Research Interests :

I am interested in abiotic stress management in plant through microbes. Presently, I am involved in screening for the presence of ACC deaminase in Rhizobium. This includes isolation characterization and regulation of the ACC deaminase gene. The work is of potential benefit to agriculture because strains of Rhizobia that contain ACC deaminase nodulate host legumes more efficiently and thereby significantly increase plant yield. These ACC containing strains also provide protection to plants against abiotic stresses by catalyzing the cleavage of ethylene precursor ACC to alpha-ketobutyrate and ammonia thereby decreasing ethylene levels in host plant roots.

Selected Publications :

1. Kanika and Vij, S. P. (2002). Micropropagation of Vanda coerulea (R. Br) through leaf segment culture. Annuals of Agricultural Research, 23(2): 300-303.

2. Kanika and Vij, S. P.(2002). Regeneration competence of Onidium gower Ramsey pseudobulb segments. Crop Research, 25(3): 495-497.

3. Bansal, K.C., Babu, V. , Venkateswari, V J., Kanrar, S. , Barthakur, S. , Vishwakarma, N., Kanika, Kush, A.K., Kirti, P.B. and Chopra, V.L. 1999. Enhancing abiotic stress tolerance in crop plant through genetic engineering. In:. Intl. Conference of Life Science in Next Millenium. (ICRISAT, Hyderabad, Dec11-14, 1999).

4. Kanika and R.C. Bhattacharya. 2003. Palatable Protection. Science Reporter. 18p.
5. Kanika, V. Babu, A.V. Bhaskar Rao, S. Barthakur and K.C. Bansal. 2003. Antisense ACC synthase gene expression in Banana . In : 2 nd International Congress of Plant Physiology on Sustainable Plant Productivity under Changing Environment (I.A.R.I. New Delhi, Jan.6-10, 2003 ) pp478.
6. Barthakur, S. , Kanika and Bansal, K. C. 2003. Annexin Gene expression in Rice. . In : 2 nd International Congress of Plant Physiology on Sustainable Plant Productivity under Changing Environment (I.A.R.I. New Delhi, Jan.6-10, 2003 ) pp478.
7. Kanika. 2003. Cloning and Characterization of beta-lcy gene from tomato. In: Procd. National Seminar on Advances in Genetics and plant Breeding -Impact of DNA Revolution. (UAS, Dharwad, Oct. 30-31, 2003, Dharwad). 182p.
8. Kanika, Narula, R.K. and Kashyap, L.R. 2005. Screening of M. ciceri isolates for development of biofertilizer strains for chickpea production. In: Procd. ICAR National Symposium on Biotechnological Interventions for Improvement of Horticultural Crop- Issues and Strategies . (Thrissur, Kerala, Jan. 10-12, 2005). 172p.
9. Kashyap, L.R. , Narula, R.K. and Kanika. 2005. Identification of M. ciceri with free living nitrogen fixing property and definition of azide resistance. In: Procd. Fourth Intl. Food Legumes Research Conference. (I.A.R.I. N. Delhi, Oct 18-20, 2005).