Dr Malathi

Scientist Profile

Research interests and current focus

Phylogenetics, Diagnostics and Functional genomics of red rot pathogen
Application of Omics tools to characterize pathogenicity related and antifungal genes/ proteins for red rot management
Management of sugarcane diseases by mechanized means of sett treatment with physical, chemical and biological agents and other delivery methods.

Outreach and Extension

Actively involved in the dissemination of patented, commercialized technology on “Mechanized priming of planting materials of sugarcane and other vegetatively propagated crops using ‘Sett Treatment Device’ through NADP-RKVY in Tamil Nadu and through NFSM in other states of India.

Membership in professional societies

Life member in Andaman Science Association
Life member in Society of Biocontrol Advancement
Life member in Society for Sugarcane Research and Development
Life member in Society for Sugar Research and Promotion
Life member in Society for Plant Protection Sciences
Life member in Society for Applied Biotechnology
Life member in Society of Mycology and Plant Pathology
Life member in Indian Phytopathology
Life Member in Agricultural Scientific Tamil Society
Life member in SISSTA
Annual Fellow member in STAI

List of current external funded project

Mechanized priming of planting material and technology popularization for revival of sugarcane productivity in Tamil Nadu (As PI) – 2023-2026 – NADP – RKVY (GOI – TN) -27.75 lakhs
Dissemination of technology on mechanized priming of planting material for sustainable sugarcane agriculture (As PI) –Since 2024-25 continuous – Central sponsored NFSM – 5.0 Lakhs/ year

Awards and honours

Awarded Long-term Overseas Associateship in Niche Areas by DBT – PDF in SNU, Seoul – Department of Biotechnology, DBT, GOI – 2007-2008
Fellow of Biocontrol Advancement – 2010 – Society for Biocontrol Advancement – 2011
Fellow of Applied Biotechnology – 2012 – Society for Applied Biotechnology – 2013
Outstanding Award for the contribution on Phylogenetics and Diagnostics of Colletotrichum falcatum – Amity University, New Delhi, India – 2012

International Exposure

One year PDF program on “Phylogenetics and Functional Genomics of Fungal pathogens” at College of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Seoul by availing Long-term Overseas Associateship in Niche Areas awarded by DBT, GOI

Research Publications

Research papers

Malathi, P., Viswanathan, R., Padmanaban, P., Mohanraj, D. and Ramesh Sundar, A. 2002. Microbial detoxification of Colletotrichum falcatum Current Science, 83 (6): 745-749.
Malathi, P., Viswanathan, R., Padmanaban, P., Mohanraj, D. and Ramesh Sundar, A. 2002. Compatibility of biocontrol agents with fungicides against red rot disease of sugarcane. Sugar Tech, 4 (3&4): 131-136.
Malathi, P., Padmanaban, P., Viswanathan, R., Mohanraj, D and Ramesh Sunder, A. 2004. Efficacy of thiophanate methyl against red rot of sugarcane. Acta Phytopathologica et Entamologica Humgarica, 39: 39-47.
Viswanathan, R., Malathi, P., Ramesh Sunder, A., Aarthi, S., Prem Kumari, S. M. and Padmanaban, P. 2005. Differential induction of chitinases and thaumatin like proteins in sugarcane in response to infection by Colletotrichum falcatum causing red rot disease. Journal of Plant Diseases and Protection, 112(5): 417-425.
Malathi, P., Viswanathan, R and Jothi, R. 2006. Specific adaptation of Colletotrichum falcatum pathotypes to sugarcane cultivars. Sugar Tech, 8(1): 52-56.
Malathi, P., Viswanathan, R., Padmanaban, P., Mohanraj, D., Ganesh Kumar, V and Salin, K. P. 2008. Differential accumulation of 3-deoxy anthocyanidin phytoalexins in sugarcane varieties varying in red rot resistance in response to Colletotrichum falcatum Sugar Tech, 10(2): 154-157.
Malathi, P., Viswanathan, R., Ramesh Sundar, A., Prakasam, N., Padmanaban, P., Jothi, R., Renuka Devi, S. R. and Poongothai, M. 2010. Variability among Colletotrichum falcatum pathotypes used for screening red rot resistance in sugarcane. Sugarcane International, 28(2): 47-52.
Malathi, P., Viswanathan, R., Ramesh Sundar, A., Padmanaban, P., Prakasam, N., Mohanraj, D and Jothi. R. 2011. Phylogenetic analysis of Colletotrichum falcatum isolates causing red rot in sugarcane. Journal of Sugarcane Research, 1: 69-74.
Malathi, P., and R. Viswanathan. 2012. Variation in Colletotrichum falcatum-Red Rot pathogen of sugarcane in relation to host resistance. Sugar Tech 14(2):181–187.
Malathi, P. and Viswanathan, R. 2012. Identification of pathogenicity determinants in Colletotrichum falcatum using wild and mutant cultures. Sugar Tech, 14(3): 14(4):383–390.
Malathi, P., Viswanathan, R. and Padmanaban, P. 2012. Identification of antifungal proteins from fungal and bacterial antagonists against Colletotrichum falcatum causing sugarcane red rot. Biol. Control, 26 (1): 49-54.
Elamathi, E., Malathi, P*., Viswanathan, R. and Ramesh Sundar, A. 2016. Potential of Paenibacillus and Trichoderma isolates against Colletotrichum falcatum causing red rot disease in sugarcane. Journal of Sugarcane Research, 6(2): 100-111.
Malathi, P., Viswanathan and A. Ramesh Sunder. 2017. Mechanized means of sett treatment: An effective way of delivering fungicides for the management of red rot in sugarcane. Sugar Tech, 19(2): 176-182.
Elamathi, E., Malathi*, R. Viswanathan and A. Ramesh Sundar. 2017. Molecular analysis of the suppression of Colletrotrichum falcatum by Trichoderma harzianum in sugarcane. Journal of Plant Pathology, 99(1): 211-218.
Elamathi, E., Malathi, P*., Viswanathan, R. and Ramesh Sundar, A. 2018. Expression analysis on mycoparasitism related genes during antagonism of Trichoderma with Colletotrichum falcatum causing red rot in sugarcane. Journal of Plant Biochemistry and Biotechnology, 27(3): 351-361.
Kaverinathan, K., M. Scindiya, Malathi*, R. Viswanathan and A. Ramesh Sundar. 2017. Role of melanin in Colletotrichum falcatum pathogenesis causing sugarcane red rot. Sugar Tech, 19(6): 584-591.
Scindiya, M., Malathi*, K. Kaverinathan, R. Viswanathan and A. Ramesh Sundar. 2017. Molecular characterization of pathogenicity gene homologs in Colletotrichum falcatum causing red rot in sugarcane. Sugar Tech, 19(6):563-572.
Scindiya, M., Malathi*, K. Kaverinathan, R. Viswanathan and A. Ramesh Sundar. 2018. RNA-mediated silencing of PKS1 gene in Colletotrichum falcatum causing red rot in sugarcane. European Journal of Plant Pathology, 153: 371-384.
Elamathi, E., Malathi, P*., Viswanathan, R. and Ramesh Sundar, A. 2019. Identification and Characterization of Differentially Expressed Proteins from Trichoderma harzianum During Interaction with Colletotrichum falcatum Causing Red Rot in Sugarcane. Sugar Tech,21(5): 765-772
Malathi, P., Kaverinathan, K., Elamathi, E., Ramesh Sundar, A. and Viswanathan, R. 2019. Colletotrichum falcatum causing red rot in sugarcane: Genomic and proteomic approaches to characterize the pathogenic variation. Journal of Sugarcane Research, 9: 164-175.
Scindiya, M., P. Malathi*, Kaverinathan, A. Ramesh Sundar and R. Viswanathan. 2021. Knock-down of glucose transporter and sucrose non-fermenting gene in the hemibiotrophic fungus Colletotrichum falcatum causing sugarcane red rot. Molecular Biology Reports, 48: 2053-2061.
Viswanathan, R. and Malathi. 2021. Biocontrol strategies to manage fungal diseases in sugarcane. Sugar Tech, 21: 202-212.
Malathi, P., Rassapa Viswanathan, A. Ramesh Sunder, R. Nithyanantham and K. Manivannan, (2023). Approaches endeavoured to manage red rot under field conditions. Journal of Sugarcane Research, 12:128-139.
Saranya Ranganathan, Malathi*, V. Bhuvaneshwari and Ritu Mawar. (2023). Biogenesis of Zinc oxide nanoparticles from mustard seed extract and its antifungal activity against Colletotrichum falcatum causing red rot in sugarcane. The Pharma Innovation Journal, 53-56.
Vennila, A., Malathi*, Riya Augustin, V. Kasthuri Thilagam, C. Palaniswami and R. Viswanathan. 2024. Efficient and economical way of improving sugarcane settling vigour by mechanized priming of single bud setts with nutrients. Sugar Tech, 25:1328-1338.
Saranya Ranganathan, Malathi*, R. Nithyanantham, Ritu Mawar and Rassapa Viswanathan, 2024. Evaluation of biofumigation strategy for the management of Colletotrichum falcatum Went- red rot disease of sugarcane. Sugar Tech, 26(1): 647- 656.
Palaniyandi Malathi*, Rasappa Viswanathan and Amalraj Ramesh Sundar. 2025. Mechanized sett treatment– An innovative technology to deliver various agro-inputs for the management of sugarcane diseases including GSD. Phytopathogenic Mollicutes, 15(1): 145-146.
Siva, M., Sendhilvel, V., Thangeswari, S., Malathi, P*., Karthikeyan, G., Arun Kumar R., Harish, S., Sassikumar, D., Baskaran, V. 2025. “Etiology and histopathological insights of twisted top disease: A re-emerging threat to sugarcane cultivation” Physiological and Molecular Plant Pathology, 139: 102747.
Siva, M., Sendhilvel, V., Baskaran, V., Thangeswari, S., Malathi, P., Viswanathan, P., Karthikeyan, G., Sassikumar, D. 2025. “Molecular Confirmation on the Association of Crown Mealybug with Pokkah Boeng Disease in Sugarcane: A Prelude for Designing Management Strategy” Sugar Tech, 27(4): 1199–1212.
Jensipershiya S., Sendhilvel V., Geethalakshmi V., Manoranjitham S.K., Malathi P., Siva M. 2025. “Valourizing agricultural farm waste with bioinoculants for plant growth promotion and disease management” Plant Science Today. 12(2): 1-10.

Books and Book chapters

Books Edited

Viswanathan R., A. Ramesh Sundar, Malathi, R. Selvakumar, V. Jayakumar, K. Nithya. 2018. Research Accomplishments in Sugarcane Pathology at ICAR-SBI. ICAR-Sugarcane Breeding Institute, Coimbatore, ISBN 978-93-85267-21-5, 196p.
Rajula Shanthy, T., S. Alarmelu, C. Jayabose, Malathi and Bakshi Ram. 2017. Glimpses of Cane Adviser. A Digital Compendium on Sugarcane. ISBN: 978-93-85267-11-6.
Rajula Shanthy, T., Bakshi Ram, S. Alarmelu, M.N. Premachandran, Viswanathan, C. Palaniswami, A. Bhaskaran, N. Geetha, P. Malathi, C. Jayabose, T. Arumuganathan and V.P.Shobhakumari. 2016. Sugarcane Technologies. ICAR-Sugarcane Breeding Institute, Coimbatore, p116.
Vijayan Nair, N., R. Santhi, P. Rakkiayappan, S. Alarmelu, P. Gopalasundaram, R. Viswanathan, R. Jayanthi, Malathi. 2011. Karumbu sagupadi (Tamil). SBI, Coimbatore, p42.
Padmanaban, P., Viswanathan, A. Ramesh Sundar and P. Malathi (ed.) (2008). Sugarcane diseases Epidemiology and Control. Course for PG degree in M.Sc. Sugarcane Technology, Directorate of Open and Distance Learning, TNAU, Coimbatore.

Book chapters

Malathi, P., R. Viswanathan (2012). Functional Genomics Based Approaches in Analysis of Pathogenicity Genes in In: Molecular Approaches for Plant Fungal Diseases Management (Eds. H. P. Singh, P. Chowdappa, B. N. Chakraborty and A. R. Podile), Westville Publishing House, Delhi, pp 96-107.
Malathi, P., R. Viswanathan, M. Poongothai and A. Ramesh Sundar (2012). Sugarcane Wilt. In: Seedborne Diseases of Field Crops and their Management (Eds M.S. Bhale , A. Gaur) Agrobios (India), Jodhpur, India, pp249-264.
Malathi, P. Management of sugarcane diseases through host resistance and other methods. In: Biotechnological and conventional tools for biotic and abiotic stress management in sugarcane. Course Manual of ICAR sponsored winter school, December 7-27, 2016. In: Baksshi Ram, P. Govindraj, A. Ramesh Sundar and A. Bhaskaran (Eds.). ICAR-Sugarcane Breeding Institute, Coimbatore – 641007, Tamil Nadu, India. ISBN 978-93-85267-07-9. PP. 93-99.
Malathi, P., Kaverinathan, M. Scindiya, R. Viswanathan and A. Ramesh Sundar. 2018. Colletotrichum falcatum – Diversity, Diagnostics, Genes governing pathogenicity and Functional Genomics, In: Research Accomplishments in Sugarcane Pathology at ICAR-SBI, R. Viswanathan, A. Ramesh Sundar, P. Malathi, R. Selvakumar, V. Jayakumar and K. Nithya (Eds.), ICAR-SBI, Coimbatore, pp 37-58.
Malathi, P., E. Elamathi, R. Viswanathan and A. Ramesh Sundar. 2018. Management of fungal diseases in India. In: Research Accomplishments in Sugarcane Pathology at ICAR-SBI, R. Viswanathan, A. Ramesh Sundar, P. Malathi, R. Selvakumar, V. Jayakumar and K. Nithya (Eds.), ICAR-SBI, Coimbatore, pp 126-138.