Name: Dr. Pratapsingh S. Khapte

Designation: Senior Scientist (Vegetable Science)

Area of Specialization: Horticulture, Abiotic Stress, Water management, Vegetable grafting, Rootstocks

Email Id: Pratapsingh.Khapte@icar.org.in;  khaptepratap@gmail.com

Mobile: +91-9587310330; Phone: 02112-258000

Education

Professional History

Publications

Published more than 40 research articles, 9 book chapters, 5 popular articles, 4 technical bulletins.

Publications List:

1. Khapte, P.S.*, Chavan L.S., Changan, S.S., Wakchaure, G.C., Patil, R. A., Yadav, L.P., Singh, T.H. Reddy K. S. 2025. Synergistic potential of deficit irrigation and grafted eggplant on wild rootstocks for enhanced growth, yield, and water productivity. Applied Water Science. 15: 249 https://doi.org/10.1007/s13201-025-02504-3
2. Mote, P.K., Khapte, P.S.*, Misal, B.B., Sarode, S.S. Agale, M.G., Shinde, G.S., Changan, S.S., Salunkhe, V.N. and Reddy. K.S. 2025. Eggplant rootstocks enhance flooding tolerance in grafted tomato compared to wild tomato rootstocks. Rhizosphere. 36:101194 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rhisph.2025.101194
3. Paul, N.C., Khapte, P.S.*, Ponnaganti, N., Changan, S.S., Chavan, S.B., Kumar, K.R., Nangare, D.D. and Reddy, K.S., 2025. Grape Vine (Vitis vinifera) yield prediction using optimized weighted ensemble machine learning approach. Smart Agricultural Technology. 101151 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atech.2025.101151
4. Salunkhe, V.N., Adavi, S.B., Gawande, S.J., Khapte, P.S., Gedam, P.A., Changan, S.S., Reddy K.S. and Mahajan, V. 2025 Deciphering the complex interplay of waterlogging and anthracnose twister disease in onion (Allium cepa L.). Frontiers in Plant Science. 16:1580269. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2025.1580269
5. Khapte, P.S.*, Changan, S.S., Kumar, P., Singh, T.H., Singh, A.K., Rane, J. and Reddy, K.S. 2024. Deciphering desiccation tolerance in wild eggplant species: insights from chlorophyll fluorescence dynamics. BMC Plant Biology 24,702. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-024-05430-9
6. Kumar P., Khapte P.S.*, Singh A. and Saxena A. 2024. Optimization of low-tech protected structure and irrigation regime for cucumber production under hot arid regions of India. Plants, 13(1):146. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13010146
7. Khapte, P.S.*, Kumar, P., Singh, A., Wakchaure, G.C., Saxena, A. and Sabatino L. 2022. Integrative effect of protective structures and irrigation levels on tomato performance in Indian hot-arid region. Plants, 11(20): 1-16. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11202743
8. Khapte, P.S.*, Kumar, P., Wakchaure, G.C., Jangid, K.K., Colla, G., Cardarelli, M. and Rane, J. 2022. Application of phenomics to elucidate the influence of rootstocks on drought response of tomato. Agronomy, 12(7):1529. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12071529
9. Khapte, P.S.*, Kumar, P., Panwar, N.R., et al. 2021. Combined influence of grafting and type of protected environment structure on agronomic and physiological traits of single and cluster-fruit-bearing cucumber hybrids. Agronomy, 11, 1604. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11081604
10. Khapte, P.S.*, Singh, T.H. and Lakshmana Reddy D.C. 2018. Screening of elite eggplant (Solanum melongena) genotypes for bacterial wilt (Ralstonia solanacearum) in field conditions and their genetic association by using SSR markers. Indian Journal of Agricultural Sciences, 88(10):1502-1509. https://doi.org/10.56093/ijas.v88i10.84204

Technologies/Protocol

• Suitable protected cultivation structure for arid region vegetable production (ICAR-HS-CAZRI-Technology-2023-087)
• Suitable rootstock based sustainable greenhouse tomato production under limited water conditions (ICAR-HS-CAZRI-Technology-2023-088)
• Vegetable grafting for sustainable protected cultivation of cucumber (ICAR-HS-CAZRI-Technology-2023-089)
• Integrated management of nematode in pomegranate orchard (ICAR-HS-CAZRI-Technology-2023-086)
• Protocol for identifying drought-tolerant tomato rootstock through high-throughput phenomics (ICAR-HS-NIASM-Protocol-2024-060)

Academia–Industry collaboration

• Efficacy of biostimulants in alleviating drought stress in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.)  PI, 2022-23, Yara Fertilisers India Pvt. Ltd., Pune, MH
• Impact of varying nutrient composition on morphometric, physiological, and yield traits in potato PI, 2023-24, Novem Solution Pvt. Ltd., Hospet, KA
• Bio-efficacy of microalgae-derived biostimulant Vitaflora for alleviating abiotic stresses in tomato PI, 2024-25, Sahyadri Farms Post Harvest Care Ltd., Nashik, MH
• Bio-efficacy studies of protein hydrolysate-based biostimulant on multiple crops under drought stress Co-PI, 2021-22, Ashwathy Green Enterprise Pvt. Ltd., Chennai, TN
• Evaluation of Ambronics pot in alleviating drought stress in tomato Co-PI, 2023–24, Ambronics Pvt. Ltd., Mumbai, MH
• Enhancing soil moisture retention in tomato cultivation through Rovensa products: A field study  Co-PI, 2024-26, Rovensa Next, India, Pune, MH

Awards / Recognitions / Fellowship

Life member of professional societies

• India Academy of Horticultural Sciences, New Delhi, India
• Society for Promotion of Horticulture, ICAR-IIHR, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
• Indian Society for Arid Horticulture, ICAR-CIAH, Bikaner, Rajasthan, India 
• Arid Zone Research Association of India, ICAR-CAZRI, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India
• Society for Agricultural Research on Abiotic Stress, ICAR-NIASM, Baramati, India