PhD in Botany and Environmental Science
Current position: Assistant Professor at Banaras Hindu University, India
Research focus: mitigation of ozone-induced stress in plants to promote sustainable agriculture
With her studies Supriya is helping her country offset potentially devastating yield losses by furthering the scientific community’s understanding of the impact of ground-level ozone on plants.
2012 Young Scientist Medal by the Indian National Science Academy
CV as submitted for the Green Talents award (2012):
S.S.S.V.S. Government Post Graduate College, Chunar, Mirzapur, India
Research focus: impact of air pollution on plants
Recently awarded the prestigious Young Scientist Medal by the Indian National Science Academy, Assistant Professor of Botany Supriya Tiwari is helping her country offset potentially devastating yield losses by furthering the scientific community’s understanding of the impact of ground-level ozone on plants.
Green Talents winner Supriya Tiwari has an exacting eye on tropospheric ozone (O3), a.k.a. “bad” ozone, and for good reason. Identified as one of the most major threats to global food production due to its ruinous effect on plants, O3 levels are predicted to increase by as much as 40% in the near future. If the emissions of ozone precursors remain unchecked, South Asia will soon rank number one in O3 concentrations.
Tiwari, an Assistant Professor of Botany at S. S. S. V. S. Government Post Graduate College, Chunar, Mirzapur, has been tracking the formation of O3 and its effects on plant productivity in India for the past several years. “The accumulation of O3 in the suburban and rural agricultural areas has led to significant crop yield reductions,” explains Tiwari. What worries her is the damaging chain of effects. “The economic losses, estimated at $4 billion per annum for staple crops in South Asia, compel farmers to migrate to other places. Serious setbacks in sustainable development are the result.”
Tiwari, an often-cited scientist, was the first in her field to document the successful use of Open Top Chamber (OTC) experiments in India’s tropical context. Her evaluations of ozone crop injury and O3-induced yield reductions are making a significant contribution in the planning of sustainable agriculture strategies, cultivation of O3 resistant species, and use of nutrient amendments and CO2 fertilization.
She also aims at studying the role of ethylenediurea (EDU), an antiozonant in minimizing O3 injury in plants under ambient O3 concentrations in a tropical Scenario. The jury, impressed by the high quality of Tiwari’s research and findings, emphasised the significance of Tiwari’s scientific research in addressing issues of food security in suburban and rural areas.
