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 collected 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 programs 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 production levels. Swaminathan also taught Indian farmers how to effectively increase production by using fertilizers and more efficient farming techniques.VOLODYMYR SYMYRENKO (18911938)NORMAN ERNEST BORLAUGHis efforts transformed India from a- UKRAINE POMOLOGIST (19142009) - PLANT SCIENTIST AND begging bowl to a breadbasketAND SELECTION SCIENTIST AGRONOMIST almost overnight, bringing the totalA graduate of the agricultural facultyAfter a B.S. in forestry and a Ph.D. in plant wheat crop from 12 million to 23 millionof the Kyiv Polytechnical Institute,pathology and genetics, Borlaug took tons in four crop seasons and endinghe founded and directed the Mliivup an agricultural research position with Indias reliance on imports. SwaminathanOrcharding Research Station and chairedCIMMYT in Mexico. There he developed is considered one of the globalthe orcharding section of the Agriculturalsemi-dwarf, high-yield, disease-resistant leaders of the green revolution. For hisScientific Committee of Ukraine. He waswheat varieties. During the mid-20th leadership and role in introducing anda key figure in the interwar reconstructioncentury, Borlaug led the introduction of further developing high-yielding varietiesof orchards in Ukraine. In 1928 histhese high-yielding varieties combined of wheat and rice, he has been callednurseries contained 40,000 hybrids ofwith modern agricultural production Indias Breadbasket Hero and thefruit trees and berry bushes. Similar totechniques to Mexico, Pakistan, and main architect of the green revolutionhis friend Vavilov, Symyrenkos views onIndia. As a result, Mexico became a in India. He later worked with formerorchard development and heredity werenet exporter of wheat by 1963. Between Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to establishin conflict with Soviet views and with1965 and 1970, wheat yields nearly agricultural policies and programsthose of the geneticist I. Michurin. Early indoubled in Pakistan and India, greatly to enhance long-term self-sufficiency.1933 Symyrenko was arrested and givenimproving the food security in those Swaminathan received the first Worlda 10-year term in prison where eventuallynations. Borlaug was often called the Food Prize in 1987 for improving Indianhe was executed. Symyrenko preparedfather of the Green Revolution and agriculture. many scholarly and popular works inis credited with saving over a billion his field, including Sadovyi rozsadnykpeople worldwide from starvation. (The Orchard Nursery, 1929) and PlodoviBorlaug was awarded multiple honours sortymenty Ukrany (Fruit Varieties offor his work, including the Nobel Peace Ukraine, 1930).Prize, the Presidential Medal of 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.28IEUROPEAN SEEDIEUROPEAN-SEED.COM'