Distinguished Plant Breeder & Rice Geneticist
Early Life & Career
Dr. Khush is from Rurkee, District Jalandhar, Punjab, India. He received a B.Sc. degree from Punjab Agricultural University and a Ph.D. from the University of California, Davis. After serving as a faculty member at the University of California for seven years, he joined the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in the Philippines as a Plant Breeder and was appointed Head of the Plant Breeding Department in 1972.
He retired in April 2002 as Principal Plant Breeder and Head of the Division of Plant Breeding, Genetics, and Biochemistry. During his 35-year career at IRRI, he spearheaded the program to develop high-yielding, disease- and insect-resistant rice varieties, which helped usher in the Green Revolution in rice farming. More than 300 rice varieties developed under his leadership have been released in Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
Contributions to Rice Science
IRRI-bred varieties or their progenies are now grown on 60 % of the world's rice land. Rice production increased from 257 million tons in 1966 to 718 million tons in 2011. Most of the major rice-growing countries became self-sufficient in rice production and several have an exportable surplus.
“While his name may have passed the lips of many, his work passed the lips of almost half of mankind.”
— Dr. Robert Cantrell, Director General, IRRI
Awards & Recognition
Dr. Khush has made outstanding contributions to advancing the frontiers of rice genetics. He has written 3 books, edited 6 books and has written 250 papers in scientific journals. He has trained numerous plant breeders and served as a consultant to 15 national rice improvement programs.
For his contribution to world food security, Dr. Khush received the Japan Prize in 1987, the World Food Prize in 1996, the Rank Prize in 1998, the Wolf Prize in Agriculture in 2000, the Padma Shri Award in 2000, the Golden Sickle Award in 2007, and the Mahathir Science Award in 2009. He has received honorary doctorate degrees from twelve universities, including Cambridge University and Ohio State University. Dr. Khush was elected to the Indian National Science Academy, Indian Academy of Sciences, Russian Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Third World Academy of Sciences, U.S. National Academy of Sciences and Royal Society of London.
Science for a Food-Secure World
Advancing rice science to help build a more food-secure world