Dr Gurjit Singh Mangat did his graduation in 1987 and post-graduation in Plant Breeding in 1990 from Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana and commenced his professional journey as Assistant Rice Breeder in 1991 at Regional Research Station, Kapurthala. He completed Ph. D. in Plant Breeding in 2010. By systematic Rice Breeding work during the last 34 years, he has been associated with the development/introduction of 33 varieties of rice have been by him and recommended for general cultivation in the Punjab state. This includes 20 of non-Basmati and 13 Basmati rice varieties.  As a team leader he has been instrumental in re-orienting the rice breeding programme to address the upcoming challenges from time to time. The release of various varieties with pyramided BB resistance genes has provided stability to rice production/productivity. Adoption of these varieties has led to quantum jump in productivity and production of rice in the state. The high productivity, shorter growth duration has started paying the dividends to all the stakeholders. The productivity of rice in Punjab is highest in the country. During the past one decade (2015-16 to 2024-25) there had been 12.5% increase in the average state-wide paddy yield (5933 to 6674 kg/ha). He has successfully accomplished thirteen national/international projects as PI/ Co-PI. He has published 44 research papers in reputed journals, 38 extension articles. He has guided five M.Sc. and two Ph.D. students as major advisor. Besides, he attended six international and 53 national conferences/seminars/workshops. He has visited USA, Australia, Philippines, China, Indonesia and Thailand. He has been serving PAU at various positions as Additional Director of Research (April 2021-March 2025), Head, Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, (November, 2017 – March, 2021), Incharge, Rice Section, (2011-2017).

Professional Accomplishments

 Research Projects (completed)

1. Addressing food security through Nutritionally enriched improved cultivars and technologies for Swasth Bharat under PURSE programme funded by DST, New Delhi
2. NAHEP-CAAST Project on Natural Resources Management for Sustainable Agriculture funded by ICAR, New Delhi
3. Mainstreaming rice landraces diversity in varietal development through genomic predictions: A model for large-scale utilization of gene bank collections of rice funded by DBT, New Delhi
4. One IRRI–NARES breeding network (Accelerated genetic gains in rice alliance) funded by Bill & Melinda Gates
5. CSISA (Cereal System Initiative for South Asia)  funded by BMGF-USAID-
6. Marker assisted introgression of different  traits to develop new generation rice varieties funded by DBT, New Delhi
7. Enhancing water use efficiency and productivity in rice and basmati through molecular interventionsfunded by DBT, New Delhi
8. Rice improvement for better quality and high yield and greater water use efficiency funded by State Govt.
9. Mitigating the effect of climate change on cropproductivity-Breeding salt tolerant rice varieties funded by DST, New Delhi
10. Identification and mapping of QTL for false smut resistance and developing geneticpopulations for Sheath Blight resistance in rice funded by ICAR, New Delhi
11. Exploration of the potential of direct-seeded rice in Punjab funded by Sir Rattan Tata Trust
12. Improving Plant Architecture and productivity of Basmati rice through the use of DNA marker assisted selection funded by Rockefeller Foundation
13. Evaluation of basmati rice and wheat genotypes for their response to tillage options and thermal tolerance in a system perspective funded By NATP

1. Lore JS, Pinili D, Bhatia D, Balloyan LR,  Navea IP,  Hunjan MS,  Mangat  Singh R, PlattenD J, Yang B, Leach J E, White F F, Vera Cruz C M and Luu V S. (2025). Pathogen-informed strategies for durable resistance in rice: Lessons from bacterial blight.  Rev. Phytopath. 63: doi.org/10.1146/annurev-phyto-121923-080533. (NAAS rating: 15.10)
2. Singh Gurjeet, KaurNavdeep, KhannaRenu, KaurRupinder, GudiSantosh, KaurRajvir, SidhuNavjot, VikalYogesh and MangatG S (2022): 2Gs and plant architecture: breaking grain yield ceiling through breeding approaches for next wave of revolution in rice (Oryza sativa), Critical Reviews in Biotechnology, DOI: 10.1080/07388551.2022.2112648 (NAAS rating:14.43)
3. Singh H, Singh J, Ade PA, Raigar OP, Kaur R, Khanna R, Mangat GS, Sandhu N. Genetic Evaluation of a Diverse Rice Panel for Direct Seeded Adapted Traits Using Kompetitive Allele Specific Primer Assay. Agronomy. 2022; 12(9):2083. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12092083(NAAS rating: 9.42).
4. Kaur P, KumariNeelam, Sarao P S,Babbar A, Kishor Kumar, Vikal Y, Khanna R, Kaur R, Mangat G S, Singh K 2022 Molecular mapping and transfer of a novel brown planthopper resistance gene bph42 from Oryzarufipogon (Grif.) to cultivated rice (Oryza sativa). Molecular Biology Reports, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11033-022-07692-8 (NAAS rating:8.32)
5. Lore J S, Jain J, Kumar S, Kamboj I, Sidhu N, Khanna R, Kaur R, Mangat G S(2022). Identification of potential donors for false smut resistance in elite breeding lines of rice (Oryza sativa) under field conditions. Plant Genetic Resources: Characterization and Utilization 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1479262122000041 (NAAS rating:7.08)
6. Pathania S, Lore JS, Kalia A, Kaur A, Sharma M, Mangat GSand Sandhu J. (2022). Conversion of sheath blight susceptible indica and japonica rice cultivars into moderately resistant through expression of antifungal β‑1,3‑glucanase transgene from Trichoderma  Transgenic Res. Doi.org/10.1007/s11248-022-00318-6. (NAAS rating:8.79)
7. KumariNeelam, Kumar Kishor, KaurAmandeep, Kishore Amit, KaurPavneet, BabbarAnkita, · KaurGurwinder, KambojIshwinder, Lore Jagjeet Singh, VikalYogesh, Mangat G. S., KaurRupinder, KhannaRenu, Singh Kuldeep (2021) High-resolution mapping of the quantitative trait locus (QTLs) conferring resistance to false smut disease in rice. Journal of Applied Geneticshttps://doi.org/10.1007/s13353-021-00659-8 (NAAS rating 8.03).
8. Dhillon B S, Kumar V, Sagwal P, Kaur N, Mangat GS and Singh S (2021) Seed Priming with Potassium Nitrate and Gibberellic Acid Enhances the Performance of Dry Direct Seeded Rice (Oryza sativa) in North-Western India. Agronomy 11, 849. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11050849 (NAAS rating: 9.42).
9. Kaur A,  Kumari N, Kitazumi A,  Kaur K, Sharma P, Mangat G S, Reyes B G, Brar D S and Singh K(2019). Novel cis-acting regulatory elements in wild Oryza species impart improved rice bran quality by lowering the expression of phospholipase D alpha1 enzyme (OsPLDα1). Molecular Biology Reports org/10.1007/s11033-019-05144-4 (NAAS rating: 7.89)
10. Kumar K, Sarao PS, Bhatia D, Kumari N, Kaur A, Mangat G S, Brar D S and Singh K (2018). High‑resolution genetic mapping of a novel brown planthopper resistance locus, Bph34 in Oryza sativa x Oryzanivara (Sharma &Shastry) derived interspecifc F₂ population Theoretical and Applied Genetics 131:1163–71. (NAAS rating: 10.13)
11. Kumari N,  Mahajan R,   Gupta V, Bhatia D, Gill, BK, Komal R, Lore J S, Mangat G Sand Singh K(2019). High‑resolution genetic mapping of a novel bacterial blight resistance gene xa‑45(t) identified from Oryzaglaberrima and transferred to Oryza sativa. Theoretical and Applied Genetics. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00122-019-03501-2. (NAAS rating: 9.93)

• Rice Research Team got the Overall second Best AICRIP Center Award by ICAR during the year 2023-24 at the 59^th 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, Assam
• Golden Jubilee AICRIP Team award -2015 (Plaque and Certificate-team award) from Indian Institute of Rice Research, Hyderabad
• Honoured by ICAR with citation and cash award (Rs 25000/-) for development of basmati ricevariety “Basmati 386”
• JawaharLal Nehru Award for outstanding research work done during Ph.D. for the year 2002