Associate Professor
(WSU faculty member since 2000)
Areas of Interest
- Vegetable Crops/Potato Physiology
- Postharvest/Senescence/Aging Physiology
- Plant Propagation/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)
Teaching Responsibilities
- HORT 251 – Plant Propagation
Program Personnel
- Jacob Blauer, Ph.D Program
- Daniel Zommick, Ph.D Program
- Liana Suryaningsih, Master’s Program
Selected Publications
Weeda, S.M., G.N.M. Kumar, S. Iyer, and N.R. Knowles. 2010. Correlative changes in proteases and protease inhibitors during mobilization of protein from potato (Solanum tuberosum) seed tubers. Functional Plant Biology 37: 32-42.
Weeda, S.M., G.N.M. Kumar, S. Iyer, and N.R. Knowles. 2009. Developmentally linked changes in proteases and protease inhibitors suggest a role for potato multicystatin in regulating protein content of potato tubers. Planta 230: 73-84.
Kumar, G.N.M., S. Iyer, and N.R. Knowles. 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, G.N.M., S. Iyer, and N.R. Knowles. 2007. Extraction of RNA from fresh, frozen, and lyophilized tuber and root tissues. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 55: 1674-1678.
Kumar, G.N.M. and N.R. Knowles. 2003. Wound-induced superoxide production and PAL activity decline with potato tuber age and wound healing ability. Physiologia Plantarum 117: 108-117.
Zabrouskov, V., G.N.M. Kumar, J.P. Spychalla, and N.R. Knowles. 2002. Oxidative metabolism and the physiological age of seed-tubers are affected by increased linoleate content. Physiologia Plantarum 116: 172-185.
Kumar, G.N.M., R.L. Houtz, and N.R. Knowles. 1999. Age-induced protein modifications and increased proteolysis in potato seed-tubers. Plant Physiology 119: 89-99.
Rogiers, S.Y., G.N.M. Kumar, and N.R. Knowles. 1998. Regulation of ethylene production and ripening by saskatoon (Amelanchier alnifolia Nutt.) fruit. Canadian Journal of Botany 76: 1743-1754.
Rogiers, S.Y., G.N.M. Kumar, and N.R. Knowles. 1998. Maturation and ripening of fruit of Amelancher alinifolia Nutt. are accompanied by increasing oxidative stress. Annals of Botany 81: 203-211.
Kumar, G.N.M. and N.R. Knowles. 1996. Oxidative stress results in increased sinks for metabolic energy during aging and sprouting of potato seed-tubers. Plant Physiology 112: 1301-1313.