Dr. Norman Borlaug, third from the left, trains biologists in mexico on how to increase wheat
yields
-
part of
his life-long war on hunger.
Here's a time line of Dr. Borlaug's life:
1914 - Born in Cresco, Iowa
1933 - Leaves his family's farm to attend the University of Minnesota, thanks
to a
Depression era
program
known as the
"National Youth Administration"
1935 - Has to stop school and save up more money. Works in the Civilian
Conservation Corps, helping
starving
Americans. "I saw
how food changed them", he said. "All of this left scars on me."
1937 - Finishes university and takes a job in the US Forestry Service
1938 - Marries wife of 69 years Margret Gibson. Gets laid off due to budget
cuts.
Inspired by Elvin
Charles
Stakman, he returns
to school study under Stakman, who teaches him about breeding pest-resistent plants.
1941 - Tries to enroll in the military after the Pearl Harbor attack, but is
rejected. Instead, the
military
asked his lab to
work on waterproof glue, DDT to control malaria, disinfectants, and other applied science.
1942 - Receives a Ph.D. in Genetics and Plant Pathology
1944 - Rejects a 100% salary increase from Dupont, leaves behind his pregnant
wife,
and flies to
Mexico to
head a new plant
pathology program. Over the next 16 years, his team breeds 6,000 different strains of disease
resistent
wheat -
including different varieties for each major climate on Earth.
1945 - Discovers a way to grown wheat twice each season, doubling wheat yields
1953 - crosses a short, sturdy dwarf breed of wheat with a high-yeidling
American
breed, creating a
strain
that responds well
to fertilizer. It goes on to provide 95% of Mexico's wheat.
1962 - Visits Delhi and brings his high-yielding strains of wheat to the Indian
subcontinent in time
to help
mitigate mass
starvation due to a rapidly expanding population
1970 - receives the Nobel Peace Prize
1983 - helps seven African countries dramatically increase their maize and
sorghum
yields
1984 - becomes a distinguished professor at Texas A&M University
2005 - states "we will have to double the world food supply by 2050." Argues
that
genetically
modified crops
are the only way
we can meet the demand, as we run out of arable land. Says that GM crops are not inherently
dangerous
because "we've
been genetically modifying plants and animals for a long time. Long before we called it science,
people were
selecting
the best breeds."
