Dr. M.N. Khare was born on June 8^th, 1934 at Jhansi (UP). His early education was at Jhansi. He obtained B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees from Agra College, affiliated to Agra University, Agra, in 1952 and 1954 respectively. He undertook special trainings in Plant Breeding & Genetics (1957) and Plant Protection (1958) at Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi. He obtained Ph.D. from Agriculture Faculty, University of Illinois, U.S.A. in 1967. He made advanced studies in Seed Pathology at Danish Government Institute of Seed Pathology for Developing Countries, Copenhagen, Denmark during 1974-75.
Dr. Khare has worked 1.5 years in colleges in UP and as Lecturer, Senior Lecturer and Professor in Government cadre and Associate Professor, Professor, Head, Department of Plant Pathology and Dean, College of Agriculture from January 1956 to 1994. After superannuation in June 1994, he served as Emeritus Professor in Plant Pathology. During his service period Dr. Khare actively participated in teaching, research, extension and administration activities.
Dr. Khare has been deeply involved in teaching at undergraduate and postgraduate level. He taught courses on Principles of Plant Pathology, Diseases of Field Crops, Diseases of Vegetable & Fruit Crops, Mycology, Fungicides, Seed Pathology etc. His students were benefited by his unique style of teaching and greatly influenced with his communication skills.
Dr. Khare provided new directions to research on various aspects viz. diseases of cereals, millets, pulses, oilseeds, vegetables, fruits including temperate fruits, spices, plantation crops, medicinal plants etc. His special thrust was on the role of seed-borne pathogens in disease cycle, epidemiology, type of location of pathogens on seed. He analyzed the dynamics of soil-borne pathogens of crops and provided new dimensions to the disease management. He has worked on polyacrylamide-gel-electrophoresis for identification of isolates of Xanthomonas fragariae and published the findings in 1967. He is credited for the development of detection techniques for Colletotrichum dematium, Macrophomina phaseolina, Phoma medicaginis, Curvularia lunata, Alternaria porii, Phomopsis sp., Fusarium oxysporum associated with seeds of various crops. Specific media are formulated for the isolation of Macrophomina phaseolina and Thanatephorus cucumeris (Rhizoctonia solani) from soil; and establishment of the variability in Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. lentis responsible for wilt in lentils. He also validated several seed dressing fungicides for combating pre-emergence rots. He has excelled in biological control of crop diseases through antagonistic microorganisms and botanicals.
Dr. Khare has worked as Principal Investigator of four ad hoc projects and co-investigator of four ad hoc projects sponsored by PL - 480, ICAR and Madhya Pradesh Council of Science and Technology, Bhopal. Fifty-eight students have received guidance for thesis research problems, including 28 for doctoral programme. He has been an officially recognized Guide in six national universities for postgraduate students. He has actively participated in extension activities. Officers & personnel of State Department of Agriculture, research workers and farmers have been benefited from his experience in various ways. Dr. Khare has been credited for organizing the first ICAR sponsored Summer Institute on Seed Pathology in 1972, at JNKVV, Jabalpur. His contributions include publication of more than 300 research papers and 65 review articles in national and international journals and books.
            Dr. Khare is closely associated with several professional societies. He is Fellow of Indian Phytopathological Society; National Academy of Sciences, India; Indian Society of Seed Science & Technology; Indian Society of Mycology & Plant Pathology; Bioved Research Society and Indian Society of Pulses Research & Development. He is an elected member of two honoring chapters Gamma Sigma Delta (1965) and Sigma XI (1967) of U.S.A. He served as President Indian Society of Mycology & Plant Pathology (1990); Chief Editor, Mycology & Plant Pathology (3 years); Chief Editor JNKVV Research Journal and Member Advisory Board, Indian Phytopathological Society, New Delhi from 2005.
Dr. Khare is a widely traveled scientist. He has visited a number of countries for acquiring knowledge and presentation of research findings. He has developed a vocational course in Seed Production Technology for NCERT, New Delhi as Director. He has been member of Faculty, Academic Council, Board of Studies, Selection Committees and Research Development Council of Universities and Colleges. He has been member of several Institute Management Committee, Research Advisory Committee and Quinquennial Review Team of ICAR. Dr. Khare has been Visitor's (President of India) nominee for selection committees in Central Agricultural Universities.
The research, teaching and extension activities of Dr. Khare have been widely recognized through M.S. Pavgi Lecture Award of IPS (1994); Bioved Award (1994) on Seed Pathology work; ISPRD Recognition Award on Pulses Research (1994 ); Dr. Y.L. Nene Outstanding Plant Pathology Teacher Award (2002); Vijay Ratna Award (2002), IIFS; Bharat Jyoti Award (2003,) IIFS; Gold Medal Award of ISPRD for outstanding contribution in Pulses Improvement through Plant Protection at International level (2003) and B.B. Mundker Memorial Lecture Award (2004) by IPS, New Delhi. Dr. Khare has been honored with Life Time Achievement Award by Jawaharlal Nehru Agricultural University, Jabalpur in 2016.
Dr. Khare has contributed significantly for the cause of Plant Pathology as a whole and Seed Pathology in a special way and is still engaged in the endeavor.