SHALMA MAMAN
Agricultural Department, Kerala Government, India
Brookings,United States
Summary
Doctoral researcher with experience in genotype‑by‑environment (G×E) interaction studies and kernel composition in corn and wheat. Skilled in plant breeding, quantitative genetics, GWAS, and multi‑environment G×E analysis. Proficient in high‑throughput phenotyping and biochemical assays (HPLC, real‑time PCR, enzyme activity) for grain quality traits. Experienced with large genomic and experimental datasets on HPC systems, using R, Python, and Julia for statistical modeling and data analysis. Strong collaborator with developing scientific writing and communication skills.
Work History
Agricultural Officer
- Nature of the experience: Official
- Duties and Responsibilities performed: Office Administration and Extension, Scheme implementation and subsidy programs
- Facilitated training sessions for farmers on modern agricultural techniques, leading to widespread adoption of best practices.
- Conducted field inspections to assess crop health and compliance with agricultural standards.
- Assisted farmers in implementing sustainable farming practices to enhance productivity.
- Collaborated with local agricultural cooperatives to promote resource-sharing initiatives.
Education
Ph.D. - Agronomy, Horticulture & Plant Science Department
Research Project : Comprehensive Identification of Genomic and Environmental Determinants of Kernel compositional Plasticity in Maize.
Other projects involved: Spring and Winter Wheat exPVP Panel Assembly from USDA-GRIN, digitization of PVP certificate data and field evaluation, and high-throughput phenotyping for bacterial leaf streak incidence.
Awards:
- Secured a fully funded Ph.D position in plant science with 49% Graduate research assistantship
- Awarded 1st Place in the Student Speaker and Poster Competition at the National Association for Plant Breeding (NAPB) Annual Meeting, 2026
- Minnesota Plant Science Symposium2025 : 1st Place, Oral Presentation; Poster Presentation; Travel Grant Recipient
Leadership Skills:
- Active member of ASPB, NAPB Graduate Students Working Group, ASA, CSSA, and SSSA.
- Active member of the AHPS Graduate Student Association at SDSU.
- Teaching Assistantship for Principles of Plant Pathology and Seed Technology (undergraduate courses).
- Relevant Coursework: Quantitative Genetics, Advanced Genomics, Bioinformatics, Advanced Plant Breeding, Machine Learning for Remote Sensing and GIS.
- 4.0 GPA
Master of Science - Genetics And Plant Breeding
- Research Project : Analysis of genetic variability for lipoxygenase activity and validation of lipoxygenase3 (LOX3) gene affecting retention of kernel tocopherols in maize during storage.
Awards & Honors:
- 1st Rank Holder, ICAR-Plant Science JRF Examination, 2019
- Awardee, ICAR National Talent Scholarship (4 years)
- Awardee, ICAR Junior Research Fellowship (2 years)
- 96.29 Percentile, Combined CSIR-UGC NET, 2020
- ASRB-NET Qualified, 2021
- 5th Rank, ICAR-Crop Science-1 (SRF Examination), 2021
- 8th Rank, ICAR-Crop Science-1: Genetics and Plant Breeding (SRF Examination), 2022
- Awardee, ICAR Senior Research Fellowship (3 years)
- 4.0 GPA
Bachelor of Science - Agriculture
- Professional Development: General orientation and On campus training by different faculties, Village Attachment, Plant Clinic,
Agro-industrial attachment - Unit attachment in University, KVK, Project report preparation, presentation and evaluation
- Relevant Coursework: Experimental techniques in Agricultural research, Plant biotechnology, Principles of Genetics and
plant breeding, Practical Crop production (Maize) and Experimental designs, Commercial Sericulture, Bee keeping and Mushroom Cultivation - 4.0 GPA
- Genetics and Plant breeding club Member
- ICAR-National Talent Scholarship Recipient (4 Years)
Skills
Proficient in R
Python
and Julia
Excellent writing and communication skills
Scientific writing
Computational skills
Research methodologies: lysine
tryptophan
beta-carotene
and tocopherol estimation using HPLC
real-time PCR
spectrophotometer assays
enzyme activity estimations
and DNA/RNA isolation
Advanced data analysis: GWAS
G×E analysis
experience with large experimental and marker datasets
and HPC commands
Machine learning
Research proposal writing
Teamwork and collaboration
Multitasking abilities
Professionalism
PUBLICATIONS
- Influence of storage duration on retention of kernel tocopherols in vte4-based biofortified maize genotypes, Journal of Food Composition and Analysis, Volume 123, 2023, 105626, ISSN 0889-1575
- Low expression of lipoxygenase 3 (LOX3) enhances the retention of kernel tocopherols in maize during storage. Mol Biol Rep. 2023 Nov;50(11):9283-9294. Epub 2023 Oct 9. PMID: 37812350.
- Understanding Gene Action, Combining Ability, and Heterosis to Identify Superior Aromatic Rice Hybrids Using Artificial Neural Network", Journal of Food Quality, vol. 2022, Article ID 9282733, 16 pages, 2022.
- Allelic Variation in Zmfatb Gene Defines Variability for Fatty Acids Composition Among Diverse Maize Genotypes. Front Nutr. 2022 May;9:845255
- A Tyagi, S Maman, S Tyagi - Biostimulants in Alleviation of Metal Toxicity in Plants, 2023
- Maize Improvement: Current Advances in Yield, Quality, and Stress Tolerance under Changing Climatic Scenarios, Pages 235-257 Publisher Springer International Publishing 2022
- Composition of Kernel amylose and Resistant starch among sub tropically adapted maize, Journal of Food Composition and Analysis Volume 119 Pages 105236 2023
- Molecular characterization of T, C and S specific CMS maize inbreds using mitochondrial SSRs 2025
- Genetics and Plant Breeding to Improve the Yield of Oilseed Crops 2025
- Genetic Analysis of Accumulation of Amylose and resistant starch in Subtropical Maize hybrids 2024
Timeline
Agricultural Officer
Agricultural Department, Kerala Government, India
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South Dakota State University
Ph.D. from Agronomy, Horticulture & Plant Science Department
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Indian Agricultural Research Institute
Master of Science from Genetics And Plant Breeding
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University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad
Bachelor of Science from Agriculture
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