Dr. Madhu T. N. is an accomplished agricultural scientist and entomologist currently serving as Scientist (Entomology) at ICAR-Central Plantation Crops Research Institute. Her expertise spans pest management, toxicology, chemical ecology, and biological control with a strong focus on sustainable agricultural protection systems. She has made significant scientific contributions in insecticide resistance, integrated pest management, insect ecology, and plantation crop protection through impactful research publications, funded projects, and international conference presentations.
Online Profiles
Dr. Madhu T. N. maintains professional academic engagement through institutional collaborations, scientific conference participation, and research publications in high-impact international journals. Her academic communication channels support interdisciplinary research in entomology, crop protection, and sustainable agricultural innovation.
Education
Dr. Madhu T. N. completed her B.Sc. in Agriculture from University of Agricultural Sciences Bangalore with 87.2% marks. She earned her M.Sc. in Agricultural Entomology from the same university with an outstanding score of 95.1%. She subsequently completed her Ph.D. in Agricultural Entomology from University of Agricultural Sciences Bangalore in 2022 with 93.5% marks. Her doctoral research focused on reproductive biology and insecticide resistance in pink bollworm, Pectinophora gossypiella.
Research Focus
Dr. Madhu T. N.’s research primarily focuses on pest management, insect toxicology, chemical ecology, insecticide resistance, integrated pest management, biological control, and crop protection in cotton, cocoa, rice, arecanut, and plantation crops. Her work emphasizes sustainable agricultural practices, eco-friendly pest management strategies, insect behavior, and molecular characterization of crop pests.
Experience
Dr. Madhu T. N. began her professional career as Scientist at ICAR-NAARM in 2016. She later served as Scientist at ICAR-Central Institute for Cotton Research from 2016 to 2022 where she conducted extensive research on cotton pests and insecticide resistance. Since 2022, she has been serving as Scientist (Senior Scale) at ICAR-Central Plantation Crops Research Institute focusing on plantation crop protection and sustainable pest management technologies.
Research Timeline & Research Publications
Dr. Madhu T. N. has established a strong research profile through continuous scientific contributions in entomology and crop protection. Her work spans insect behavioral ecology, molecular characterization of pests, integrated pest management, and insecticide resistance mechanisms. She has published numerous peer-reviewed papers in reputed journals including Scientific Reports, Crop Protection, Animal Biology, International Journal of Tropical Insect Science, Journal of Pesticide Science, Phytoparasitica, Entomological Research, Silicon, and Insects.
Research Impact
Dr. Madhu T. N.’s research has significantly contributed to the understanding of insect resistance, pest ecology, crop protection strategies, and sustainable agriculture. Her studies on pink bollworm, tea mosquito bug, brown planthopper, cocoa pests, and cotton pest management have supported the development of innovative and eco-friendly pest control technologies beneficial to agricultural productivity and environmental sustainability.
Innovation & Intellectual Property
Dr. Madhu T. N. has contributed innovative research approaches in chemical ecology, essential oil-mediated pest management, microbial volatile applications, and eco-friendly insect attraction systems. Her pioneering work on enhancing yellow sticky trap efficiency using natural essential oils and developing bioassay methods for insecticide toxicity assessment demonstrates her commitment to sustainable agricultural innovation.
Research Projects & Funding
Dr. Madhu T. N. has successfully handled multiple research projects as Principal Investigator including “Studies on Chemical Cues Mediated Response Between Sucking Pests and Their Natural Enemies in Cotton,” “Enhancing the Effectiveness of Yellow Sticky Traps Using Natural Essential Oils in Cotton,” and “Management of Sucking Pests Using Microbial Volatile and Essential Oils in Palms and Cocoa.” She also leads an RKVY-funded project on integrating beekeeping and mushroom production for improving farmer income under plantation-based cropping systems in coastal Karnataka.
Conference Contributions
Dr. Madhu T. N. has actively contributed to national and international conferences through oral presentations, conference papers, and scientific discussions on pest management, chemical ecology, insecticide resistance, and sustainable agriculture. Her presentations at international conferences organized by UAS Bangalore, UAS Raichur, ICAR institutions, and biotechnology forums have received Best Oral Presentation awards and recognition for scientific excellence.
Academic Excellence
Dr. Madhu T. N. has consistently demonstrated exceptional academic performance throughout her educational and professional career. She received the prestigious DST-INSPIRE Fellowship and multiple gold medals including University Gold Medal for Merit, Puttarudraiah Gold Medal, Smt. Anita Kumaraswamy Gold Medal, and M.V. Rao Memorial Gold Medal from University of Agricultural Sciences Bangalore. She also received the Young Scientist Award from the Vasanth Raj Foundation in 2023.
Societal / Industry Contribution
Dr. Madhu T. N.’s research contributes significantly to sustainable agriculture, crop protection, and environmentally responsible pest management practices. Her studies support farmers by improving pest monitoring systems, reducing dependence on chemical pesticides, enhancing crop productivity, and promoting integrated agricultural systems beneficial to rural livelihoods and food security.
Global Recognition
Dr. Madhu T. N. has gained international recognition through publications in reputed global journals, conference presentations, and collaborative agricultural research. Her work on insect ecology, pest management, and crop protection has strengthened India’s scientific contributions in agricultural entomology and sustainable farming systems.
Publications
- Madhu T. N., Mohan K.M., Keerthi M.C., et al. “Effect of temperature on the biological parameters of pink bollworm, Pectinophora gossypiella Saunders (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae).” Scientific Reports, 2024.
- Madhu T. N., Saneera E.K., Pandian R.T.P., et al. “A new pod bioassay method to determine the toxicity of insecticides against Tea mosquito bug, Helopeltis theivora.” Journal of Pesticide Science, 2024.
- Madhu T. N., Saneera E.K., Pandian R.T.P., et al. “Laboratory rearing of tea mosquito bug, Helopeltis theivora Waterhouse on cocoa.” Phytoparasitica, 2024.
- Madhu T. N., Saneera E.K., Pandian R.T.P., et al. “Field detection, molecular characterization and biology of the tea tortrix, Homona coffearia on cocoa from India.” International Journal of Tropical Insect Science, 2024.
- Madhu T. N., Muralimohan K., Naik V.C., and Yadav D.K. “Widespread distribution and infestation of pink bollworm in Bt cotton growing regions of India.” Crop Protection, 2025.
- Madhu T. N., Rishi Kumar, Naik V.C., et al. “Attraction of leaf hopper and whitefly toward natural essential oils in cotton.” Animal Biology, 2022.
- Madhu T. N., Pandian R.T.P., Apshara S.E., et al. “New occurrence of Spodoptera litura infestation on cocoa in India.” The Journal of the Lepidopterists’ Society, 2023.
- Madhu T. N., Mohan K.M. “Effect of host plants on the oviposition preference of pink bollworm.” Animal Biology, 2022.
- Madhu T. N., Muralimohan K., Arunkumara C.G., Nagaraju M.C. “Effect of different nutrient diets on developmental and reproductive fitness of pink bollworm.” Entomological Research, 2021.
- Madhu T. N., Shah V.K., Prabhulinga T., et al. “Optimization of pheromone trap densities and impact of insecticides on pheromone catches for mass trapping Helicoverpa armigera in chickpea.” Journal of Entomology and Zoology Studies, 2019.
- Prabhulinga T., Rameash K., Madhu T.N., et al. “Maximum entropy modelling for predicting the potential distribution of cotton whitefly Bemisia tabaci in North India.” Journal of Entomology and Zoology Studies, 2017.
- Madhu T. N., and Doddabasappa B. “Electroantennogram for Recording Olfactory Responses of an Insect to Plant Volatiles.” Springer, 2019.
- Chakravarthy A.K., Manja Naik, and Madhu T.N. “Arthropods on Cotton: A Comparison Between Bt and Non-Bt Cotton.” Springer, 2016.
- Madhu T. N. “Reproductive Biology of Indian Population of Pink Bollworm, Pectinophora gossypiella.” The ICAC Recorder, 2021.