BacktoCricaddict Posted February 18, 2021 Posted February 18, 2021 (edited) https://www.cimmyt.org/news/remembering-the-life-and-legacy-of-sanjaya-rajaram/ Dr. Rajaram was legendary agronomist and wheat breeder. He developed 480 high-yielding, disease-resistant varieties sown on 58 M ha in 51 countries, increasing production by more than 200 M tons during his lifetime! More food on less land. If the world is looking for real environmental activists who also help feed people, look no further than people like Dr. Rajaram. Today's eco-activists are full of bluster. In reality, it is people like this man who make the world a better place - with their brain, compassion and work ethic. Quote Born on a small farm in India in 1943, Rajaram studied genetics and plant breeding at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute in New Delhi. After receiving his Ph.D. from the University of Sydney, he joined CIMMYT in 1969, diligently working as a wheat breeder alongside Nobel Prize Laureate and scientist Norman Borlaug in Mexico. Recognizing his talent and initiative, Borlaug appointed Rajaram as head of CIMMYT’s wheat breeding program at just 29 years of age. Borlaug described Rajaram as “a scientist of great vision who made a significant contribution to the improvement of world wheat production, working for the benefit of hundreds of thousands of farmers in countries across the globe.” Among Rajaram’s many accomplishments include being awarded the prestigious World Food Prize in 2014 for his role in increasing global wheat production and alleviating world hunger. His crossing of spring and winter wheat varieties led to new advances in wheat varieties that were stable across a wide range of environments, as well as featuring high yields and resistance to wheat diseases, particularly rust and foliar blight. In 2015, he was awarded the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman award, the highest honor conferred on Indians overseas. He also received the highly prestigious Padma Shri award from the government of India in 2001, the Friendship Award from the government of China in 1998, numerous fellowships from scientific societies and doctorates from various universities. Rajaram recognized the importance of sharing his knowledge and cultivating the talents of the next generation of plant scientists, training and mentoring more than 700 scientists from developing countries worldwide. Rajaram also served as Director of the Integrated Gene Management Program at the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) before formally retiring in 2008. In his retirement, he continued as a special scientific advisor to CIMMYT and ICARDA, residing in his home of Mexico. In addition to his successful career as a plant scientist, Rajaram launched and operated Resource Seeds International, a company to study and market seed of improved wheat varieties. https://www.worldfoodprize.org/en/laureates/20102019_laureates/2014_rajaram/ Edited February 18, 2021 by BacktoCricaddict Under_Score, beetle, diga and 1 other 1 3
coffee_rules Posted February 18, 2021 Posted February 18, 2021 Oh Shanti. Quite an inspiring life story.
BacktoCricaddict Posted February 18, 2021 Author Posted February 18, 2021 16 minutes ago, coffee_rules said: Oh Shanti. Quite an inspiring life story. It is quite a shame that today's "green" movement has no regard for people like him. They are caught up in trying to push absolutist, feel-good policies like "all-natural" and "all-organic" and "all renewable energy" rather than focus on using a judicious mix of the best practices towards a measurable goal. But, like Harari said, who wants to follow someone that deals in reality? People love fantasies. beetle 1
BacktoCricaddict Posted March 6, 2021 Author Posted March 6, 2021 (edited) Today, another such unsung hero breathed his last. Padmabhushan Dr. M. Mahadevappa, fondly known as "Rice" Mahadevappa was an agricultural scientist who was responsible for breeding many high-yielding hybrid rice varieties. Nine of his varieties are widely used by Indian farmers and have contributed to increased profits and sustainability. He was also a pioneer in developing Integrated Pest Management strategies to control Parthenium weed nuisance in Bengaluru. He was VC of UAS, Dharwad. Great, humble man who has contributed immensely to feeding the world using modern breeding techniques. Om Shanti. Edited March 6, 2021 by BacktoCricaddict diga and Cricketics 2
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