
Sudhir Yadav
About
Sudhir Yadav currently works as Senior Scientist - Water Management at the Sustainable Impact through Rice-based Systems platform of IRRI where he heads the Soil, Water, and Environment unit. His major areas of expertise encompass integrated water management, system agronomy, and environmental sustainability. He is engaged in the full spectrum of basic, strategic, and applied research to unravel insights and develop water-smart technologies, irrigation advisories, water pollution, water governance framework, mixed farming systems and engage in policy dialogues to help in addressing challenges of food-energy-water nexus.
Along with a focus on research and development, Sudhir has a strong inclination toward knowledge sharing through the mentorship of next-generation scientists. He has advised 4 PhD and 6 MS students and is currently working with 2 PhD and 1 MS students. He has published widely in refereed journals, books, and magazines and has contributed to a vast array of international conferences and workshops.
He joined IRRI in 2011 as a Postdoctoral Fellow - Irrigated Systems Agronomist then as a Scientist I - Irrigated Systems Agronomist in 2013, Scientist II - Water management in 2015, and Senior Scientist I - Water management in 2018, and served as the Institute's Outcome Theme Leader for Environmental Sustainability. Prior to IRRI, Sudhir was a Research Fellow - Agronomist at Punjab Agricultural University, India.
Sudhir holds a PhD in Water Management from The University of Adelaide, South Australia, wherein his research focused on water balance components, drainage pattern, crop performance, and simulating different irrigation scheduling for rice systems. He earned his MSc Agronomy degree from Punjab Agricultural University, India, wherein his research focused on soil physical properties on crop performance and soil water dynamics, and Agricultural Sciences (BSc Hons) from CCS Haryana Agricultural University, India.
Current projects
- Reducing Carbon emission from Rice-based systems in Indonesia (Direction- Zero C) (2021-2023). Funded by Nestle Indonesia, the project aims to reduce the environmental footprints particularly in rice sourcing area of Nestle
- “Water-efficient and risk mitigation technologies for enhancing rice production in irrigated and rainfed environments” (WateRice) funded by the Department of Agriculture, Philippines (2016-2021). The project is focused on improving production efficiency and decision making with ICT tools to improve resource use efficiency (especially water)
- “Pathways of scaling agricultural innovations for sustainable intensification in the polders of coastal Bangladesh, funded by USAID Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Sustainable (2020 to 2023). The focus of the project is on increasing farm income and nutrition security by intensifying polder arming systems through the implementation of sustainable and economically viable practices, including community water management
- “Co-designing Pathways for Agroecological transition towards Sustainable food System” funded by Swiss Development Cooperation (SDC) focused on agri-food systems and agroecology in Myanmar and Indonesia (2019-2022)
- “Agricultural Development Support Project” funded by the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Irrigation (MoALI), Myanmar, and World Bank Group. The project is focused on improving the cropping intensity of irrigated schemes (2017-2021)
- Development of rice-fish systems in the Ayeyarwaddy Delta, Myanmar, funded by Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) (2018-2021)
- “Transformation of rural landscapes for sustainable and nutritious food systems in Myanmar,” funded by WLE and led by IWMI (2020-2021)
- Public-Private Partnership Consortium – Improving economic and environmental sustainability of direct-seeded rice-based systems (2018-2023)
- Reducing environmental footprints in Dedru Oya basin of Sri Lanka (2018-2022)