BRIEF BIODATA OF PROF. SURESH RAINA
Prof. Suresh Raina has 35 years Post-graduate teaching and 50 years research experience in designing and implementing livelihood related programme bringing together insects, farmer’s income and the environment. A native of Nagpur, India, growing up in the 1960 he experienced first hand the struggles faced by farmers. His interest in contributing towards the creation of income generating options that would improve community livelihoods was inspired by his father in whom he grew up helping in dairy and agricultural farming.
Prof. Raina earned an M.Sc. in Entomology and Cytogenetics in 1971 obtaining a gold medal for being the top notcher. He than obtained a Ph.D. in 1975 in Insect Neuroendocrinology from the same university co-supervised by the Agriculture Canada Research Station Saskatoon and Montana State University, USA. Through a fellowship from Rotary International Illinois, USA and the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Canada he undertook post-doctoral training between 1977 and 1980 at the Agriculture Canada Research Station Saskatoon in collaboration with Montana Bozeman USDA Laboratory, where he developed a tissue culture laboratory and in vivo mass production of a protozoan parasite for the control of wheat grasshoppers in Canadian Prairies and in Bozeman Montana USA. He then applied this technology in India for the rice grasshoppers species in Bhandara-Nagpur districts in 1982. He returned to Nagpur University with a grant from IDRC, PL-480 USA and the University Grants Commission (UGC) to establish a Centre of Sericulture & Biological Pest Management Research in Nagpur University. He was awarded a research professorship in 1988 by IDRC, Canada endorsed by Nagpur University. Through a PL-480 grant he identified and introduced a biological control Hymenopteran Parasitoid to eradicate Citrus blackfly in Orange orchard in Vidarbha Region of Maharashtra State, an endeavour that won him a certificate of appreciation from USDA from 1990.
Prof. Raina joined icipe in 1990 as a Senior Research Scientist with a grant from the World Bank to develop a biological control strategy for grasshoppers in the Sahel. Since 1994, he has overseen the initiation (with support from International Fund for Agricultural Development-IFAD) and advancement of the icipe Commercial Insect Programme (CIP) which is aimed at improving the livelihood of communities across Africa through science led Sericulture and modern Apiculture enterprises with other livelihood options. As the Principal Research scientist & Head of Environmental Health Division of icipe, he collaborated with national and international research and development partners and the private sector, to conduct research, demonstration, infrastructure development, capacity building, information dissemination and commercialization of products through market place development in 26 African countries. Genome resources of divorced African honeybees and silkmoth races were also established to provide the basis for developing breeding stocks and desirable traits. Prof. Raina also established a germplasm repository and breeding stocks for preserving and utilizing a superior productive bee races and silkmoth lines.
Prof. Raina has also established the African Reference Laboratory for Bee Health in 2013 with Central Reference Laboratory, icipe Kenya and satellite station in Ethiopia Burkina Faso, Cameroon and Liberia in a partnership between icipe and the African Union Inter-African Bureau for animal resources (AU-IBAR) and with financial support from the European Union, IFAD (6 phases for Africa and NENA regions) and several other donors such viz., UNDP GEF, WTO, IDB, OPEC, FAO, CORDAID, BIOVISON etc., to support commercial insect programme. These facilities have provided a focal point for cutting-edge research towards improved bee health pollination services, and sericulture with an ultimate aim of enhancing the livelihood of beekeepers and farmers across Africa through improved honey, silk products and crop productivity.
Prof. Raina has published over 130 peer reviewed papers, 5 books, 10 proceedings and over 40 donors’ report. He has supervised over 35 Ph.D. students, 50 M.Sc. Scholars and 6 M.Phil from India, Africa, China, Canada, and the UK. Cumulatively, he has contributed to the training of over 50,000 farmers, trainers and national extension workers in 26 African countries, NENA region and India. He is consultant to several international and National agencies, such as SAARC International, FAO New Delhi, Art of Living International and IFAD. He returned to India from icipe in 2017 and joined Centre of Sericulture & Bioresource Management Research (CSBR), RTM Nagpur University as an International Technical Advisor. Recently, raised large grants for 6 research projects (Apiculture, Sericulture (2), Mushroom, Aquaculture and Goat Farming) under SANKALP Scheme, Govt. of India for training and capacity building of farmers in the Vidarbha Region of Maharashtra. His aim is to contribute to the conservation and sustainable utilisation of biodiversity and defining strategy for climate change, mitigation and adoption.