Prof. Nafees A. Khan

Biography

The research focus of Prof. Nafees A. Khan is mainly on understanding the mechanisms of hormonal and nutritional regulation of plant growth with special emphasis on abiotic stress vis-a-vis photosynthetic efficiency and abiotic stress tolerance. The protection of photosynthetic apparatus against abiotic stress (metals, salt, temperature) by manipulating the phytohormones and mineral nutrient status of plant through modulating the components of antioxidant defense has been achieved. Among the detoxifying mechanisms, modulation of phytohormones and mineral nutrients status play important role in maintaining photosynthetic potential under stressful environment. It has also been reported that phytohormones (gibberellic acid, salicylic acid, nitric oxide and ethylene) play the most prominent role in affecting sulfate and nitrate assimilation, and regulation of antioxidant defense system thereby enhancing abiotic stress tolerance. Also, there exists cross-talk between hormones for the modulation of nutrient-use efficiency, source-sink relations and abiotic stress tolerance. These findings have been reported in Plant Physiology, Plant, cell & Environment, Journal of Experimental Botany, Environmental and Experimental botany, Plant Growth Regulation, Photosynthetica, Plant Science, Plant Signalling and Behaviour, Scientia Horticulturae, Journal of Plant Physiology, Pedosphere and others.

Research Interest

Plant stress physiology, hormonal, nutrients and abiotic stress cross-talk