Dr. Gurudev Khush
Adjunct Professor, University of California, Davis, USA
Dr. Khush is a renowned agronomist and is considered one of the heroes of the Green Revolution, for his leadership in developing rice strains that enhanced the quality and quantity of the rice supply in countries facing unprecedented population growth. Under his direction at the Plant Breeding Department, the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) developed rice varieties that now account for 60% of the world's rice supply. Khush received the 1996 World Food Prize for unparalleled achievements in enlarging and improving the global supply of rice during a time of exponential population growth. He received the Japan Prize in 1987, the Wolf Prize for Agriculture in 2000 and the Golden Sickle Award in 2007. He has also been elected to the US National Academy of Sciences and Royal Society of London, and he consults for over 15 national governments, including India, China, and Indonesia.