N T Yaduraju
Fun with weeds!
- Childhood and education (1952 to 1975)
- Born to a farming family in Hassan district, Karnataka, India, I had my early education at government schools in Rayarakoppal. I gained hands-on experience of working in rice fields and caring for a herd of buffaloes.
- Received bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Agriculture College, Dharwad. It exposed me to a different culture and food, and it also provided an opportunity to meet people from different regions and backgrounds.
- Went to the UK on a Commonwealth Scholarship, worked at the Weed Research Organization (WRO), Oxford, considered a Mecca for weed scientists, and earned a PhD from Reading University, in 1985. It was a great learning experience, meeting and interacting with leading weed scientists from around the world.
- Research and Teaching at IARI (1976 to 2000)
- Joined IARI, New Delhi, in the Agricultural Research Service in 1976. It offered me a wonderful opportunity to be in the most renowned and largest ICAR institute in the country. Mentored by Prof V S Mani, I soon learnt the nuances of weed science─then a relatively new field of research.
- The invaluable experience gained at the WRO, Oxford, in weed science was put to good use in my research and teaching. Reaching out to interested scientists in other Divisions helped me in developing projects of an interdisciplinary nature.
- The dwarf wheat cultivars from Mexico undoubtedly laid the foundation for India’s green revolution, but it also led to the domination of weeds, specially grass weeds, such as Phalaris minor and wild oats. When traditional methods of weed control were ineffective and uneconomical, herbicides soon gained popularity with farmers, especially in parts of NW India. The use of herbicides soon became popular in other crops, notably rice, soybean. and sugarcane. With my understanding of weed biology, I was able to make recommendations on specific herbicides and on integrating their use with other methods in different crops and cropping systems.
- The overreliance on herbicides resulted in the resurgence of Phalaris minor populations resistant to isoproturon, an herbicide commonly used in wheat. In collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, HAU, and PAU, resistant areas were identified, and alternative herbicides tested and recommended to farmers.
- I was actively involved in the capacity-building of scientists. I planned and supervised the research of more than a dozen students for their MSc and PhD degrees. I also organized several programs to build capacity of NARS scientists.
- Institution Building, Coordination, and Management (2000-present)
- The most significant contribution I made was as Director at the Directorate of Weed Research (DWR), Jabalpur (2000–05). DWR is the ‘Centre of Excellence’ in Weed Science in India and the Asian-Pacific Region. I was able to transform this relatively young institute into a high-quality research facility of international standard. The Institute witnessed multidimensional growth during my 5-year tenure, attracting national and international recognition.
- As Coordinator of the All India Coordinated Research Project on Weed Management (2000–05), with responsibilities for planning, monitoring, and administering R&D activities of 22 Cooperating Centres across India, I was able to streamline and strengthen the program of the network. These responsibilities helped hugely in honing my leadership qualities.
- Working for the World Bank-funded National Agricultural Innovation Project (NAIP), implemented by the ICAR, tested my innovative and coordinating skills. I was responsible for developing research proposals in consultation with deserving organizations, mostly from outside the NARS. It was a huge challenge to identify the right partners, bring them together, develop proposals, build the capacity of the NARS partners in implementing the project, and develop mechanisms to internalize the intervention.
- Post-retirement, I have been offering consultative services to MAHYCO on development of herbicide tolerant wheat and rice cultivars.
- Additional remarks
With great satisfaction, I have served as an Expert/Resource person in many Committees of the ICAR, Government of India and SAUs. I was associated with the Indian Society of Weed Science for long and served as its President. I feel happy that in that role, I could contribute my bit in strengthening the Society. I also played a part in organizing the 25thAsian Pacific Weed Science Society Conference at Hyderabad in 2013 and served as its President.
- Advice to future scientists
- Choose an area that interests you and work passionately. Don’t keep changing your area of specialization.
- Hard work does not go waste. Don’t look for short cuts.
N T Yaduraju – Fun with weeds!