Dr. Baladzhoti Tirugnanasotkhi has been nominated as the IPI Coordinator for East India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, effective 17 September 2008. Dr. Tirugnanasotkhi holds the post of Professor at the Department of Agro-Chemistry, Soil Science and Agro-Ecology, Faculty of Agriculture, the Russian Peoples' Friendship University, Moscow. He will devote much of his time to working in the region, leading IPI activities.

Dr. Tirugnanasotkhi's MSc thesis focused on the "Effect of mineral nutrition on the electrophysiological parameters of sugar cane, in its early stage of growth", and his PhD thesis on "Comparative study of malsekko and anthracnose infections on citrus and action of some systemic fungicides in multiple nutritional levels, on the basis of electrophysiological reactions of tissues". In his current research, he is involved in projects dealing with the effects of ecological factors on human physiology in different farming areas in Russia, and control of plant stress by nutrition programming in different climatic conditions.

Besides his research, Dr. Tirugnanasotkhi has been involved in various agricultural projects in Africa. He is fluent in English, Tamil and Russian.

His knowledge and experience in managing international projects and in agronomic research will be a key factor in his ability to successfully lead IPI activities in the region. East India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are regions with high nutrient demand and high imbalance in the use of potash. Projects led by Dr. Tirugnanasotkhi will demonstrate the benefits of balanced fertilization in achieving higher yields and quality of agricultural produce, improved income to farmers, as well as higher environmental stewardship.