Agricultural Scientists

Norman Borlaug was an American agronomist who played a key role in the Green Revolution, a set of research technology transfer initiatives that increased agricultural production, for which he won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970. Nicknamed the Father of the Green Revolution, Borlaug was also honored with the Congressional Gold Medal and Presidential Medal of Freedom for his work.

Ramon Magsaysay Award-winning geneticist M. S. Swaminathan is best known for his contribution to the Indian Green Revolution. Featured on Time, he introduced high-yielding varieties of wheat and rice seedlings to Indian farmers. He is also known for his administrative work as part of the Indian civil services.

Eva Ekeblad was a Swedish countess, agronomist, salon hostess, and scientist. In 1746, she discovered a method to make flour and alcohol from potatoes which earned her popularity. Her discovery made her the first female inductee of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in 1748.

German chemist Justus von Liebig is best known for his research on organic compounds and his contribution to biochemistry and agriculture. The Copley Medal-winning scientist initially studied pharmacy but later switched to chemistry. As a professor, he stressed on laboratory-based teaching of chemistry and separating it from pharmacy, opposing traditional methods.

Sanjaya Rajaram was an Indian-born Mexican scientist best remembered for his scientific research that led to the development of 480 wheat varieties, for which he was honored with the prestigious World Food Prize in 2014. In 2022, Sanjaya Rajaram was honored by the government of India with the nation's third-highest civilian award, Padma Bhushan.

Austrian botanist and agronomist Erich von Tschermak is remembered for his research on seed breeding and his illustrious teaching career at the Academy of Agriculture. He studied the garden pea extensively and developed disease-resistant variants of wheat and oats. He was also part of the Royal Swedish Academy of Agriculture.

Étienne de Boré was a Creole French planter best remembered for producing Louisiana's first granulated sugar. His innovation encouraged planters to cultivate sugar cane in large quantities as it helped make sugar cane profitable as a commodity.

Abu Hanifa Dinawari was a Persian Islamic Golden Age astronomer, agriculturist, geographer, botanist, metallurgist, historian and mathematician. Thanks to his most famous work Book of Plants, Dinawari is regarded as the founder of Arabic botany.

Franklin Hiram King was an agricultural scientist best known for his first-hand account of such agricultural practices that are considered today as standard organic farming practices. From 1888 to 1902, he also served as a professor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison where he taught agricultural physics. During his career, King made significant contributions to agriculture.