It was the year 1960 I gained admission into the Post Graduate School of Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi to do my Ph.D. In the same year under Dr. Swaminathan’s Direction the GAMMA GARDEN irradiation facility was established and inaugurated at IARI. The gamma garden had COBOLT60 as the source of gamma rays.
Dr. Swaminathan acquired COBALT60 from Indian Atomic Energy Agency, Trombay.
Gamma gardens are typically five acres in size. Plants are laid out like slices of a pie, stemming from the central radiation source. This pattern produces a range of radiation doses over the radiation from the centre. Radioactive bombardment would take place for around twenty hours, after which scientists wearing protective equipment and covering would enter the garden and assess the result.
The plants nearest to the source usually die. The ones farther away from radiation source shows various levels of mutation
Picture of how a gamma garden looks with its Cobalt 60 radiation source
Gamma garden at IARI, New Delhi aerial view
Dr. Swaminathan played a major role to develop SHARBATHI SONORA from SONORA 64 imported from CIMMYT Mexico. SHARBATHI SONORA. increased wheat yield in India leading to the green revolution. This Dr. Swaminathan could achieve through mutation breeding using gamma rays. Thus, the era of mutation breeding with gamma rays started at IARI under Dr. Swaminathan’s direction and he could develop several high yielding varieties of wheat and rice through mutation breeding.
Dr. Swaminathan taught me cytogenetics under the course title Cytogenetics-1. Cytogenetics, Genetics and Plant breeding and Plant Physiology are all housed under the Division of Botany. Though he had an ambassador car, Dr. Swaminathan used to come on his bicycle to the Division to take our class.
I was watching the career progress of Dr. Swaminathan when I was a Ph.D. Student and also as a post-doctoral Fellow at IARI. He rose steadily from Assistant Cytogeneticist, Cytogeneticist, Head of the Division of Botany, Director of IARI to the Director General of ICAR.
From this I learned a lesson, good qualification alone is not enough. One should be at the right place at the right time to reach the goal. The laurels he achieved did not go to his head. Dr. Swaminathan remained an unobtrusive and down to earth person throughout his life.
Professor K.A.Balasubramanian
Ph.D. (IARI-NEWDELHI), Ph.D. (IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON), DIC (IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON)
DENVER, COLORADO
A great tribute by ProfKAB to the Father of Indian Green Revolution LateDrMSSwaminathan who was his teacher at IARI.As ProfKAB narrated about the development of SharbatiSonara through mutation breeding technique which ushered in GreenRevoluyion in India by DrMSSwaminathan.India is always indebted to her son DrMSS for serving the country as a Great Scientist Administrator to attain self suffiency in Agticulture field which is its main strength in today’s World.I had the fortune of being with DrMSS on 30-12-2011 for 2 hours coming to our Agriculture University Convocation.As ProfKAB described in this blog he was very friendly but enquired about as to how the University was progressing in all fields mainly their integration for the welfare of farmers of the state.Thi…