Dr Salesh Kumar Jindal joined Punjab Agricultural University as Assistant Professor at KrishiVigyan Kendra, Langroya in 2005. He has joined as Assistant Vegetable Breeder in the Department of Vegetable Science, PAU Ludhiana in 2009. Presently, he is working as Principal Vegetable Breeder in the Department of Vegetable Science, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana since 2020. The present research activities involve development of superior high yielding varieties in tomato, cherry tomato, hot pepper and bell pepper with special emphasis on quality and resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses. He has developed varieties/hybrids: 4 in hot pepper, 1 in bell pepper and 8 in tomato (a determinate variety to leaf curl virus, a multiple disease resistant hybrid and; 3 indeterminate varieties and 3 cherry tomato varieties suitable for polyhouse cultivation). He has developed Vegetable nutrition garden model for urban and peri-urban households; Mulching technology for nethouse cultivation of tomato and bell pepper.

Dr. Jindal has published 172 research papers in highly reputed national and international journals; 5 review papers; 11 invited papers; 2 manuals and 47 extension articles/folders. Besides handling state and AICRP projects, he has also handled 13 adhoc research projects funded by AVRDC, DBT, DST and ICAR. He is member of three professional societies. Besides research, he is also engaged in teaching courses to under graduate and post graduate; and extension activities for farmers. He has guided 4 Ph.D. and 17 M.Sc. students. He has also attended three week training at Wageningen University and Research, The Netherlands during 2018.

Research Interest:

1. Tomato and pepper breeding
2. Protected cultivation of tomato and bell pepper

Project Accomplished

1. Modifications of micro-climate to improve yield and quality of vegetables funded by Rural Development Fund, Govt of Punjabcompleted in July 2012

2. Improving Vegetable Production and consumption for sustainable rural livelihoods in India- Vegetable Nutrition Garden Model development funded by AVRDC, Taiwancompleted in June 2014

3. Development of improved germplasm of tomato and pepper to mitigate the adverse effects of crop productivity funded by DST, Govt of India completed in June 2016

4. Development of molecular markers linked to the nuclear male sterility gene ms10 in chilli pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) funded by DBT, Govt of Indiacompleted in July 2016

5. 5. Improvement of protected cultivation systems for vegetables funded by AVRDC, Taiwancompleted in October 2016
6. Pyramiding multiple resistant (Ty, Ph and Mi) genes in high yield varieties of tomato (Solanumlycopersicum L.) through MAS funded by DBT, Govt of Indiacompleted in January 2018
7. Marker assisted selection for combining resistance to late blight and root knot nematodes in indeterminate tomato suitable for poly-net house cultivation funded by DST, Govt of India completed in January 2018
8. Identification and molecular tagging of gene(s) controlling resistance to chilli leaf curl virus infection in chilli (Capsicum annuum L.) funded by NASF-ICAR, Govt of Indiacompleted in September 2019

9.Fine mapping of nuclear male sterility gene ms10 in chilli pepper and its introgression from chilli pepper to bell pepper funded by DBT, Govt of Indiacompleted in October 2020

10.Bioefficacy evaluation of herbal formulations against leaf curl disease, its vector and other major insect-pests of chillifunded by DST, Govt of India completed in September 2020.

11. Nutritional and livelihood security of small farmers/farm women of Moga district through  nutritional garden and off-season vegetable production funded by DST, Govt of India completed in September 2022
12. Development of enhanced shelf life tomato mutants through genome editing approach funded by CSIR, Govt of Indiacompleted in June 2024

Ongoing Projects:

1. 1. FielDHeat: Adapting tomato germplasm to the dry and humid heat of the Indian monsoonal climate funded by DBT, Govt of India.
2. Gene pyramiding for resistance to ToLCV (Begomovirusspp) and RKN (Meloidogynespp) diseases in cherry tomato through MAS funded by DST, Govt of India.
3. Marker assisted backcross breeding for pyramiding of genes for multiple disease resistance (ChiLCV and RKN) in bell pepper funded by DST, Govt of India.
4. Mitigating high temperature stress in tomato through genetic and microclimate interventions funded by Revenue, Rehabilitation & Disaster management department, Govt of Punjab

Selected Research Publication

1. Kaur S, Chawla N, Jindal S K, Mohanpuria P, Jain S and Sharma U 2024. Biochemical and gene expression profiling of oxalate biosynthesis in cherry tomato (Solanumlycopersicum var. cerasiforme) in Indo-Gangetic Plains of India. Food Bioscience61:104952. (NAAS:11.20/IF:5.20) 

1. Singh R, Jindal S K and Patel S A H 2024.Exploring pickled chilli genotypes through evaluation of variability parameters, character association studies and genetic divergence. SciHort329: 113018. (NAAS:10.30/IF:4.30) 

1. Sran T S, Jindal S K, Sharma A and Bhatia D (2023) LCVD resistance breeding in heat tolerant bell pepper: Combined phenotypic and marker-assisted backcrossing for introgression of LCVD resistance from hot pepper. Euphytica219: 50 (NAAS:8.19/IF:2.19)

1. Jindal S K, Dhaliwal M S, Vikal Y and Meena O P 2021.Species diversity of genus Capsicum using agromorphological descriptors and simple sequence repeat markers. Indian J ExpBiol59(12): 906-915. (NAAS:6.78/IF:0.78)

1. Jindal S K, Dhaliwal M S and Meena O P 2020. Molecular advancements in male sterility systems ofCapsicum: A review.Plant Breeding139:42-64 (NAAS: 7.25/IF:1.25).

1. Kumar A, Jindal S K, Dhaliwal M S, Sharma A, Kaur S and Jain S 2019.Gene pyramiding for elite tomato genotypes against ToLCV (Begomovirus spp.), late blight (Phytophthorainfestans) and RKN (Meloidogyne spp.) for northern India farmers.PhysiolMolBiol Plants25 (5): 1197-1209 (NAAS: 7.15/IF: 1.15).

Awards and honors

1. Dr B.R. Sharma Gold Medal, 2001, PAU, Ludhiana
2. University Gold medal, 1999, GNDU, Amritsar
3. University Merit fellowship during B.Sc., M.Sc. and Ph.D.
4. University Appreciation Certification for Outstanding Research Work in Vegetable Breeding by PAU:2017
5. International fellowship: KOP-NFP by The Dutch Ministry of External Affairs, The NetherLands: 

2018

6. Dr RK Arora Award by Indian Society of Plant Genetic Resources, ICAR, New Delhi: 2018
7. Citation and Cash award by PAU for developing outstanding technology: 2019
8. Award of Honour by PAU Alumni Association: 2020
9. Hans Raj Pahwa Memorial Award for outstanding research in vegetable crops: 2025
10. Award of Honour for Outstanding Vegetable Breeder by PAU Alumni Association: 2025