Agricultural Scientists
Agricultural scientists study and provide solutions to various aspects of agricultural activities. Their study and evaluation of agricultural productivity have played a vital role for better production of crops. The responsibilities of agricultural scientists involve formulation of scientific methods and implement those methods successfully to get better result in agricultural productivity. These scientific methods play a key role in developing and maintaining safe standards of food production. An agricultural scientist’s job includes collection and analysis of samples of agricultural produce, fertilizers and soil. Based on the collected data, they conduct experiment and surveys to better understand the farming needs of a particular region. Besides conducting research on food, plants, dairy products and animals, agricultural scientists devote time to educate farmers and other agriculturists on scientific farming methods, disease of crops and livestock, proper usage of pesticides and methods to improve the condition of soil Based on various requirements of agricultural communities, they provide suitable solutions for better agricultural output. The agricultural scientists also study various factors of environment that affect commercial crop production and animal breeding. Supervising proper operation of farm machinery is also one of the duties of agricultural scientists. Listed below are the biographies, including trivia, timelines and personal and professional information, of some of the most famous agricultural scientists who have dedicated their lives to this science.
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1
George Washington Carver(American Agricultural Scientist and Inventor Who Promoted Alternative Crops to Cotton and Methods to Prevent Soil Depletion)
Birthdate: 1864
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Diamond, Missouri, United States
Died: January 5, 1943
Agricultural scientist George Washington Carver is best remembered for promoting crops that were alternative to cotton, such as peanuts and sweet potatoes. He invented ways to prevent soil depletion and developed scores of products made from peanuts, including paints and cosmetics. He won numerous honors, such as the Spingarn Medal.
2
Norman Borlaug(American Agronomist and Winner of the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1970)
Birthdate: March 25, 1914
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Cresco, Iowa, United States
Died: September 12, 2009
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.
3
Eva Ekeblad
(Swedish Agronomist Known for Discovering a Method in 1746 to Make Alcohol and Flour From Potatoes)
Birthdate: July 10, 1724
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Stockholm, Sweden
Died: May 15, 1786
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.
4
M. S. Swaminathan(Indian Agronomist Who is Known as the Main Architect of the Green Revolution in India)
Birthdate: August 7, 1925
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Kumbakonam, India
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.
5
Robert Bakewell
(Agriculturalist)
Birthdate: May 23, 1725
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Dishley, England
Died: October 1, 1795
6
Erich von Tschermak
(Austrian Botanist Who Developed Several New Disease-Resistant Crops)
Birthdate: November 15, 1871
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Vienna, Austria
Died: October 11, 1962
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.
7
Sanjaya Rajaram
(Indian-born Mexican Scientist Best Known For Developing 480 Wheat Varieties)
Birthdate: August 3, 1943
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Varanasi District, Uttar Pradesh, India
Died: February 17, 2021
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.
8
Pierre Poivre
(Horticulturist)
Birthdate: August 23, 1719
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Lyon, France
Died: January 6, 1786
9
Patrick Matthew
(Agriculturalist)
Birthdate: October 20, 1790
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Scotland, United Kingdom
Died: June 8, 1874
10
Abu Hanifa Dinawari
(Persian Polymath and Founder of Arabic Botany)
Birthdate: 0828 AD
Birthplace: Dinavar District, Iran
Died: 0896 AD
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.
11
Ibn al-ʿAwwām
(Islamic author)
Birthplace: Seville, Spain
Died: 1158 AD
12
William Farrer
(Agronomist)
Birthdate: April 3, 1845
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Docker, Westmorland, England
Died: April 16, 1906
13
Agnes Kalibata
(Rwandan Agricultural Scientist)
14
John Bennet Lawes
(Entrepreneur)
Birthdate: December 28, 1814
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Rothamsted, England
Died: August 31, 1900
15
Franklin Hiram King
(American Agricultural Scientist Who Was the Inventor of the Cylindrical Tower Silo)
Birthdate: June 8, 1848
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Whitewater, Wisconsin, United States
Died: August 4, 1911
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.
16
Shane Broad
(Australian Politician and Rower)
Birthdate: August 21, 1974
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Burnie, Tasmania, Australia
17
Maria Andrade
(worked in Mozambique as a sweet potato researcher since 1996 and was a co-winner of the 2016 World Food Prize)
Birthdate: 1958 AD
Birthplace: São Filipe, Cape Verde
18
Kim Soon-kwon
(Agricultural Scientist)
Birthdate: May 1, 1945
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Ulsan, South Korea
Birthdate: July 4, 1922
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Valley Head, Alabama, United States
Died: April 15, 2011
An American professor, E. T. York was also an agronomist, university administrator, agricultural extension administrator, and U.S. presidential adviser. York not only authored over 100 technical papers, journal articles, and books, but he also lectured at more than forty universities in the US and throughout the world. In 1997, the Museum of Florida History named York as a "Great Floridian."
20
George Stapledon
(Environmentalist)
Birthdate: September 22, 1882
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Northam, England
Died: September 16, 1960
21
Colin Spedding
(Biologist, Agronomist)
Birthdate: March 22, 1925
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: United Kingdom
Died: December 17, 2012
22
John Lorain
(Agriculturalist)
Birthdate: 1753 AD
Birthplace: Maryland, United States
Died: 1823 AD
American farmer, merchant, agricultural writer, John Lorain was the first person to create a hybrid by combining two types of corn. His experiments anticipated the methods employed in the century following his death. In 1825, his book, Nature and Reason Harmonized in the Practice of Husbandry, was published by his widow. The book had descriptions of his experiments with hybrids.
23
Claude Hope
(Horticulturalist)
Birthdate: May 10, 1907
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Sweetwater, Texas, United States
Died: July 14, 2000
Claude Hope is best known for his role in turning the impatiens, an African river plant, into the most popular bedding plant in the US. In 1992, a book was written about him titled A Master of Seeds: The Life and Work of Claude Hope by Ricardo Arias Martinez. Hope was also honored for his social, economic contributions to Costa Rica.
