• Development of Bt hybrids in tetraploid cotton 
• DNA fingerprinting 
• Application of molecular markers in plant breeding research (Genetic male sterility, Drought and Water logging)
• Collection, conservation, evaluation, documentation and maintenance of germplasm of cultivated species of Cotton
• Development of herbicide resistant cotton

• Germplasm CNH CB 211 of Cotton- Cluster boll bearing habit, Deeply Palmate Leaf Lobe selected from germplasm (INGR 14059) 
• Germplasm CNH CB 212 of Cotton- Cluster boll bearing habit, Zero monopodia and compact habit selected from germplasm (INGR 14059) registered on 4^th September, 2014 
• Germplasm CNA 5 of cotton – Interracial pigmented arboreum identified from G. arboreum race indicum X G. arboreum race burmanicum (INGR 14005) registered in 5^th May, 2014 
• Development of ICAR-CICR GJHV 374 Bt cotton variety (G. hirsutum) for rainfed conditions of Maharashtra state under HDPS 
• Development of ICAR-CICR 16301 DB (Vaidehi-1) variety, first dark brown linted naturally colour cotton (G. hirsutum) for rainfed and irrigated conditions of South zone 
• Development of Variety ICAR-CICR CNH18529 naturally coloured cotton variety developed through interspecific hybridization between G. hirsutum, G. raimondii, G. barbadense & G. thurberi followed by pedigree method of selection and suitable for rainfed and irrigated tracts of Central Zone (States of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra
• Development of variety ICAR-H NC Cotton 58 (CNH 17395) Shalini Brown linted naturally coloured cotton variety for rainfed conditions of Cenrtal Zone (Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat)

• Three hundred and twelve cotton germplasm belonging to G. arboreum, G. herbaceum, and G. barbadense were collected from different regions of India viz., Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura, Manipur, Meghalaya and Mizoram (North Eastern Hill region), Gujarat, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh (Central India), Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka (South India).The important landraces Karunganni cotton (G. arboreumrace ‘indicum’), Ponduru Cotton (G. arboreumrace ‘indicum’), Mathio (G. arboreumrace ‘indicum’) and Comilla (G. arboreum race ‘cernuum’) were collected. All the collected germplasm variants were established in the field conditions and the seeds were stored for conservation in the medium term cold storage.
• Molecular characterization was completed for 114 G. arboreum germplasm accessions along with 5 popular desi cotton varieties as checks using 83 SSR markers of which 34 markers showed polymorphism (41%). The genetic relatedness among accessions was studied using DARwin statistical package which grouped them into six major clusters. 
• Based on diversity analysis, unique twenty four G. arboreum accessions were selected and established separately as “Perennial Species Garden” at ICAR-CICR, Nagpur.
• DNA fingerprinting has been carried out for released and notified varieties of cotton varieties (CNH 18529 & IC 356751) and different germplasm accessions shared with private companies. 

Attended international conference on “Biotechnological Initiatives for Climate Resilient Agriculture” during 7-9, January, 2022 and presented “Genetic diversity analysis of cotton germplasm of Sundarbans and adjoining coastal zones of West Bengal, India”.

TRAINING ATTENDED

• IARI, Senior Research Fellowship
• ICAR, Junior Research Fellowship
• Qualified the National Eligibility Test in 2009 conducted by Agricultural Scientists Recruitment Board (ASRB), ICAR, India
• “Bharat Ratna Mother Teresa Gold Medal Award” by Global Economic Progress & Research Association (GEPRA), New Delhi on 24^th July, 2021
• participated in the National Conference on “Innovation in S & T for future Sustainability” on 25th February 2023 jointly organized by ICAR-CICR, Nagpur & Dr. Ambedkar College, Deekshaboomi, Nagpur, and awarded best oral presentation for the topic “Conservation of landraces, perennials and traditional varieties of desi cotton collected from different agro-ecological regions of India”

RESEARCH ARTICLES 

• Saravanan, M, J. Das, R C Misra, P. Mohan, Waghmare VN and K.R.Kranthi (2016) Genetic diversity analysis using SSR markers for desi cotton (G. arboreum) landraces collected from Arunachal Pradesh. Cotton Research Journal,7(2):91-96.
• KPM Dhamayanthi, A. Manivannan and M. Saravanan (2018) Evaluation of new germplasm of Egyptian cotton (G. barbadense) through multivariate genetic component analysis. Electronic Journal of Plant Breeding, 9(4): 1348-1354.
• Santhy, V, K Rathinavel, M Saravanan, Mithila Meshram and C Priyadharshini (2020) Genetic diversity assessment of extant cotton varieties based on principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis of enlisted DUS traits. Electronic Journal of Plant Breeding, 11(2):430-438. 
• Saravanan, M, RC Misra, SS Mahajan, DV Patil and VN Waghmare (2021) Morphological and molecular characterization of desi cotton (Gossypium herbaceum L.) landraces collected from different states of India. Electronic Journal of Plant Breeding, 12(1):142-150.
• Saravanan, M., R. C. Misra, S. S. Mahajan, P. Mohan and Waghmare, V. N. (2021) Exploration, Characterization and Conservation of Cotton (Gossypium spp.) Encompassing Colour Cotton from Tripura, India. Int.J.Curr.Microbiol.App.Sci. 10(02): 3007-3016. 
• Mayuri Tamboli, Sushil Mawle, M. Saravanan, S. S. Mahajan and Waghmare, V. N. (2021) Molecular Characterization of Germplasm Accessions of G. hirsutum using SSR Markers. Int.J.Curr.Microbiol.App.Sci. 10(03): 324-331.
• Saravanan, M, Amudha, J, Suman Bala Singh and Tuteja, O.P (2022) SNP marker evaluation in genetic male sterile lines of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L). Journal of Cotton Research and Development 36(2): 162-165.
• Saravanan, M, Vinita Gotmare, J.A.Sheeba and K.R. Kranthi (2023) Molecular characterization of tolerant and susceptible accessions of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) against waterlogging stress. Journal of Cotton Research and Development 37(1): 25-31.
• Suman Bala Singh, K. R. Kranthi, Sandhya Kranthi, V. Santhy, K. P. Raghavendra, B. Fande, S. Bhave, U. Satija, A. H. Prakash, S. Manickam, Blaise Desouza, M. Saravanan, H.B. Santosh and M. D. Khanpara (2023) Bt Cotton variety ICAR-CICR GJHV374 Bt. Indian J. of Genetics and Plant Breeding Vol. 83, No. 3:450.
• Vinita Gotmare, C. Rodge, P. Akhare, A. Jaunjal, K. Gajghate, S.B. Singh, S. M. Palve, G. Balasubramani, H.B. Santosh, M. Saravanan, N. Chandrashekar, R. Pande, N. Hiremani, V. N. Waghmare and K.R. Kranthi (2023) Cotton Variety Vaidehi-1 (CICR H NC Cotton 53) Naturally Colour Cotton . Indian Journal of Genetics and Plant Breeding Vol.83, No.2:293

• Life membership in “Indian Society for Cotton Improvement”
• Life membership in “Indian Society of Genetics and Plant Breeding”
• Life membership in “Indian Society of Plant Breeders”
• Life membership in “Indian Society Plant Genetic Resources”

• One of the team members of National Germplasm Exploration Programme-North Eastern Hill (NEH) Region like Assam, Manipur, Tripura, Nagaland and Saline areas of Sundarbans and adjoining coastal regions of West Bengal that jointly organized by ICAR-NBPGR, New Delhi, ICAR-CICR, Nagpur, PAU, Ludhiana and NAU, Surat.
• Germplasm Field Day 2016, 2017, 2018, 2021, 2023 & 2025 were organized to facilitate the breeders representing northern, central and southern zones and different private seed companies to select desirable germplasm materials available in the institute.
• District Nodal Officer for Monitored the activities of special project on cotton titled “Targeting technologies to agro-ecological zones-large scale demonstrations of best practices to enhance cotton productivity” for Nagpur, Yavatmal district of Maharashtra and Warangal district of Telangana. 

I certify that the above information is correct to the best of my knowledge – 

Dr. Saravanan,M