- Joined
- Mar 3, 2014
- Messages
- 2,938
- Likes
- 3,341
Wheat laurels for India-born
Washington, Oct. 17 (PTI): India-born Mexican scientist Sanjaya Rajaram has been awarded the World Food Prize 2014 for agricultural research that spurred an astonishing increase in world wheat production.
The 71-year-old Rajaram, however, played down his contribution and thanked farmers for their "innovative spirit".
"It is a collective achievement rather than that of a single person," the scientist told the award ceremony audience at the Iowa State University in America.
The award "honours the innovative spirit of farmers", he said. "Without their contributions, my research wouldn't have been possible."
By crossing winter and spring wheat varieties — from distinct gene pools isolated from one another for hundreds of years — Rajaram created wheat strains that can resist disease and stress and adapt to diverse geographical regions and climates.
In 2007, Norman Borlaug — architect of the mid-20th-century Green Revolution —had called Rajaram "the greatest present-day wheat scientist in the world".
Rajaram, born in an Indian village but now a Mexican citizen, conducted most of his research at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre in Mexico.
His work led to world wheat production increasing by more than 200 million tonnes over 25 years.
Rajaram worked side by side with Borlaug at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre before succeeding him as head of its wheat-breeding programme. He implemented a major expansion of Borlaug's approach.
Under Rajaram's leadership, the centre developed 480 wheat varieties that were released in 51 countries and were widely adopted by small and large-scale farmers alike.
At a news conference, Rajaram said he wholeheartedly supported genetically modified crops but advocated caution in their adoption, the local Des Moines Register newspaper reported.
"I'm very pro (in favour), in the sense that I see a tremendous yield stability that GM (genetic modification) can bring to various crops," Rajaram was quoted as saying.
"However, how to handle that? What are the effects on the environment? We need to study those things very carefully."
He added: "Like any technology, we have to be very cautious in promoting it."
