Contributions of Indian Mycologists (C. V. Subramanian)

In this article we will discuss about Contributions of Indian Mycologists:- C. V. Subramanian

Contributions of Indian Mycologists

In India, the earliest observations of fungi were those of Buddha (400 B.C.) who noticed diseases of plants which are now known to have been caused by fungi.
In India, roughly about 10,000 species of fungi have been reported from India.
Heinrich Anton de Bary is the father of Mycology. He discovered the life history of fungi and studied their role in disease.
Among Indian mycologists, Lt. Col. Kirtikar is the first person to have taken up the study of fleshy fungi in 1885 and this marks the beginning of Indian initiative in mycology.
Edwin John Butler (1874-1943) regarded as the “Father of Indian Mycology” to initiate and organise large scale mycological and phytopathological research in India for the first time.
Contributions of renowned Indian mycologists:- C. V. Subramanian

Biography

C.V.Subramanian was born (1924–2016) at Kochi in Ernakulam district, Kerala.
He completed schooling at Sree Rama Varma High School.
In 1941, graduated BSc (Hons) from Presidency College, Chennai and securing the first rank.
Pursued a Ph.D. in Botany at Madras University under the guidance of Prof. T.S. Sadasivan.
In 1951, He started his academic career as a senior lecturer in the University of Madras and later promoted to reader in 1953.
In 1957, became the first-ever Chair in Plant Pathology in India at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi.
After retiring, he was invited as a Visiting Professor to the National University of Singapore, The University of Western Australia and The National University of Taiwan.
In 1965 he was awarded the Shanthi Swarup Bhatnagar Award (the highest award for Science in India).
He founded the Mycological Society of India in 1973
Launched the scientific journal Kavaka dedicated to mycological research.

Contributions

He published “List of Indian Fungi (1956)”, which listed the known species of fungi in India.
Subramaniam concentrated research on Fungi Imperfecti.
His monograph “ Hyphomycetes ” published in 1971 and the book “ Hyphomycetes : Taxonomy & Biology ” are widely referred to by researchers all over the world even today.
He has proposed a new system of classification of Hyphomycetes based on conidium ontogeny.
Introduced a new fungal nomenclature protocol inspired by Sanskrit terminology.
Named 384 fungal genera, documented in MycoBank, including genera like Angulimaya, Dwayabeeja, Kutilakesa, Nalalanthamala, and Tharoopama.
Dr Subramanian is well known for his work on soil mycology and soil-borne plant diseases.
Investigated the systematics, distribution, and ecological behavior of key plant pathogens, including Fusarium and Drechslera, contributing to agricultural disease management.