N(caps)ikholai I. Vavilov (25 Nov., 1887-26 Jan., 1943) was Russian botanist, plant breeder, geneticist, geographer and science organiser inspired by his own vision of ending global hunger. He joined the Agricultural Academy at Petrovsko-Razumovskoe, studied at Cambridge University under Sir Rowland Biffen and worked with William Bateson, a pioneer geneticist and founder director of John Innes Horticultural Institution at Merton in South London. Impressed with Vavilov's genius, Lenin provided him full freedom to work for science. In his bright career, Vavilov was director, Institute of Applied Botany, member USSR Academy of sciences, director All Union Institute of Plant Breeding and Institute of Genetics, Vice President & President Lenin All-Union Academy of Agricultural Sciences and President All Union Geographical society. Vavilov uncompromised and opposed the falsification of genetic science propagated by Trofim Lysenko and his followers during Stalin rule who came into power after Lenin which led to his arrest in 1940. Vavilov awarded the death sentence after his arrest but the death sentence was commuted to a 20 years prison term in 1942. Vavilov, an eminent scientist and world authority on famine and hunger cure died of starvation in a prison camp on the Volga in 1943. The Institute of Plant Industries, Leningrad was named after N.I. Vavilov in 1967 as the Vavilov Institute of Plant industry.
