Norman Borlaug changed the world. Through his work in Plant Breeding, he touched over a billion lives. So, how will you make a difference? How will you leave your fingerprints on the world? Like Norman, you will find that knowledge, vision, passion and determination are key.

Norman Ernest Borlaug was born on March 25, 1914 near Cresco, Iowa. He was a light-hearted young boy, already curious about the ways of mother nature.In those days, boys often dropped out of school to work on the farm. But Norman's grandfather knew that education would provide the tools needed to make change happen and encouraged Norman to make learning a priority.

At 19, Norman saw real hunger for the first time. While visiting Minneapolis grown men begged him for pocket change. Norman watched a riot break out as milk was dumped into the streets protesting low food prices. Hungry people scrambled past him trying to take anything they could. Borlaug was affected profoundly. He was convinced extreme hunger had more than just the stomach in its clutches, it strongly influenced the mind.

Borlaug continued his education in Minneapolis; he received a degree in Forestry in 1937 and a doctorate in Plant Pathology in 1942. After graduating and working in the industry for two years, Borlaug moved to Mexico to help farmers improve their crops and increase their yields.

When Borlaug arrived, he found unchecked disease destroying the wheat crop. The soil was exhausted and depleted of nutrients. Yields were low and farmers were having trouble feeding their families. Each starving person whom Borlaug encountered planted a seed of compassion in his soul. He wrote his wife saying, “These places I've seen have clubbed my mind –they are so poor and depressing. I don't know what we can do to help these people but we've got to do something.”

At that time, it was hard to imagine that Mexico would ever become self-sufficient in wheat production. Norman even wondered if he'd made a mistake taking on the challenge. But he didn’t lose sight of his goals and the team focused their energy on solving the problems at hand. A previous experience with experimental crops had left a negative impression on the local farmers. They had been left to deal with severe repercussions and when Borlaug came and tried to explain his visionin broken spanish, they looked at him like he was crazy.

So Borlaug decided to get to work with or without a tractor. He strapped himself to a plow with resolve driven by a natural momentum and started cutting furrows himself. Eventually Mexican farmers noticed and offered a small tractor.

Borlaug awoke each morning well before dawn determined to find a variety resistant to Stem Rust, a fungal disease that devastated the crop. The fungus caused red scab-like blisters to form on the stem. These blisters crippled the plants, often killing them. Crops infected with the fungus had very poor yields.

They needed to use plant breeding to introduce varieties that would resist the diseases and change the production system to increase yields. Dr. Borlaug’s task as a plant breeder was: To find a line resistant to the disease, cross it with locally adapted susceptible varieties, then select the resistant lines. This resulted in a stem rust resistant line adapted to Mexico.

The program began in 1945 with the first varieties available after only 3 years. Borlaug's team pioneered the Shuttle Breeding strategy, accelerating the breeding process by evaluating and selecting materials twice each year. The Shuttle Breeding strategy was a success. The projected time to raise resistant plant varieties was cut in half. Breeding materials were grown under the summer sun of the Central Highlands and the winter sun of the Sonoran Desert.

The lines they developed were insensitive to length of day. This made them extremely adaptable to different growing regions. They were also disease resistant and highly responsive to fertilizer. The rich response to fertilizer was a great success. With ample fertilizer, the new wheat varieties flourished.

Their heads were promising, growing fat with extra grain. But with this success came an unexpected challenge. The new plants became top heavy, and the tall stalks collapsed under the wheat of the grain. Harvesting was difficult, and yields suffered greatly. But they refused to give up.

Across the ocean, a variety known as semi-dwarf wheat was developed in Japan, shortly after WWII. The trait was later crossed with a high-yielding American variety to produce semi-dwarf, high-yielding Norin 10. Plant breeding provided a solution that could save the yields while retaining the benefits of a highly responsive crop. Semi-dwarf wheat grew with stronger, shorter stalks that could support the weight of the grain. At Washington State University, Orville Vogel introduced Norin 10 into US breeding programs by developing a new high-yielding semi-dwarf line called Norin 10 x Brevor 14.

Borlaug's group introduced the Norin 10 / Brevor 14 line into their Mexican breeding program in 1953. Following the same approach of crossing lines and selecting varieties, they developed semi-dwarf lines adapted to Mexico, solving the lodging problem. These semi-dwarf varieties became known as “Miracle Seeds”. These varieties yielded more than other wheat varieties. The new seeds doubled Mexico's wheat production.

15 years after the project had begun, Mexico became self-sufficient in its wheat production. They even had enough grain to export and help supply the rest of the world. The result of all of these team efforts to introduce stem rust resistance and semi-dwarf was dramatic. Yields in Mexico increased dramatically, first because of resistance and later because of the semi-dwarf trait.

This coordinated breeding effort affected more than just Mexico. Borlaug expanded his vision and his program to India and Pakistan, giving them something they would never forget.

“When wheat is ripening properly, when the wind is blowing across the field, you can hear the beards of the wheat rubbing together... They sound like the pine needles in a forest. It is a sweet, whispering musicthat once you hear, you never forget.” -Norman Borlaug

Pakistan produced 5 million tons in 1965 and 8 million tons in 1970.India produced 12 million tons in 1965 and 20 million tons in 1970. The US Agency for International Development labeled this drastic improvement in food production, “The Green Revolution.”

Borlaug's work was a symbol of the importance of agriculture in the global community. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for these efforts. While handling Borlaug the Prize, the committee chairman said, “More than any other single person of his age, he has helped to provide bread for a hungry world.”Norman Borlaug translated his vision directly into action. Through his knowledge and skill in plant breeding, he left the world a better place than he found it.

What’s your story? How will you apply your knowledge, vision, passion, and determination? We know you can make the difference, we’re just waiting to see where you leave your finger prints.