TNAU’s Jayanthi 1st woman to win Society of Agronomy gold

Coimbatore: For the first time, a woman has bagged the gold medal instituted by the Indian Society of Agronomy to recognise one’s contribution to the field of agronomy, the science of soil management and crop production. And the fact that it was a native of Coimbatore who grabbed the award excelling her male counterparts in the field bears testimony to constant strive for academic excellence that the city’s institutions make.
The honour came as a surprise to C Jayanthi, director of department of crop management at the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) and she was much excited to receive the same from M S Swaminathan, the man behind the Green Revolution. It sums up her passion for the soil management and crop production.
Jayanthi received the gold medal at the Fourth International Agronomy Congress, which was chaired by M S Swaminathan, held in New Delhi last month. The congress is held once in two years.
She was conferred on the award in recognition of her research and academic credentials in the field of agronomy for the past 30 years. “While they have considered my entire career, I would say it was my research during 2014-2015 that fetched me this award,” Jayanathi said.
After finishing her higher secondary schooling, Jayanthi pursued her bachelors in agricultural sciences from the TNAU. She then completed her masters in agronomy and after six years of teaching experience she started her doctoral research in the field in 1992.
During her doctoral research, Jayanthi worked on identifying ideal methods to come out with an integrated farming system for various crops. “I worked on integrating farming components such as livestock and crops to improve farm yield. I identified the ideal composition of these components for various crops,” she said.
When asked if she has patented any of these methods, Jayanthi said, “Though there is no patent for any of these methods, they have been widely adapted by the farmers of Tamil Nadu. These methods are also found a place in the crop production guide of the Tamil Nadu government.”
Her research works were funded by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and Department of Science and Technology, government of India. As part of her extensive research, Jayanthi has so far published nearly 75 articles in national and international journals, besides authoring eight books.
With nearly four years left for her retirement, Jayanthi said she was keen on completing her ongoing projects that are funded by the government of Tamil Nadu. “I am also the technical adviser from TNAU to the government in the field of agronomy. I wish that my research work benefits the farmers,” she said.