Dr. Ravinder K. Goyal, Ph.D.

Research Scientist

As a Pulse Crop Physiologist, I strive to bring improvement in pulse crops for their resiliency to the environmental changes. Canadian agriculture is facing challenges of water scarcity or drought, which are likely to become more frequent and acute in future with changing weather patterns. I would like to understand physiology of pulses under simulated drought conditions and low water availability. In partnership with breeders and geneticists the knowledge will be used to develop crops that are more efficient in water conservation. Standability or lodging in field pea negatively impacts yield, quality and economics of crop harvest. I would like to study the physiological and molecular aspects for better understanding of the phenomenon. In addition, I have interest in improving the understanding on plant-pathogen interaction for the ultimate aim of protecting pulse crops from imminent pathogens.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Lacombe Research and Development Centre, Lacombe, Alberta

Current research and/or projects

1. Physiology and molecular biology of pea stem lodging resistance

2. Development of suitable markers to aid breeding of field pea

3. Impact of pathogen-rhizobium interaction on nodulation and establishment of root rot and associated defense responses in pea

Professional activities / interests

1. Editorial duty: I review manuscripts for some of the high impact journals

2. Training to students: Trained several students for plant physiology, biochemistry and molecular biology laboratory skills 

3. Mentoring: Mentored high school students for science fairs

4. Lectures: Delivere lectures to the students in universities

Education and awards

Education

Degrees

Ph.D. Biochemistry, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, PB, India

M.Sc. Biochemistry, Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, HR, India

B.Sc. Biological Sciences, Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra, HR, India

Diploma

Canadian Food Regulations, Michigan State University, MI, USA

Awards

  1. First prize in oral presentation, MAP kinases and defense signaling for disease resistance in wheat. 36th Annual Meeting of the Plant Pathology Society of Alberta. Lethbridge AB, Canada, November 16-18, 2015.
  2. Awarded 1st prize in poster presentation, ‘Expression of an antimicrobial peptide in transgenic potato plants enhances innate immunity and modulates the hypersensitive response’. AFMNet Second Annual Scientific Conference, Calgary, CANADA, April 30th - May 2nd, 2006
  3. Awarded a prestigious ‘Biotechnology Overseas Fellowship’ by the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India in June 2000

International experience and/or work

1. Worked as Assistant Professor, Plant Biochemistry, at University of Horticulture and Forestry, Solan, India for over a decade

2. Worked for Indian Council of Agricultural Research as Senior Scientist (Biotechnology)

3. Visting Fellow at USDA-Beltsville Agriculture Research Centre, MD, USA

4. Post-doctoral Fellow, University of Maryland, MD, USA

5. Post-doctoral Fellow, University of Victoria, BC, Canada

Key publications

  1. Eranthodi A, Ryabova D, Goyal RK, Foroud NA. Pathogenic and phenotypic traits of a Fusarium graminearum strain overexpressing translation elongation factor 1-alpha. National Fusarium Head Blight Forum. St. Louis MO, UNITED STATES, December 4-6, 2016. p.58

    2016 - View publication details

  2. Eranthodi A, Subramaniam R, Rampitsch C, Ouellet T, Gonzàlez-Peña Fundora D, Vivar M, Zhao W, Goyal RK, Schultz EA, Foroud NA. Fusarium graminearum mutants towards identification of pathogenesis-associated molecular patterns. 2nd Lethbridge Research & Development Centre Graduate Symposium. Lethbridge AB, CANADA, November 30, 2016. Award Winning Presentation

    2016 - View publication details

  3. Gonzàlez-Peña Fundora D, Eranthodi A, Goyal RK, Thakor N, Falcón AB, Foroud NA. Effect of chitosan on Fusarium graminearum-Brachypodium distachyon interaction. 2nd Lethbridge Research & Development Centre Graduate Symposium. Lethbridge AB, CANADA, November 30, 2016.

    2016 - View publication details

  4. Foroud, N.A., Eranthodi, A., Goyal, R.K., Gonzàlez-Peña Fundora, D., Zhao, W., Vivar, M., Ouellet. T., Subramaniam, R., Rampitsch, C. 2016. Characterization of a secreted Fusarium graminearum elongation factor – an elicitor of host defence? Proceedings of the 8th Canadian Workshop on Fusarium Head Blight, Ottawa, ON, November 20-22 2016. P 19. Invited Oral Presentation.

    2016 - View publication details

  5. Pordel P, Ryabova D, Goyal RK, Chatterton S, Kovalchuk I, Foroud NA. Towards adaptation of a detached head assay for measuring resistance to initial infection (Type I resistance) by Fusarium graminearum in wheat. 6th Canadian Workshop of Fusarium Head Blight, Ottawa ON, CANADA, November 20-22, 2016. p.83

    2016 - View publication details

  6. Goyal RK, Gonzàlez-Peña Fundora D, Vivar M, Laroche A, Tulpan D, Foroud NA. Genome-wide identification and analysis of mitogen activated protein kinases (MAPKs) in wheat. 3rd Canadian Wheat Symposium, Ottawa ON, CANADA, November 22-25, 2016. p.48

    2016 - View publication details

  7. Eranthodi A, Subramaniam R, Rampitsch C, Ouellet T, Vivar M, Gonzàlez-Peña Fundora D, Zhao W, Goyal RK, Schultz EA, Foroud NA. Characterization of three Fusarium graminearum overexpression mutants and their ability to elicit host defence response in cereals. 8th Canadian Workshop of Fusarium Head Blight, Ottawa ON, CANADA, November 20-22, 2016. p.61

    2016 - View publication details

  8. Zhao W, Eranthodi A, Gonzàlez-Peña Fundora D, Goyal RK, Foroud NA. Overexpression of an elongation factor 1-alpha in Fusarium graminearum leads to reduced fitness. 37th Annual Meeting of the Plant Pathology Society of Alberta. Lethbridge AB, CANADA, November 7-9, 2016.

    2016 - View publication details

  9. Foroud, N.A., Goyal, R.K., Frick, M., Xu, Y., Chomistek, N., and Laroche, A. (2015). Annotation of Triticea mitogen activated protein kinases (MAPKs). (accessions KT187392-KT187393; KR422425-KR422427) and corresponding protein sequences (accessions AKS50324-AKS50325; AKL80627-AKL80629) were deposited into GenBank.

    2015 - View publication details

  10. Foroud, N.A., Goyal, R.K., Eudes, F., Ellis, B.E., Fobert, P., and Loewen, M. (2015). "The role of plant hormones in the Fusarium head blight disease response of wheat.", 13th European Fusarium Seminar, Martina Franca, TA., Italy, May 10-14, 2015.

    2015 - View publication details

  11. Foroud, N.A., Goyal, R.K., Eranthodi, A., Zaharia, L.I., and Loewen, M. (2015). "Plant signalling hormones in the Fusarium head blight response of three wheat genotypes.", 2nd Annual Science Meeting of the Canadian Wheat Association, Saskatoon, Canada, July 14-16, 2015.

    2015 - View publication details

  12. Goyal, R.K., West, C., Hui, L., Chiu, J., Frick, M., Chomistek, N., Ellis, B.E., Tulpan, D., Laroche, A., and Foroud, N.A. (2015). "MAP kinases and defence signalling for disease resistance in wheat.", 36th Annual Meeting of the Plant Pathology Society of Alberta, Lethbridge, AB, Canada, November 16-18, 2015.

    2015 - View publication details

  13. Goyal, R.K. and Mattoo, A.K. (2014). "Multitasking antimicrobial peptides in plant development and host defense against biotic/abiotic stress.", Plant Science, 228, pp. 135-149. doi : 10.1016/j.plantsci.2014.05.012

    2014 - View publication details

  14. Goyal, R.K., Hancock, R.E.W., Mattoo, A.K., Misra, S. (2013). Expression of an Engineered Heterologous Antimicrobial Peptide in Potato Alters Plant Development and Mitigates Normal Abiotic and Biotic Responses. PLoS ONE, [online] 8(10), http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0077505

    2013 - View publication details

  15. He, J.F., Goyal, R., Laroche, A., Zhao, M.L., Lu, Z.X. (2013). Effects of salinity stress on starch morphology, composition and thermal properties during grain development in triticale. Canadian Journal of Plant Science, [online] 93(5), 765-771. http://dx.doi.org/10.4141/CJPS2013-065

    2013 - View publication details

  16. He, J.F., Goyal, R., Laroche, A., Zhao, M.L., Lu, Z.X. (2012). Water stress during grain development affects starch synthesis, composition and physicochemical properties in triticale. Journal of Cereal Science, [online] 56(3), 552-560. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jcs.2012.07.011

    2012 - View publication details

  17. Goyal, R.K., Kumar, V., Shukla, V., Mattoo, R., Liu, Y., Chung, S.H., Giovannoni, J.J., Mattoo, A.K. (2012). Features of a unique intronless cluster of class I small heat shock protein genes in tandem with box C/D snoRNA genes on chromosome 6 in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum). Planta, [online] 235(3), 453-471. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00425-011-1518-5

    2012 - View publication details

  18. Kausch, K.D., Sobolev, A.P., Goyal, R.K., Fatima, T., Laila-Beevi, R., Saftner, R.A., Handa, A.K., Mattoo, A.K. (2012). Methyl jasmonate deficiency alters cellular metabolome, including the aminome of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) fruit. Amino Acids, [online] 42(2-3), 843-856. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00726-011-1000-5

    2012 - View publication details

Contact

Research facility

Lacombe Research and Development Centre
6000 C and E Trail
Lacombe, AB T4L 1W1
Canada

Expertise

Agriculture›Biochemistry›Plant
Agriculture›Biotechnology
Agriculture›Physiology›Crop
Plant›Cereals and pulses

Affiliations

  1. Member of Canadian Society of Plant Pathologists

  2. Member of Plant Pathology Society of Alberta

Language

English