Dr.NavjotSidhu joined as Assistant Geneticist in the Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Ludhiana on 27-07-2010 after completing her B.Sc (Medical) from Punjab University, Chandigarh in 1996 and M.Sc (Genetics) from PAU, Ludhiana in 1998. She did her Ph.D. (Genetics) from PAU, Ludhiana in 2002. Since 2012, she is working as Assistant Plant Breeder in Rice Section under Breeding Rice (Basmati and Non basmati) for high yield, quality and stability of performance. She is associated in handling rice (Basmati and Non Basmati) breeding programme using conventional and molecular approaches with major focus on developing short duration, high yielding varieties possessing multiple stress tolerance, resource use efficiency and good grain quality. She has been involved in development and release of five non basmati rice varieties (PR 128, PR 129, PR 130, PR131 and PR 132) and three basmati (Punjab Basmati 4, Punjab Basmati 5 and Punjab Basmati 7) rice
varieties. She has published about 15 research papers in national and international peer reviewed journals. She has guided four M.Sc. and one Ph.D student and presently, she is guiding one M.Sc. student as Major Advisor. Apart from this, she is also member of various professional societies.
Professional Accomplishments
Research Projects (Ongoing)
4.
Breeding Rice (Basmati and Non basmati) for high yield, quality and stability of performance. Plan scheme no 51
5.
Targeted breeding for disaster risk mitigation in wheat (drought and pre-harvest sprouting) and rice (submergence and drought) funded by State Disaster Risk Management Authority, Govt. of Punjab (as Co- PI)
6.
Genomics-assisted breeding for development of Dry-DSR ready Basmati rice varieties (as CoPI)
7.
Genomic Approaches for enhancing yield potential and resistance to major biotic stresses in Basmati Rice (as Co PI)
8.
Consortia for Research Platform on Hybrid Technology for high productivity in selected field and horticultural crops- Rice funded by ICAR, New Delhi (as Co-PI)
9.
Dry Direct Seeded Rice for the Indo-Gangetic Plains of India (Plant Direct) funded by Bill & Melinda Gates (as Co-PI)gricultural Marketing Innovations, Research and Intelligence Centre (AMIRIC) funded by Government of Punjab.
Research Projects (completed)
1.
One IRRI–NARES breeding network (Accelerated genetic gains in rice alliance) funded by Bill & Melinda Gates (as Co-PI)
2.
Addressing food security through Nutritionally enriched improved cutivars and technologies for Swasth Bharat under PURSE programme funded by DST, New Delhi (as Co-PI)
Research Publications:
1.
Rasool S, Babbar A, Kumari S, JavedS,Lore J S, Kaur R,Sidhu N, Vikal Y, Singh K and Neelam K. (2025). Molecular mapping and transfer of sheath blight resistance QTLs from PAU-shb8 to cultivated rice PR-121. Molecular Genetics and Genomics. 300:21. doi.org/10.1007/s00438-024-02220-8. (NAAS: 8.30)
2.
G. S. Mangat, RupinderKaur, RenuKhanna, R.S. Gill, NavjotSidhuand J. S. Lore (2025):Notification and germplasm registration. Variety PR 131 (IC 645972). Indian J. Genet. Plant Breed, 85(2): 329-341. (NAAS: 7)
3.
Jyoti Jain, RenuKhanna,NavjotSidhuandLavanpreetKaur (2025). Genetic profiling of neck blast isolates of Pyriculariaoryzae from basmati rice in Punjab, India. Journal of Mycology and Plant Pathology, 55 (2): 134-140 (NAAS: 5.08)
4.
ChandanJaswal, NavjotSidhu, Mandeep Singh Hunjan, Jyoti Jain and Gill RS (2025) Histopathological Studies of Fusariummoniliforme in Basmati Rice Varieties. Journal of Rice Research, 18 (1) :71-77 (NAAS: 4.35 )
5.
Jain J,Lore J S and Sidhu N. (2023). Identification of sources of genetic resistance to bacterial blight in Basmati rice. Pl Dis Res. 37(2): 203-205. Doi.10.5958/2249-8788.2022.00034.8. (NAAS: 4.76)
6.
Lore J S, Jain J, Kumar S, Kamboj I, Sidhu N, Khanna R, Kaur R and Mangat G (2022) Identification of potential donors for false smut resistance in elite breeding lines of rice (Oryza sativa L.) under field conditions. Plant Genet Resour 1-8. Doi.org/10.1017/S1479262122003041. (NAAS: 7.08)
7.
Singh G, Kaur N, Khanna R, Kaur R, Gudi S, Kaur R, Sidhu N, Vikal Y, Mangat GS. (2022) 2Gs and plant architecture: breaking grain yield ceiling through breeding approaches for next wave of revolution in rice (Oryza sativa L.). Crit Rev Biotechnol.doi: 10.1080/07388551.2022.2112648. (NAAS: 14.43)
8.
Jain J, Sohal M K, Lore J S,Jain S, Sidhu N (2021) Identification and quantification of slow blasting resistance in basmati/aromatic rice germplasm against neck blast. Indian J Genet. 81(4): 505-512. (NAAS: 6.55)
9.
Parminder S, Sidhu, NavjotSidhu, S Upmanyu and R S Gill (2021) Screening of aromatic rice genotypes for resistance against bacterial blight and neck blast diseases. Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry 10(1):307- 311. (NAAS: 5.21)
10.
Singh Sukhdeep, KhannaRenu, Sarao P S, SidhuNavjot, KaurRupinder (2018) New sources of resistance against brown planthopper (NilaparvatalugensStal.). Indian Journal of Entomology80:1626 http://dx.doi.org/10.5958/0974-8172.2018.00265.1.(NAAS: 5.89)
Awards and Recognitions:
•
Rice Research Team got the Overall second Best AICRPR Center Award by ICAR during the year 2023-24 at the 59th ARGM Workshop Group Meeting held on April 24-26, 2024 at NAASC, New Delhi
•
Best AICRIP Breeding Centre Award-2016 (Plaque and Certificate) at 52 nd Annual Rice Research Group Meeting held at AAU, Jorhat
•
Golden Jubilee AICRIP Team award -2015 (Plaque and Certificate-team award) from Indian Institute of Rice Research, Hyderabad
•
Certificate of Excellence and best All India Coordinated Rice Improvement Project Centre Award-2012 (Plaque and Certificate-team award by Indian Institute of Rice Research, Hyderabad)
•
HerMSc student Anmol Singh has been awarded Best MSc Thesis Award at the International Conference on Agritech Intelligence and Beyond: Cutting Edge Innovations in Agriculture and Allied Sciences, from Oct, 15-17, 2024 at SKUAST-Kashmir, India.