Subhash Babu

Dr. Subhash Babu presently working as a scientist (Senior Scale) at the Division of Agronomy, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India. His area of specialization is on the development of resource-efficient cropping systems, organic farming, precision nutrients management, carbon, and energy budgeting in agricultural production systems, land use system management, and development of integrated farming systems for food and nutritional security. He is the pioneer in the blending of conservation agricultural practices in organic farming under high rainfall mountainous regions of northeast India. Dr. Babu was actively involved in National Initiative on climate-resilient Agriculture (NICRA) project of ICAR in which his work was focused on the development of resource-efficient climate resilient agronomic practices for enhanced farm productivity, soil health restoration, and greenhouse gases emission mitigation. Dr Babu has designed resource-efficient cropping and farming system modules for the intensification and/or diversification of maize and rice-based production systems of North East India. He also developed sustainable intensification protocols for profit maximization and soil health sustainability in acidic soils of organic state Sikkim. He identified the maize–French bean cropping system as a climate-resilient production system for the northeastern Himalayan region of India. He has a standardized system of rice intensification (SRI) with suitable rice varieties that boosted the rice productivity at farmers’ fields for Sikkim. Pond dyke intensification in Integrated Farming Systems is another innovative approach also devised by him, which is widely adopted by the farmers of the Meghalaya. Integration of fish-poultry and year-round vegetable production increased system production efficiency by 750% and average profitability by 859% over the traditional practice (only fish culture). He was also involved in extension activities for dissemination of different advanced agricultural technologies viz., conservation agriculture-based crop intensification technology, the system of rice intensification, improved organic nutrient management in crops and cropping system, integrated organic farming systems in farmers’ field, etc. which resulted in substantial improvement in livelihood security of small and marginal farmers besides improvement in soil health. My work has been recognized with various awards and appreciations like the Best Scientist Award for ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region Sikkim Centre in 2016 and appreciation letters from the Department of FS&ADD, Government of Sikkim, and several NGOs working in northeast India. Dr. Babu also honored with several awards from many reputed professional societies. Dr. Babu also a member of FAO- Global Forum on Food Security/Sovereignty and Nutrition - FSN Forum and Green House Gas Management Institute.