SKUAST-K has secured a major scientific windfall, winning eight high-impact R&D projects worth Rs 7.22 crore from the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF). The funding, awarded through a rigorous national competitive call, is set to accelerate agricultural innovation and solidify the university’s position as a premier hub for cutting-edge research and innovations.
The selection marks a significant milestone for the university, as it emerged from a massive pool of over 12,600 proposals submitted by top-tier universities and national laboratories across the country. Following a stringent peer-review process, these eight sanctioned projects will focus on disease resistant apple, modernising saffron cultivation, climate resilient beans, pheromone-based moth management, genomic database for Himalayan sheep, regenerative medicine, diagnostic platform, and early detection of fruit diseases to address the region's most pressing agricultural and biosecurity challenges.
While congratulating the Principal Investigators of the projects for securing these high impact grants, Vice Chancellor, SKUAST-K Prof Nazir Ahmad Ganai said these eight initiatives represent a transformative leap for SKUAST-K, with the potential to reshape regional farming and contribute significantly to food security and environmental health.
One of the primary projects, led by Dr Abdul Rouf Malik, targets apple scab, a fungal disease that regularly impacts the livelihoods of orchardists throughout the Himalayan region. By utilizing gene-network modelling and transcriptomics, the research team intends to develop disease-resistant apple cultivars, which could significantly reduce pesticide use and improve the sustainability of temperate horticulture. Similarly, a project led by Dr. Mudasir Ahmad Mir focuses on saffron, employing CRISPR-Cas–based genome editing to overcome the crop's long dormancy period. This research aims to enable biannual cultivation, offering a potential solution to stagnating yields and climate-related stress for one of the world’s most valuable spices.
In the area of food security, Dr. Bilal Ahmed Padder is leading a study on the common bean that utilizes genomic-enabled breeding to build durable resistance against anthracnose. This shift toward genetic improvement seeks to replace chemical disease control with more climate-resilient strategies. Environmental sustainability is further addressed by Dr. Barkat Hussain, who is developing pheromone-based management tools for the diamondback moth. By testing ecological lures across different agro-climatic regions, the project aims to provide a viable alternative to traditional insecticides for cruciferous crops. Project funded to Dr Khursheed Ahmed Sheikh will provide timely, accurate pest data for early detection and control, reducing crop losses, input costs, and reliance on broad‑spectrum pesticides.
The university’s livestock research is represented by Dr Mohsin Ayoub Mir who will establish the first comprehensive genomic database for temperate Himalayan sheep and Dr Mudasir Bashir Gugjoo to develop Biomimetic scaffold for bone repair. This initiative is designed to support science-driven breeding for better growth and meat production while ensuring the genetic diversity of sheep in fragile mountain ecosystems. Finally, a biosecurity project led by Dr Aflaq Hamid involves creating a CRISPR-Cas12a diagnostic platform for the rapid detection of tulip viruses.
SKUAST-K has secured a major scientific windfall, winning eight high-impact R&D projects worth Rs 7.22 crore from the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF). The funding, awarded through a rigorous national competitive call, is set to accelerate agricultural innovation and solidify the university’s position as a premier hub for cutting-edge research and innovations.
The selection marks a significant milestone for the university, as it emerged from a massive pool of over 12,600 proposals submitted by top-tier universities and national laboratories across the country. Following a stringent peer-review process, these eight sanctioned projects will focus on disease resistant apple, modernising saffron cultivation, climate resilient beans, pheromone-based moth management, genomic database for Himalayan sheep, regenerative medicine, diagnostic platform, and early detection of fruit diseases to address the region's most pressing agricultural and biosecurity challenges.
While congratulating the Principal Investigators of the projects for securing these high impact grants, Vice Chancellor, SKUAST-K Prof Nazir Ahmad Ganai said these eight initiatives represent a transformative leap for SKUAST-K, with the potential to reshape regional farming and contribute significantly to food security and environmental health.
One of the primary projects, led by Dr Abdul Rouf Malik, targets apple scab, a fungal disease that regularly impacts the livelihoods of orchardists throughout the Himalayan region. By utilizing gene-network modelling and transcriptomics, the research team intends to develop disease-resistant apple cultivars, which could significantly reduce pesticide use and improve the sustainability of temperate horticulture. Similarly, a project led by Dr. Mudasir Ahmad Mir focuses on saffron, employing CRISPR-Cas–based genome editing to overcome the crop's long dormancy period. This research aims to enable biannual cultivation, offering a potential solution to stagnating yields and climate-related stress for one of the world’s most valuable spices.
In the area of food security, Dr. Bilal Ahmed Padder is leading a study on the common bean that utilizes genomic-enabled breeding to build durable resistance against anthracnose. This shift toward genetic improvement seeks to replace chemical disease control with more climate-resilient strategies. Environmental sustainability is further addressed by Dr. Barkat Hussain, who is developing pheromone-based management tools for the diamondback moth. By testing ecological lures across different agro-climatic regions, the project aims to provide a viable alternative to traditional insecticides for cruciferous crops. Project funded to Dr Khursheed Ahmed Sheikh will provide timely, accurate pest data for early detection and control, reducing crop losses, input costs, and reliance on broad‑spectrum pesticides.
The university’s livestock research is represented by Dr Mohsin Ayoub Mir who will establish the first comprehensive genomic database for temperate Himalayan sheep and Dr Mudasir Bashir Gugjoo to develop Biomimetic scaffold for bone repair. This initiative is designed to support science-driven breeding for better growth and meat production while ensuring the genetic diversity of sheep in fragile mountain ecosystems. Finally, a biosecurity project led by Dr Aflaq Hamid involves creating a CRISPR-Cas12a diagnostic platform for the rapid detection of tulip viruses.
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