Dr. R.L. Arya born on 3 March 1964 at Village Jagdish Pur (Bhekhepur), Auraiya – Etawah (UP), completed his B.Sc. (Ag & A.H.) in 1984 from Chandra Shekhar Azad University of Agriculture and Technology, Kanpur, M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Agronomy from Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Pusa, New Delhi in 1986 and 1989, respectively. He served as a scientist at CRIDA, Hyderabad, IGFRI, Jhansi, IIPR, Kanpur, CTRI, Rajahmundry, CTRI Research Station, Jeelugumilli (West Godavari Dist., A.P.) and CTRI Research Station, Dinhata (Cooch Behar Dist., W.B.). He has a good number of publication to his credit about 250 research papers/popular articles/papers presented in seminar symposia etc./book chapters in various national and international journals/magazines. Dr. Arya has vast experience (more than 20 years) in the field of dryland/rainfed agriculture, nutrient and water management, cropping system in pulses and pulse based cropping system, nutrient management and cropping system research in Jati and Motihari tobacco in West Bengal. He was also selected for Dr. Rajendra Prasad Puraskar by Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi and received best book award by Indian Society of Weed Management from NRC Weed Science, Jabalpur.