![agronomy](/english/images/agronomy.jpg)
Agronomy and Soil Science is one of the oldest division at CIMAP. It started in late seventies with multiple activities of maintaining farm, horticulture and R&D (field trials) on major medicinal and aromatic plants. Dr DV Singh was the first Head of the Division. Dr Aparbal Singh looked after the farm activities. The R&D activities were subsequently strengthened after joining of Dr RL Yadav (presently, Director IISR, Lucknow) and Dr K Subrahmanyam and transfer of Dr SPS Duhan, Dr VP Singh and Dr SK Kothari from field stations; Dr HS Chauhan, Dr M Yaseen and Dr Tajuddin joined the Division at a later stage. Dr DD Patra, Shri Arun Prasad both soil scientists and Dr Saudan Singh, an Agronomist joined the division in late eighties. The division was splitted into two departments, viz. Agronomy & Weed Technology and Soil Science & Water Technology in 1993 to be headed by Dr Aparbal Singh and Dr DV Singh, respectively. After superannuation of Dr DV Singh in 2002, the Soil Science and Water Technology was looked after by Dr DD Patra as Head. Later on in 2004, after the superannuation (VRS) of Dr Aparbal Singh the two sections (Agronomy & Soil Science) were merged in to Agrotechnology Division to be headed by Dr DD Patra. The Division has been re-named again as Agronomy and Soil Science in 2009. The present faculties in the division include Dr DD Patra, Dr A Chattopadhyay, Dr M. Anwar, Shri Arun Prasad, Dr Kambod Singh, Dr HS Chauhan and Dr Rajesh Kumar Verma, all soil scientists and Dr Muni Ram, Dr M Yaseen and Dr Saudan Singh (presently, in-charge of the Farm), all agronomists. The technical group includes Dr UB Singh, Dr Man Singh, Shri RS Tripathi, Dr Sukhmal Chand, Dr Dasha Ram and Mrs Rajkumari. Major areas of research of the group include: