G.N. Mohan Kumar
Assistant
Research Professor/Clinical Assistant Professor
(WSU faculty member since 2000)
Areas of Interest
- Vegetable Crops/ Potato Physiology
- Postharvest/Senescence/Aging Physiology
- Plant Propagtion/Nutrition
- Medicinal and Aromatic Plants
- Nutraceutical / medicinal plants
Educational Background
- Ph.D. Horticulture, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
- M.Sc. Horticulture, University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore, India
- B.Sc. Horticulture, University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore, India
Honors and Awards
- Recipient of the University of Agricultural Sciences (Bangalore, India) GOLD MEDALs for outstanding performance in both B.Sc (Horticulture) and M.Sc (Horticulture) degree programs (1974-78; 1978-80)
- Commonwealth scholarship awarded by the Association of Colleges and Universities of Canada during Ph.D. program (1987-1992).
- Maureen White scholarship awarded by the Alberta Horticulture Association, Edmonton, Canada (1990).
- Robert Simonet graduate scholarship awarded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Canada (1990 and 1992)
- Banff Kentucky Bluegrass travel award by the Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Canada (1992)
- Robert Simonet travel grant awarded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Canada for attending the American Society of Plant Physiologists meeting in North Carolina (1995)
Graduate Students
- Brett Adams, Master's candidate
- Sarah Weeda, Ph.D. program
- Guy Levasque, Ph.D.
Currently Teaching
- Hort 251 Plant Propagation
Selected Publications
- Kumar GNM, S. Iyer, Knowles NR (2007) Strboh A homologue of NADPH oxidase regulates wound-induced oxidative burst and facilitates wound-healing in potato tubers. Planta 227 (1):25-36.
- Kumar GNM, S. Iyer, Knowles NR (2007) Extraction of RNA from fresh, frozen, and lyophilized tuber and root tissues. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 55:1674-1678.
- Kumar GNM, Knowles NR (2003) Wound-induced superoxide production and PAL activity decline with potato tuber age and wound healing ability. Physiologia Plantarum 117:108-117.
- Vladimir Zabruskov, Kumar GNM, Spychalla JP and Knowles NR (2002) Oxidative metabolism and the physiological age of seed-tubers are affected by increased linoleate content. Physiologia Plantarum 116: 172-185
- Kumar GNM, RL Houtz, NR Knowles (1999) Age-induced protein modifications and increased proteolysis in potato seed-tubers. Plant Physiology 119: 89-99.
- Rogiers SY, Kumar GNM, NR Knowles (1998) Regulation of ethylene production and ripening by saskatoon (Amelanchier alnifolia Nutt.) fruit. Canadian Journal of Botany (1998) 76:1743-1754.
- Rogiers SY, Kumar GNM, NR Knowles (1998) Maturation and ripening of fruit of Amelancher alinifolia Nutt. are accompanied by increasing oxidative stress. Annals of Botany 81: 203-211.
- Kumar GNM, NR Knowles (1996) Oxidative stress results in increased sinks for metabolic energy during aging and sprouting of potato seed-tubers. Plant Physiology 112: 1301-1313.
- Kumar GNM, NR Knowles (1996) Nature of enhanced respiration during sprouting of aged potato seed-tubers. Physiologia Plantarum 97: 228-236.
- Kumar GNM, NR Knowles (1993) Involvement of auxin in the loss of apical dominance, root and shoot growth potential in aging potato seed-tubers. Canadian Journal of Botany 71: 541-550.

Office: Johnson Hall 49
Phone: 509.335.3455
E-mail