
12.  
13. Best Biotechnologists Award by National Agriculture Development Co-operative Ltd in International Conference on Innovations in Plant and Animal Sciences for Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development (IPASSARD 2019) during 07-09 December 2019.
14.  
15. Received Best Poster presentation award in National conference of Integrative Biochemistry and Biotechnology organized by IIRR during 08-09 November 2019, Hyderabad.
16.  
17. Young Scientist Award by Society for Scientific Development in Agriculture and Technology in International Conference on GRISAAS-2018 during 28-30 October 2018.
18.  
19. Received Best Poster presentation award in National Conference on Basic and Applied Biological Sciences organized during 10 -11 October 2018 by Bharathiar University, Coimbatore.
20.  
21. Received Best Oral presentation award in National Conference on Novel Trends in Bioscience (NCNTB 2018), 3rd February, Hindusthan College of Arts and Science, Coimbatore.
22.  
23. Received Best Poster presentation award in International Symposium on Sugarcane Research Since Co 205: 100 Years and Beyond (SucroSym-2017) during 18-21^st September, 2017, Coimbatore.
24.  
25. Received Noel Deerr Gold Medal Award 2017 in 74th Annual Convention of The Sugar Technologists’ Association of India (STAI), New Delhi.
26.  
27. Received Best Poster presentation award in InterDrought-V International Conference organized by ICRISAT during 21-25, February 2017 at HICC, Kondapur, Hyderabad, Telangana.
28.  
29. Received Best Poster presentation award in International Conference 2016: Sugarcane Value Chain- Vision 2025 at Vasantdada Sugar Institute from October 13-16 at Pune, Maharashtra.
30.  
31. Editorial Board Member of Crop Research Journal (NASS rated journal) since 2015
32.  
33. Consulting Editor of Sugar Tech Journal (NASS rated journal) since 2016
34.  
35. Editorial Board Member of Journal of Sugarcane Research (NASS rated journal) since 2018
36.  
37. Received Best paper presentation award in National Seminar on Recent Advances and Challenges in Sugarcane Research, Mandya-UAS, GKVK, Bangalore, 23-24 January, 2014
38.  
39. Received Best Poster presentation award In International Symposium on New Paradigms in Sugarcane Research, held at Coimbatore from October 15-18, 2012.
40.  
41. Research guide recognition in Anna University, Chennai, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore and Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli (Since 2014).
42.  
43. External Expert Member of Institute Biosafety Committee (IBSC), Bharathiar University, Coimbatore.
44.  
45. External Expert Member-Doctoral Committee of Ph. D Students, Department of Biotechnology, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore
46.  
47. External Expert Member-Doctoral Committee of Ph. D Students, Department of Biotechnology, Bharathidasan University, Trichy
48.  
49. External Expert Member-Doctoral Committee of Ph. D Students, Department of Biotechnology, Anna University Campus, Trichy
50.  
51. Young Scientist Award by Science and Engineering Research Board, Department of Science and Technology, New Delhi 
52.  
53. Fellow of Society of Applied Biotechnology (2013 onwards) University of Karnatak, Karnataka, India
54.  
55. Received Young Doctor Foreign Mobility Award from Ministry of Education and Innovation, Government of Spain from August 2010-January 2012.
56.  
57. Postdoctoral Fellow- Department of Biotechnology, Government of India- Fellowship Award, M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, Chennai from July, 2007- June, 2008