Dr. Sat Pal Sharma joined PAU in 2003 as Assistant Professor of Vegetable Science and presently he is working as Principal Vegetable Breeder.He accomplished his Ph.D. with a Graduate Research Assistantship from Texas A&M University, USA, and was awarded a merit scholarship and dissertation fellowship during his postgraduate studies. He pioneered PAU’s in-house potato breeding program, leveraging off-season hybridization in Keylong, HP, leading to the release of four potato varieties, Punjab Potato-101 to 104. He also developed three muskmelon cultivars, including Punjab Amrit and a radish cv. Pb. Safed-2.He has participated in seven ad-hoc research projects and published 70 research papers, 12 book chapters, and presented 93 conference papers. He taughtfive undergraduate courses over 11 semesters and five postgraduate courses for 14 semesters. He has mentored ten M.Sc. and three Ph.D. students. He has delivered over 200 knowledge-transfer activities including lectures, articles, and radio talks.He has received 16 best paper awards, including the Warren S. Braham best paper award by the American Society of Horticultural Sciences, USA. He is the recipient of several honours such as the Smt. Harpal Kaur Memorial Award, PAU Best Scientist Award, AICRP (VC) Best Centre team award and the Fellowship of the Indian Society of Vegetable Science.

Research Interest:

1. Development of high-yielding, stress-tolerant, and quality-enhanced varieties of potato, muskmelon and cowpea
2. Generation of genetic stocks potato, muskmelon and cowpea with traits such as, male sterility, monoecism, and resistance to abiotic/biotic stresses 

Projects Accomplished

1. Phenotyping and molecular characterization of snapmelon germplasm against fusarium wilt disease for development of mapping population in muskmelon (Cucumismelo L.) funded by DBT, India, as PI, completed in August 2024
2. Evaluation of some NPK grade fertilizers on the productivity of different cropping systems and on soil health funded by Gujrat Narmada Valley Fertilizers Company Ltd. (GNFC), as Co-PI, completed in 2024
3. Marker assisted introgression of genetic male sterility ms-1 gene in elite muskmelon genotype funded by DBT, India as Co-PI, completed in August 2021.
4. Development of resistant starch potato using nanomaterial mediated genome editing technology funded by DBT, India as Co-PI, completed in 2024
5. Sulphur Nutrition of Potato funded by Smartchem Technologies Limited, Pune as Co-PI, completed in 2020
6. Water and nutrient saving technologies under farmer participatory action research programme funded by ICAR, Ministry of Water Resources, GoI,as Co-PI, completed in 2012

Ongoing Projects:

1. Mitigating abiotic stresses in potato and onion through crop improvement approachesfunded by the Revenue and Rehabilitation and Disaster Management Department, India and Punjab (2024-2027)

Selected Research Publications (maximum up to 5):

1. Kaur, R, Sharma, SP, Kalia, A, Kaur, N and Manchanda, P (2023) In vitro induction and selection of mutants obtained through gamma irradiation with improved processing traits in potato (Solanum tuberosum L.), Int. J. Radiat. Biol., DOI:10.1080/09553002.2023.2245472.
2. Sharma, SP, Leskovar, DI, Crosby, KM, and Ibrahim, AMH (2020) GGE biplot analysis of genotype-by-environment interactions for melon fruit yield and quality traits. HortScience, 55:533-542.
3. Sharma, SP, Leskovar, DI, Crosby, KM, Volder, A and Ibrahim, AMH (2018) Root distribution patterns of reticulatus and inodorus melon (Cucumismelo L.) under subsurface deficit irrigation. Irrigation Sci., 36:301–317.
4. Sharma, S.P., Leskovar, D.I., Crosby, K.M., Volder, A. (2017) Root growth dynamics and fruit yield of melon (Cucumismelo L) genotypes at two locations with sandy loam and clay soils. Soil and Tillage Research168: 50-62.
5. Sharma, SP, Leskovar, DI, Crosby, KM, Volder, A and Ibrahim, AMH. (2014) Root growth, yield, and fruit quality responses of reticulatus and inodorus melons (Cucumismelo L.) to deficit subsurface drip irrigation. Agriculture Water Management 136:75-85.

Awards and honors

1. Best AICRP Center team award, 2025
2. Smt. Harpal Kaur Memorial Award, by Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, 2023
3. Appreciation award as best scientist by Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, 2023
4. Fellow of the Indian Society of Vegetable Science, 2022
5. Best AICRP Center team award, 2021
6. Dissertation Fellowship by the Texas A&M University, 2013-14
7. The Warren S. Braham award by American Society for Horticultural Science (SR), 2013
8. Graduate Research Assistantship for Ph.D., Texas A&M University, USA, 2009
9. Merit Scholarship by the Punjab Agricultural University during M.Sc., 2000