"Feeding the world in the 21st Century"

Dr. Gurdev Khush

International Rice Research Institute and University of California at Davis

Building 003 Auditorium
Tuesday April 27, 2004
10:30 AM

Dr. Gurdev Khush is one of the world's authorities on crop breeding and a major force behind the development of productive rice varieties and the Green Revolution in plant breeding.

Dr. Khush joined the International Rice Research Institute in 1967 after postdoctoral studies at UC- Davis on tomato breeding. At IRRI, he became principal plant breeder and head of the Plant Breeding, Genetics, and Biochemistry Division, leading IRRI to the forefront in the improvement of rice varieties. Prior to the beginning of the Green Revolution, varieties of rice took 6-7 months to mature and yielded about 1-2 tons per hectare. Dr. Khush modified the plant by reducing its height, shortening maturing time, and increasing response to fertilizers. Under optimal conditions, these plants can yield up to 10 tons per hectare.

Among the honors received by Dr. Khush are the Japan Prize (1987), World Food Prize (1996) and the Wolf Prize for Agriculture (2000). Dr. Khush received his PhD. From UC-Davis in 1960, studying with geneticist Dr. G. Ledyard Stebbins. Currently, he has returned to California where he continues his work on developing more productive food resources.