b'NIKOLAI VAVILOV (18871943)RUSSIAN BOTANIST AND GENETICISTVavilov was a prominent organizer of science and is recognized as the foremost plant geographer of contemporary times. He developed the theory on the centres of origin of cultivated plants, which are geographical areas where a group of organisms, either domesticated or wild, first developed its distinctive properties. To collect data for his theory, he organized a series of botanical-agronomic expeditions, and col-lected seeds from every corner of the globe. His major foreign expeditions included those to Iran (1916), the United States, Central and South America (1921, 1930, 1932), the Mediterranean and Ethiopia (1926-1927). In Leningrad, he created the worlds largest collection of plant seeds. Unfortunately, from the early 1930s his scientific pro-grams were being deprived of governmental support. The institute, headed by Vavilov, resisted the pseudo-scientific concepts of Lysenko. As a result of this controversy, Vavilov was arrested in August 1940, and died in prison in 1943.MONKOMBU SAMBASIVAN SWAMINATHAN (1925 - TODAY)INDIAN AGRONOMIST, AGRICULTURAL SCIENTIST, PLANT GENETICISTSwaminathan worked with Borlaug to develop higher yielding wheat varieties with stalk structures strong enough to support their increased biomass. The first years harvest alone tripled previous pro- VOLODYMYR SYMYRENKO (1891 NORMAN ERNEST BORLAUGduction levels. Swaminathan also taught1938) - UKRAINE POMOLOGIST (19142009) - PLANT SCIENTIST AND Indian farmers how to effectively increaseAND SELECTION SCIENTIST AGRONOMIST production by using fertilizers andA graduate of the agricultural facultyAfter a B.S. in forestry and a Ph.D. in plant more efficient farming techniques. Hisof the Kyiv Polytechnical Institute,pathology and genetics, Borlaug took efforts transformed India from a beg- he founded and directed the Mliivup an agricultural research position with ging bowl to a breadbasket almostOrcharding Research Station and chairedCIMMYT in Mexico. There he developed overnight, bringing the total wheat cropthe orcharding section of the Agriculturalsemi-dwarf, high-yield, disease-resistant from 12 million to 23 million tons in fourScientific Committee of Ukraine. He waswheat varieties. During the mid-20th crop seasons and ending Indias reliancea key figure in the interwar reconstruc- century, Borlaug led the introduction of on imports. Swaminathan is consideredtion of orchards in Ukraine. In 1928 histhese high-yielding varieties combined one of the global leaders of the greennurseries contained 40,000 hybrids ofwith modern agricultural production revolution. For his leadership and rolefruit trees and berry bushes. Similar totechniques to Mexico, Pakistan, and in introducing and further developinghis friend Vavilov, Symyrenkos views onIndia. As a result, Mexico became a net high-yielding varieties of wheat and rice,orchard development and heredity wereexporter of wheat by 1963. Between 1965 he has been called Indias Breadbasketin conflict with Soviet views and withand 1970, wheat yields nearly doubled in Hero and the main architect of the greenthose of the geneticist I. Michurin. Early inPakistan and India, greatly improving the revolution in India. He later worked with1933 Symyrenko was arrested and givenfood security in those nations. Borlaug former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi toa 10-year term in prison where eventuallywas often called the father of the Green establish agricultural policies and pro- he was executed. Symyrenko preparedRevolution and is credited with saving grams to enhance long-term self-suffi- many scholarly and popular works inover a billion people worldwide from ciency. Swaminathan received the firsthis field, including Sadovyi rozsadnykstarvation. Borlaug was awarded multiple World Food Prize in 1987 for improving(The Orchard Nursery, 1929) and Plodovihonors for his work, including the Nobel Indian agriculture. sortymenty Ukrany (Fruit Varieties ofPeace Prize, the Presidential Medal of Ukraine, 1930).Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal. As founder of the World Food Prize, he in turn recognized agricultural research and technologies to convince leaders to support them.44/ SEEDWORLD.COMDECEMBER 2022'