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Trofim Lysenko

Plant Sciences

Trofim Denisovich Lysenko was a Soviet agronomist who rejected Mendelian genetics in favor of his own idiosyncratic, pseudoscientific ideas later termed Lysenkoism. As director of the Institute of Genetics of the Soviet Academy of Sciences from 1940, he used his political influence and power to suppress dissenting opinions and discredit, marginalize, and imprison his critics, elevating his anti-Mendelian theories to state-sanctioned doctrine; scientists who refused to renounce genetics were dismissed from their posts and left destitute, and several, including the botanist Nikolai Vavilov, were imprisoned. His ideas and practices contributed to lower agricultural yields in the Soviet Union until his downfall in the mid-1960s. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

Facts
Birth Year
1898 1
Death Year
1976 1
Nationality
Soviet 1
Defining Contribution
As director of the Institute of Genetics of the Soviet Academy of Sciences, he imposed his anti-Mendelian doctrine known as Lysenkoism on Soviet agricultural science, suppressing rival geneticists and contributing to lower Soviet agricultural yields for decades. 1
FAQs

What was vernalization and why did it make Trofim Lysenko famous?

Vernalization was Lysenko's seed treatment that made winter wheat bear a crop when sown in spring.

In 1927 Lysenko began the research behind his 1928 paper on vernalization, which drew wide attention because of its potential practical value for Soviet agriculture. Severe cold and lack of winter snow had destroyed many early winter wheat seedlings. By treating wheat seeds with moisture as well as cold, he induced them to bear a crop when planted in spring. His work on improved crop yields won him the support of Joseph Stalin, but his later ideas and practices contributed to lower agricultural yields in the Soviet Union until his downfall in the mid-1960s.
Connections

Works In

Agronomy, Disciplines
Source Trofim Lysenko (Wikipedia)
In the Other Atlases

Nationality

Russian Empire

Also in Geography Atlas: the nationality of this subject.

Soviet Union

Also in Geography Atlas: the nationality of this subject.

Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic

Also in Geography Atlas: the nationality of this subject.

Sources
1. Trofim Lysenko (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia Foundation
  • Lead section, paragraph 1
    rejected Mendelian genetics in favour of his own idiosyncratic, pseudoscientific ideas later termed Lysenkoism
  • Lead section, opening parenthetical (birth)
    29 September [O.S. 17 September] 1898
  • Lead section, opening parenthetical (death)
    20 November 1976
  • Lead section, opening sentence (nationality clause)
    was a Soviet agronomist.
  • Lead section, paragraph 4 (agricultural impact)
    Lysenko's ideas and practices contributed to lower agricultural yields in the Soviet Union throughout the late 1930s until his downfall in the mid-1960s.
  • Works In: Agronomy, Lead
    Trofim Denisovich Lysenko (Russian: Трофим Денисович Лысенко; Ukrainian: Троxим Денисович Лисенко, romanized: Trokhym Denysovych Lysenko, IPA: [troˈxɪm deˈnɪsowɪtʃ lɪˈsɛnko]; 29 September [O.S. 17 September] 1898-20 November 1976) was a Soviet agronomist.
View the Source
Wikidata: Trofim Lysenko
Wikidata Q294234, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)View the Source
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