Prof. Appa Rao Podile’s lab is engaged in research in the area of molecular plant-microbe interactions. His research group focuses on molecular interactions of rhizosphere bacteria with plants, domain shuffling/swapping of recombinant bacterial chitinases, bioprocess development for production of chitooligosaccharides by enzymatic methods, mechanism of elicitor (harpin) induced cell death, nanotechnology for crop protection, and proteomic approach in understanding non-host resistance.

In this IUNFC project he will be screening elite combinations of pigeon pea and rhizobial inoculants in the Alfisols of south India along with quantification of biological nitrogen fixation and metagenomic assessment of population dynamics of microbial community involved in nitrogen cycling.