Dr Manjree Agarwal
PhD in Agricultural chemicals

From last 17 years I have been working in conducting basic and applied research for development of new technologies, non-chemical methods, for  management of pests in stored grain, horticultural produce, wooden commodities, warehouse and shipping container along with development of smart surveillance and diagnostic methods for pest of biosecurity risk. Area of expertise includes:

• Development of innovative, rapid and accurate diagnostic tools based on insect ecology and biology
• Development of biosecurity tools for  potential new incursions of exotic organisms
• Exploration of novel non chemical method for control of insect pests
• Alternatives to methyl bromide for quarantine treatment
• Changes in physiological behavior of plant after application of plant growth regulators
• Method development for analysis of an unknown chemical by use of latest analytical techniques
• Discovery of new chemicals from plant having pesticidal or medicinal properties

Unit coordinator for ANS 208, Crop Protection and Plant Biosecurity. This unit is under Crop and Pasture Science started in 2017

Teaching following subjects:

• Introduction to crop and pasture protection
• Chemistry of pesticides
• Introduction to pests like mollucs, birds and rodents and their management
• Introduction to plant biosecurity and its policies
• Surveillance and its importance to biosecurity
• Biosecurity and safe guarding trade

• Developing diagnostic tool for biosecurity pests using hyperspectral image analysis
• Developing new novel green and safe chemicals for protection of post harvest commodity in storage
• Looking for fumigants alternative to methyl bromide
• Management of phosphine resistance stored grain pests
• Studying chemical ecology between host plant , healthy plant and pest

Currently working on Western Australian State Government, Royalties for Regions Boosting Biosecurity Defences R&D funded project “ “New discriminatory diagnostic protocols for exotic khapra beetle (Trogoderma granarium) to aid early detection and future-proof market access”

Successfully finished following projects:

• Delivery and adoption of nitrogen/low oxygen and nitrogen + phosphine technology for the management of stored grain pest. (Plant biosecurity CRC projects)
•  Deployment of a synthetic amorphous silica product for the control of grain storage pests. (Plant biosecurity CRC projects)
• Eradication of Eucalyptus weevil for European Market for pink lady apples ( Horticulture innovation Australia project)
• Quarantine treatment of Naval oranges for S. Korean market. (Citrus Australia project)
• Use of Ethanedinitrile for treatment of stored grain and timber pest (BOC)

GRANTS

2016-2018 Biosecurity Research and Development Fund- New discriminatory diagnostic protocols for exotic khapra beetle (Trogoderma granarium) to aid early detection and future-proof market access ($247,800)

2009-2012 Horticulture innovation Australia (HAL-PA09045), Eradication of Eucalyptus weevil for European market for pink lady apples, $45,00

2012-2014 Citrus Australia (CRC100022), Quarantine treatment of naval oranges for South Korean Market, $200,000

 2014-2016 PBCRC, (CRC 3099) Delivery and adoption of nitrogen/low oxygen and nitrogen + phosphine technology for the management of stored grain pest, $ 635,000

AWARDS

• Murdoch Research and Innovation Prize’ in the Start Something Commercialisation Awards for 2016.
• Recipient of IARI Merit Gold Medal for outstanding academic performance in Ph.D.
• Recipient of Nihar Bala Ghosh Gold Medal for the Best Ph.D. student of the Institute.
• Recipient of Lectureship (NET) Eligibility Certificate in life sciences conducted by Center for scientific and industrial research-university grants commission (CSIR-UGC)

Working as Scientist in school program run by CSIRO

Engaged in organizing biosecurity and food safety training programs for primary and secondary school like, Perth Modern School, Applecross primary and secondary, Rossmoyne secondary, Corpus Christi

Currently supervising 12 full time PhD students and successfully supervised 2 PhD and 1 Honors student

Journals

• Ibrahim, M., Agarwal, M., Hardy, G., Ren, Y., (2017), Optimized Method to Analyze Rose Plant Volatile Organic Compounds by HS-SPME-GC-FID/MSD, Journal of Biosciences & Medicines, 5, , pages 13 - 31.
• Ibrahim, M., Agarwal, M., Hardy, G., Abdulhussein, M., Ren, Y., (2017), Optimization of Environmental Factors to Measure Physiological Parameters of Two Rose Varieties, Journal of Applied Sciences, 7, , pages 585 - 595.
• Mohammed, K., Agarwal, M., Newman, J., Ren, Y., (2017), Optimization of Headspace Solid-Phase Microextraction Conditions for the Identification of Volatiles Compounds from the Whole Fruit of Lemon, Lime, Mandarin and Orange, Journal of Biosciences & Medicines, 5, , pages 176 - 186.
• Al-Khshemawee, H., Agarwal, M., Du, X., Ren, Y., (2017), Detection of Mediterranean Fruit Fly Larvae Ceratitis capitata (Diptera: Tephidae) in Different Types of Fruit by HS-SPME GC-MS Method, Journal of Biosciences & Medicines, 5, , pages 154 - 159.
• Niu, Y., Hardy, G., Agarwal, M., Hua, L., Ren, Y., (2016), Characterization of volatiles Tribolium castaneum (H.) in flour using solid phase microextractiongas chromatography mass spectrometry (SPMEGCMS), Food Sciences and Human Wellness, 5, 1, pages 24 - 29.
• Niu, Y., Hua, L., Hardy, G., Agarwal, M., Ren, Y., (2016), Analysis of volatiles from stored wheat and Rhyzopertha dominica (F.) with solid phase microextraction-gas chromatography mass spectrometry, International Journal of Sociology of Agriculture and Food, 96, 5, pages 1697 - 1703.
• Agarwal, M., Ren, Y., Newman, J., Learmonth, S., (2015), Ethyl Formate: A Potential Disinfestation Treatment for Eucalyptus Weevil (Gonipterus platensis)(Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in Apples, International Journal of Sociology of Agriculture and Food, , 2015, pages 1 - 6.
• Qui, R., Qu, D., Hardy, G., Trengove, R., Agarwal, M., Ren, Y., (2014), Optimization of headspace solid-phase microextraction conditions for the identification of Phytophthora cinnamomi Rands, Plant Disease: an international journal of applied plant pathology, 98, 8, pages 1088 - 1098.
• Qiu, R., Qu, D., Trengove, R., Agarwal, M., Hardy, G., Ren, Y., (2014), Headspace solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry for analysis of VOCs produced by Phytophthora cinnamomi, Plant Disease: an international journal of applied plant pathology, 98, 8, pages 1099 - 1105.
• Qiu, R., Hardy, G., Dong, Q., Trengove, R., Agarwal, M., Ren, Y., (2012), Optimization of the Headspace Solid-Phase Microextraction Gas Chromatography for Volatile Compounds Determination inPhytophthora Cinnamomi Rands, World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology. Proceedings, 72, , pages 324 - 328.

Conference

• Niu, Y., Hardy, G., Hua, L., Trengove, R., Agarwal, M., Cheng, H., Ren, Y., (2012),Optimization Of Hs-Spme-Gc Method For Detection Ofstored Grain Insects,In: 9th International Conference on Controlled Atmosphere and Fumigation in Stored Products.
• Ren, Y., Yang, C., Newman, J., Agarwal, M., Kostas, E., Cheng, H., (2012),NITROGEN APPLICATION OFFERS FOR BOTH CONTROL OF INSECT AND GRAIN QUALITY,In: 9th International Conference on Controlled Atmosphere and Fumigation in Stored Products.
• Agarwal, M., Ren, Y., Newman, J., Cheng, H., (2012),ERADICATION OF EUCALYPTUS WEEVILS IN APPLES BY ETHYLFORMATE,In: 9th International Conference on Controlled Atmosphere and Fumigation in Stored Products.
• Ren, Y., Jansen, M., Agarwal, M., Emery, R., Newman, J., Cheng, H., (2012),FATE OF 32P LABELED PHOSPHINE IN GRAIN AND GRAIN FRACTIONS,In: 9th International Conference on Controlled Atmosphere and Fumigation in Stored Products.