Norm and I

President Manuel Ávila Camacho Vice President Henry A. Wallace

Borlaug began his work in Mexico in 1944, advised by two great

plant pathologists, Prof. Stakman and George Harrar

1. Strengths of Borlaug’s Mexican wheat program: Rust resistance

Elvin Charles Stakman

1. Strengths of Borlaug’s Mexican

wheat program: Rust resistance

YELLOW RUST-6

March 1-15, 1968

In 1946-47 and

1956-57 India

suffered severe

stem rust

epidemics

1. Strengths of Borlaug’s Mexican wheat program: Rust

resistance

“the grain rust

and bad weather,

the 1954 harvest

has shrunk to an

estimated 370

million bushels—

36% below 1953

and 44% below

1952.” Time Sept 13, 1954

The dwarf wheat “Norin-10” developed by Gonjiro Inazuka in 1935, and

“Gaines” developed by Orville Vogel in 1953 provided the traits for high

yield response to fertilizers

2. Strengths of Borlaug’s Mexican wheat program: Dwarfing genes

2. Strengths of Borlaug’s Mexican wheat program:

Dwarfing genes

Crossing

Shuttle breeding in Mexico, two crops per year

Evaluation in Mexico and hot spot sites worldwide

3. Strengths of Borlaug’s Mexican wheat program: Shuttle

breeding

Swaminathan had

been looking for dwarf

wheat breeding lines in

early 1960s and received

lines from USDA.

He arranged for Borlaug

to visit in 1963.

Borlaug learned about

the concern of less straw

from dwarf wheats.

Borlaug said of Dr. Swaminathan: "The

green revolution has been a team effort and

much of the credit for its spectacular

development must go to Indian officials,

organizations, scientists and farmers.

However, to you, Dr. Swaminathan, a great

deal of the credit must go for first

recognizing the potential value of the

Mexican dwarfs. Had this not occurred, it is

quite possible that there would not have

been a green revolution in Asia".

Dear Tom,

My thoughts are with you and with everyone in CIMMYT on the occasion of the Birth Centenary of Norman Borlaug. The “we shall overcome spirit” of Borlaug will guide us in ensuring that wheat production continues to grow and that no child, woman or man goes to bed hungry. I am glad that you are commemorating the birth centenary in an appropriate manner. I am only sorry I am not able to be there on this occasion when we are celebrating the life and work of one of the greatest humanbeings ever born on this Earth.

With warm personal regards,

Yours sincerely, M S Swaminathan

Borlaug set to work promoting the Mexican wheats and

agronomic practices, winning many to the cause.

Subramaniam, Min. of Ag., and

Narisiman, Sec. of Ag., made the bold

decision during time of famine in 1965

to import 300 tons of Mexican dwarf

wheat seed and in 1966, 18,000 tons.

Glenn Anderson, India Program Officer

and S.P. Kohli, All India Wheat Program

Coordinator in 1965 discovered and

corrected for poor germination rate.

Always wanting to go to the countryside and meet farmers

“If you can talk with crowds

and keep your virtue… (Kipling)

…Or walk with Kings—nor

lose the common touch”

Or receive the highest

honors of every sort.

Honorary degrees and convocations, Punjab Agricultural University 1987

Highest awards

Ambassador of India

to Mexico,

Presented the Padma

Vibhushan Award

from the

Government of India

in the presence of

CIMMYT DG Masa

Iwanaga

23 August 2006

US Congressional Gold Medal

Borlaug established the World Food

Prize, 1986

ICARDA Site identification team, 1975: Dr Norman Borlaug, Official from Syrian

Ministry of Agriculture, Dr Bob Havener, Dr Jit Srivastiva and Mr Faek Bahady

He helped to launch other institutes

Institutes have been named after him

Primary schools,

research labs and

buildings have

been named after

him.

Family – source of strength and pride

Students like Ronnie Coffman 2008, in Obregon

Scientists who apprenticed like Sanjaya Rajaram

Colleagues who complemented like Evangelina Villegas

He inspired Christopher Dowswell

He inspired

Osman Abdalla,

Bob Havener and

others in 2008 at

the CWANA

regional planning

meeting

As always, he impressed and made friends everywhere

He encouraged

Ethiopian

wheat

researchers,

2005 at the

National Wheat

Research

Center

He launched the Global Rust Initiative

Encouraged biotechnology with Swapan Datta at IRRI

Borlaug has been the subject of many artists

The famous 1963

image of Norman

Borlaug recording

data in wheat

breeding plots at

Ciudad Obregón,

Mexico is used as

a model

Patronado/CIMMYT and then Iowa used the 1963 image

The rich, famous and powerful invest in his legacy

Green Revolution countries hold him in the highest esteem

And I made a promise to him

American Farm Families

Henry Borlaug Family - Iowa Adam Preszler Family – South Dakota

He was featured in LIFE Magazine

My maternal

grandfather was

shown in Life

Magazine in1937

Norman E. Borlaug Family, 1914 -2009 Alma (Preszler) Lumpkin, 1914- 20??

He and my mother were born 5 months apart

Today we celebrate his 100 Year Birthday Anniversary