Z. P. Patel

Z. P. Patel or Zinabhai Patel is an academic, professor, entomologist and agricultural scientist. He served as the Vice Chancellor of Navsari Agricultural University from October 13, 2020 to October 12, 2025. .

Life and career

Patel was born in Kesali, Navsari district, in 1958. Having completed his secondary education in the same village, he enrolled in a bachelor's degree in zoology at South Gujarat University. He pursued his master's and doctoral degrees from Gujarat Agricultural University. He served as the senior research assistant (1982), principal (2012) and Dean (2016) at his alma mater Gujarat Agricultural University. He is known for his design of Nauroji-Stonehouse Fruit Fly Trap. Indian Council of Agricultural Research also acknowledged his research and applied in agricultural practices across India. He contributed to the research on fruit crops such as banana, sapota, banana and other fruit. Agricultural technologies and solutions he has developed are adopted by the farmers. He received the "Sardar Patel Agricultural Research Award" (2000) from Chief Minister Shri Keshubhai Patel for his contribution to crop sciences, especially for framing a Crop-Pest Map in Sapota.

As a VC, he has contributed to the transformation of research and development at NAU.