Who Is Norman Borlaug? Age, Biography, and Wiki
Born on March 25, 1914, Norman Borlaug would be celebrated for his 111th birthday in 2025. His life's work in agricultural research earned him the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970, as he played a pivotal role in the Green Revolution, significantly boosting wheat production worldwide and saving millions from famine. His biography not only highlights his scientific achievements but also centers around his commitment to a hunger-free world.
| Occupation | Scientists |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | March 25, 1914 |
| Age | 95 Years |
| Birth Place | Saude, Iowa, U.S. |
| Horoscope | Aries |
| Country | U.S |
| Date of death | 12 September, 2009 |
| Died Place | Dallas, Texas, U.S. |
Popularity
Norman Borlaug's Popularity over time
Height, Weight & Measurements
While specific physical attributes such as height and weight may not be widely documented, Borlaug was known to be of average height, with a robust presence characterized by his passion and dedication to addressing global food insecurity.
Dwarfing is an important agronomic quality for wheat; dwarf plants produce thick stems. The cultivars Borlaug worked with had tall, thin stalks.
Taller wheat grasses better compete for sunlight but tend to collapse under the weight of the extra grain—a trait called lodging—from the rapid growth spurts induced by nitrogen fertilizer Borlaug used in the poor soil. To prevent this, he bred wheat to favor shorter, stronger stalks that could better support larger seed heads.
In 1953, he acquired a Japanese dwarf variety of wheat called Norin 10 developed by the agronomist Gonjiro Inazuka in Iwate Prefecture, including ones which had been crossed with a high-yielding American cultivar called Brevor 14 by Orville Vogel.
Norin 10/Brevor 14 is semi-dwarf (one-half to two-thirds the height of standard varieties) and produces more stalks and thus more heads of grain per plant. Also, larger amounts of assimilate were partitioned into the actual grains, further increasing the yield.
Borlaug crossbred the semi-dwarf Norin 10/Brevor 14 cultivar with his disease-resistant cultivars to produce wheat varieties that were adapted to tropical and sub-tropical climates.
Family, Dating & Relationship Status
Norman Borlaug was married to his wife, Margaret (known as "Marge"), with whom he shared a loving partnership until her passing in 2007. The couple had three children together. Throughout his life, Borlaug remained focused on his family while dedicating himself to his mission of combating hunger, showcasing a balance between personal life and professional commitment.
Borlaug is often called "the father of the Green Revolution", and is credited with saving over a billion people worldwide from starvation.
According to Jan Douglas, executive assistant to the president of the World Food Prize Foundation, the source of this number is Gregg Easterbrook's 1997 article "Forgotten Benefactor of Humanity." The article states that the "form of agriculture that Borlaug preaches may have prevented a billion deaths." Dennis T.
Avery also estimated that the number of lives saved by Borlaug's efforts to be one billion. In 2009, Josette Sheeran, then the Executive Director of the World Food Programme, stated that Borlaug "saved more lives than any man in human history".
He was awarded the 1970 Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of his contributions to world peace through increasing food supply.
Net Worth and Salary
While specific figures regarding Norman Borlaug's net worth at the time of his passing are not readily available, it is essential to recognize that his wealth lies not in monetary terms but in the immense impact he had on society and agricultural practices globally. His innovations and leadership in the agricultural sector have led to billions of dollars in economic benefits and improved lives across continents.
To finance his studies, Borlaug put his education on hold periodically to earn some income, as he did in 1935 as a leader in the Civilian Conservation Corps, working with the unemployed on federal projects. Many of the people who worked for him were starving. He later recalled, "I saw how food changed them. All of this left scars on me".
From 1935 to 1938, before and after receiving his Bachelor of Science in forestry in 1937, Borlaug worked for the United States Forest Service at stations in Massachusetts and Idaho. He spent one summer in the middle fork of Idaho's Salmon River, the most isolated piece of wilderness in the nation at that time.
Career, Business, and Investments
Borlaug's career was marked by significant achievements in agricultural science, including extensive research and development focused on plant breeding and disease resistance. He worked with various organizations, including the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), which he helped establish. His investments in research and education laid the foundation for continued advancements in crop production and sustainability, making him a pioneering figure in agronomy.
Borlaug received his B.S. in forestry in 1937 and PhD in plant pathology and genetics from the University of Minnesota in 1942. He took up an agricultural research position with CIMMYT in Mexico, where he developed semi-dwarf, high-yield, disease-resistant wheat varieties.
During the mid-20th century, Borlaug led the introduction of these high-yielding varieties combined with modern agricultural production techniques to Mexico, Pakistan, and India. As a result, Mexico became a net exporter of wheat by 1963.
Between 1965 and 1970, wheat yields nearly doubled in Pakistan and India, greatly improving the food security in those nations.
Social Network
Although Borlaug passed away in 2009, his influence continues through various organizations and networks focused on food security and sustainable agriculture. His legacy lives on through initiatives that promote agricultural innovation and support for developing nations. Social media discussions, events, and collaborations inspired by his work continue to flourish, keeping his spirit alive and relevant in current agricultural discourse.
In the early 1980s, environmental groups that were opposed to Borlaug's methods campaigned against his planned expansion of efforts into Africa. They prompted the Rockefeller and Ford Foundations and the World Bank to stop funding most of his African agriculture projects.
Western European governments were persuaded to stop supplying fertilizer to Africa.
According to David Seckler, former Director General of the International Water Management Institute, "the environmental community in the 1980s went crazy pressuring the donor countries and the big foundations not to support ideas like inorganic fertilizers for Africa."
Education
Norman Borlaug's educational journey began at the University of Minnesota, where he earned his Bachelor’s degree in Forestry, followed by a Master’s degree in Plant Pathology and a Ph.D. in Plant Pathology and Genetics. His academic foundation was pivotal in shaping his revolutionary approaches to agriculture, equipping him with the knowledge and skills necessary to address the complex challenges of food production.
Later in his life, he helped apply these methods of increasing food production in Asia and Africa. He was also an accomplished wrestler in college and a pioneer of wrestling in the United States, being inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame for his contributions.
