‘PAU has to reorient its research’

Dr Gurdev Singh Khush, the man behind the rice revolution, receives the Swaminathan International Award from Dr Manmohan Singh.  The agricultural scientist with the latest variety of rice known as Wonder Rice

Gurdev Singh Khush is one of the most decorated agricultural scientists in the world. The long list of awards and honours received by him includes the Borloug Award, Japan Prize, World Food Prize, Rank Prize, Friendship Award of China, World Prize of Israel, Swaminathan Award, Padma Shri, fellowship of the world’s topmost Science Academies and honorary Degrees of Doctor of Science by 10 universities of Europe and Asia.

Born at Rurkee village in Jalandhar, Khush completed schooling from a rural school before graduating from Government Agricultural College, Ludhiana. He worked for more than three decades at the International Rice Research Institute, Philippines. At present, he is Adjunct Professor at University of California. Khush has played a keyrole in rice research and doubling the rice production of the world. He is known as the man behind the rice revolution.

In fact, nearly 60 per cent of the rice sown the world over belongs to varieties evolved by Khush and his team. According to Nobel laureate Dr Borloug, the impact of Dr Khush’s "work upon the lives of the world’s poorest people is incalculable. These individuals are reminders to all of us that service to our fellow human being is the scientist’s true mission".

A few months ago, Dr Khush came to receive Doctorate Degree awarded by Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar. Ranjit Tamber spoke to him at length on a variety of topics. Excerpts from an exclusive interview:

The university has to reorient its research techniques and priorities to match modern-day challenges. Problem-specific and result-oriented research is the need. The university has to strengthen its biotechnology centre.

The university has made a name for itself. The faculty is well trained but I have noticed a lack of motivation. They have to be motivated to conduct mission-oriented research. The faculty also needs training in the latest research and management technologies along with requisite facilities.

Some area has to be taken out from rice cultivation and some other kharif crops grown there. The agricultural university should also develop water-saving agronomic practices for rice cultivation. In fact, rice can help in rain water harvesting. Being a research institution, the government should provide adequate financial support to break the the stagnation in the research.

I was keen to become a doctor but my father wanted me to join the Government Agricutural College, Ludhiana. Now I feel it was a right decision. It would have not been possible for me to achieve what I have achieved, if I had joined medical college.

My reward is in knowing that over a billion people around the globe eat rice varieties that my team has evolved at IRRI. Also, the fact that nearly 60 per cent of the area under rice, the world over, is sown with one or the other varieties evolved by us, is gratifying.

Here agriculture is now at the crossroads. There is a need for greater diversity in biodiversity. Since we can not reduce the present crop intensity of 185 per cent or completely give up cultivation of rice we need to explore options like maize, soyabean, moong, beans, legumes and cotton to replace some area from rice.

Human hunger and desires are elastic but land is non-elastic. Population growth continues to outsmart food production. Agriculture scientists and geneticists need to work overtime to meet the evergrowing human need for food and to alleviate hunger and poverty.

In the past, increased food grain production resulted from opening up more lands for cultivation and increased productivity. However, there are no more lands to open up. In fact, some of the best lands are being taken over to build houses, factories and roads, thus, additional food will have to be produced from less land, with less water, less labour and fewer chemical inputs. Scientists must develop varieties with higher yield potential and better management technologies.

We have to make use of biotechnology and genetic engineering. I have to make use of traditional plant breeding methods due to public misjudgment of biotechnology. Our mission is to help the world achieve food security and we can do things with genetic engineering that we can not do with traditional plant breeding. But anti GMO groups have both resources and an ability to influence the media. Now our country has started accepting GMO seeds. We have to fully exploit this technique. Success of BT cotton crop is a good example.

HOME