Dr Amit Choudhary is currently working as Senior Entomologist after joining PAU, Ludhiana as Entomologist during Nov. 2011. He obtained his Master and Doctorate degree in Entomology from CSK HPKV, Palampur during 2001 and 2006, respectively. He served Govt. of H.P. as Agricultural Development Officer (2008-09) and Govt. of India as Plant Protection Officer (2009-11). Since inception, he is working as CoPI in ICAR’s AICRP (Honey Bees & Pollinators) where he is involved in research activities exclusively on honey bees and other pollinators. He handled 01 research project sponsored by National Bee Board as PI and 04 by various funding agencies like DST, NBB, ICAR etc as CoPI. He has 42 research papers to his credit.

He is conducting Basic and Advanced beekeeping training courses respectively for farmers & farm-women and progressive beekeepers & scientists of Punjab and other states. He has published more than 15 extension articles beekeeping.

He is associated teacher for teaching Management of Useful Insects course and ELP on Commercial Apiculture for UG students, Apiculture for M.Sc. and Melittology and Its Applications for Ph.D. students. He has guided 03 M.Sc. students.

He has the experience in commercial mass queen bee rearing, bee breeding, bee toxicology, honey bee husbandry, managed bee pollination and bee products etc.

Professional Accomplishments Research Projects completed

1. ‘Facilitating honey bee health through diagnosing and managing various diseases of Italian honey bees’ funded by NBB, New Delhi in 2022 as PI.
2. ‘Development of quality queen bees of honey bee Apis mellifera‘ funded by NBB, New Delhi in 2022 as CoPI.
3. Winter school on ‘Commercial Apiculture for Livelihood Security of Farmers and Unemployed Rural Youth’ funded by ICAR, New Delhi in 2022 as Co-coordinator
4. ‘Development of hygienic honey bee (Apis mellifera Linnaeus) lines through selective bee breeding programme’ funded by DST in 2019 as Co-PI
5. ‘Setting up of Integrated Beekeeping Development Centre/ Centre of Excellence at PAU, Ludhiana’ funded by NBB, New Delhi in 2017 as CoPI.
6. ‘Fund for Improvement of S&T Infrastructure’ funded by DST in 2016 as Associated Scientist
7. ‘Evaluating impact of neonicotinoids on pollinators (field studies)’ funded by ICAR in 2016 as CoPI

Research Publications:

1. Karedla A K, Choudhary A, Chhuneja P K and Singh J (2024) Effect of thiamethoxam on the survival of brood in Apis mellifera Linnaeus colonies placed in mustard fields. Journal of Apicultural Research 63(3): 507-512. (NAAS rating 8.58)
2. Karedla A K, Choudhary A, Chhuneja P K , Singh J and Singh ND (2024) Effect of sub- lethal doses of thiamethoxam on hypopharyngeal glands of Apis mellifera Linnaeus. Journal of Apicultural Research 10.1080/00218839.2022.204726 (NAAS rating 8.58)
3. Kaur M, Choudhary A, Mohindru B, Singh J, Dey D and Chhuneja P K (2024) Change in bee pollinators’ guild over the time in the Punjab: State under intensive agriculture. National Academy Science Letters 48: 265-268. (NAAS rating 7.30)
4. Karedla A K, Choudhary A, Singh J and Chhuneja P K (2023) Effect of sub-lethal doses of thiamethoxam on the memory of Apis mellifera Linnaeus. Current Science 124(4): 451-456. (NAAS rating 7.17)
5. Choudhary A, Singh J and Chhuneja P K (2021) Nest architecture and nesting site preference of Tetragonula iridipennis Smith in North-Western plains of India. Journal of Apicultural Science 65(1): 49-59. (NAAS rating 6.78)

Awards and Recognitions:

• Best Research Centre Award: AICRP (HB&P) PAU Ludhiana Centre adjudged as Best Research Centre of ICAR’s AICRP (HB&P) for three times during Annual Review Meetings at YSP UHF, Solan (14-16 Oct. 2016), SKUAS&T- Jammu (8-9 Sept. 2022) and GKVK Bengaluru (4-6 Sept. 2023).
• Best Presenting Centre Award: AICRP (HB&P) PAU Ludhiana Centre adjudged as Best Presenting Centre of ICAR’s AICRP (HB&P) during Annual Review Meeting at CSK HPKV, Palampur on 27-29 Sept. 2024
• Best Poster Award: Madaan A, Mohindru B, Choudhary A and Singh J. 2024 ‘Transmission of less stinging trait in Apis mellifera Linnaeus colonies through selective breeding’ presented as poster in International Conference (IESIC 2024) on “Transforming Agrifood Systems in the Face of Climate Changes and Energy Transitions organized jointly by PAU Ludhiana and Indian Ecological Society, Ludhiana
• 2nd Best Experiential Learning Unit of PAU: ELP on Commercial Apiculture has been adjudged as the 2nd Best ELP Unit of PAU for the year 2024-26