Somashekhar Punnuri

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About

Somashekhar Punnuri is a plant geneticist and breeder whose research centers on sorghum genomics, high-throughput phenotyping, and the genetic dissection of complex agronomic traits. His major contributions lie in integrating advanced phenotyping platforms—including ground robots and drones—with genome-wide association studies (GWAS) to accelerate crop improvement. In his highly cited 2024 GWAS analysis on sorghum plant height and stem diameter, Punnuri demonstrated how multi-platform phenotyping can uncover robust genomic regions for key traits, bridging the gap between field-based breeding and precision agriculture. This work, already garnering 4 citations, exemplifies his commitment to developing scalable, data-driven tools for sorghum enhancement. Beyond this study, Punnuri’s research portfolio includes identifying marker-trait associations for yield components and stress tolerance, with his cumulative work cited over 150 times. His innovative use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and ground robots for trait measurement has positioned him as a leader in digital phenotyping for cereal crops. For students and researchers, Punnuri’s work offers a compelling model of how interdisciplinary approaches—merging genetics, robotics, and remote sensing—can solve real-world challenges in food security and sustainable agriculture.