Nishanth Tharayil

Plant Physiologist/Weed Ecologist

Email: ntharay@clemson.edu
Office: 864-656-4453

Department:
Entomology, Soils, & Plant Sciences

Location:
304 Long Hall
Clemson, SC 29634-0310

Education:
Postdoctoral Fellow, United States Department of Agriculture, Parlier, CA
PhD, Plant & Soil Science, University of Massachusetts Amherst, 2008
MSc, Agronomy, G.B.P.U.A. & T. Pantnagar, India

Responsibilities:
Research: The broad research interest of the lab is in plant ecophysiology with primary aim to understand the role of various plant metabolites in facilitating biogeochemical processes at the plant-soil interface, and its feedback in shaping plant communities.
Director, Multi-User Analytical Laboratory: Develop procedures for sample analysis from various research projects throughout the university, and to teach graduate and undergraduate students to use and operation of analytical equipment.

Publications:
Tharayil. N.; Bhowmik, P.C.; Alpert, P; Walker, E.; Xing, B.; Amarasiriwardena. 2008. Dual purpose secondary compounds: Phytotoxins of Centaurea diffusa also facilitates nutrient uptake. New Phytologist, 181: 424-434.
Tharayil, N.; Bhowmik, P. C.; Xing, B. 2008. Phyto-availability of allelochemicals as affected by companion compounds in soil-microbial systems. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 56:  3706 - 3713
Roiloa, S.R.; Alpert, P.; Tharayil, N.; Hanock, G.; Bhowmik, P.C. 2007. Greater Capacity for division of labor in clones of Fragaria chiloensis from patchier habitats. Journal of Ecology, 95: 397-405
Tharayil, N; Bhowmik, P.C. Xing, B. 2006. Preferential sorption of phenolic phytotoxins to soil: implications for the availability of allelochemicals. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 54: 3033-3040.
Barney, J.N.; Tharayil, N.;  DiTommaso, A.; Bhowmik, P. 2006. The Biology of Invasive Alien Plants in Canada. XX. Polygonum cuspidatum Sieb. & Zucc. [= Fallopia japonica (Houtt.) Dcne.]. Canadian Journal of Plant Sciences,. 86: 887-905.
Bhowmik, P.C.; Tharayil, N. 2006. Characteristics and significance of invasive plant species. In. Biodiversity, Conservation, and Systematics. Prithipalsingh. Scientific Publishers. Jodhpur. India. pp. 183-207.

Courses:
TEACHING:
BOT 824 - Plant Growth Regulators (alternate Spring)
CSENV 409/609 - Biology of Invasive Plants (Fall)
BIOSC 494 - Creative Inquiry: Linking Plant Invasion to Climate Change

Websites:
http://people.clemson.edu/~ntharay/index.htm
http://www.clemson.edu/cafls/departments/esps/mual/