Dr. Namita Das Saha | Environmental Microbiology | Excellence in Research Award
Senior Scientist | NIRCA, Indian Council of Agricultural Research | India
Dr. Namita Das Saha is a distinguished Senior Scientist (ARS) at ICAR-Central Tobacco Research Institute, Regional Station, Dinhata, Cooch Behar, with extensive expertise in environmental science, soil microbiology, biogeochemistry, and climate change research. She earned her Ph.D. in Environmental Sciences from ICAR-IARI, New Delhi, focusing on the impact of climate variables on plant pathogenesis, and has since made significant contributions to soil conservation, microplastic pollution mitigation, and sustainable agriculture. Dr. Saha has developed innovative, rapid, and low-cost technologies for the identification and quantification of microplastics in agricultural soils and organic matrices, with one method recognized by the prestigious journal Science of the Total Environment and another under patent processing. Her work also includes the development of biochar-based soil amendments for acidity reclamation, PGPR-based crop enhancement, and greenhouse gas mitigation technologies such as sulfur-coated urea. She has successfully led and co-led numerous ICAR and ministry-funded projects on climate-resilient agriculture, waste management, and soil health improvement. With over 11 years of postgraduate teaching experience, she has contributed to curriculum development and laboratory establishment in environmental microbiology. With 23 publications, 132 citations, and an H-index of 8, her academic potential is clearly emerging. Dr. Saha has received several national awards, including the All India Best Paper Award (2024), Young Woman Scientist Award (2021), and Environmentalist of the Year (2020). She serves on editorial boards of reputed environmental journals and holds life memberships in multiple national scientific societies. Her ongoing research continues to advance sustainable soil management, microplastic mitigation, and climate-smart agricultural practices for long-term ecological resilience.
Featured Publications
Saha, P., Das, N. R., Deb, P., & Suresh, C. P. (2009). Effect of NAA and GA₃ on yield and quality of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.). Environment and Ecology, 27(3), 1048–1098.
Saha, P., Chatterjee, R., & Das, N. R. (2010). Effect of foliar application of boron and molybdenum in sprouting broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica Plenk) under Terai region of West Bengal. Recent Journal of Agricultural Science, 1(4), 335–337.
Saha, P., Ghoshal, C., Ray, S., Saha, N. D., Srivastava, M., Kalia, P., & Tomar, B. S. (2020). Genetic analysis of downy mildew resistance and identification of molecular markers linked to resistance gene Ppa207 on chromosome 2 in cauliflower. Euphytica, 216(11), 183.
Saha, N. D., Chaudhary, A., Singh, S. D., Singh, D., Walia, S., & Kumar, D. T. (2015). Plant pathogenic microbial communication affected by elevated temperature in Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum. Current Microbiology, 71, 585–593.
Das, S., Bhattacharyya, R., Saha, N. D., Ghosh, A., Khan, S. A., Ahmed, N., Dey, A., & others. (2022). Soil aggregate-associated carbon and organic carbon pools as affected by conversion of forest lands to agriculture in an acid soil of India. Soil and Tillage Research, 223, 105443.