MR. SRINIVASAN & HIS CAREER

What led you to crop science as a career?

I was born into a farming family in a small village in coastal Andhra Pradesh, India. Right from my childhood, I enjoyed going to and working on our family farm, where we traditionally grew rice and food legumes. My strong belief that meeting food demands of growing populations in developing countries like India can only be achieved through rapid progress in subjects such as crop science, led me to opt for it as a career. All in all, I am happy that I chose crop science as my career.

What would you consider to be your specialty within the field? How did you come to it?

My specialization within crop science has varied over time from cropping systems, to environmental stress tolerance, to precision farming. Although these sub-disciplines look different in some ways, all of them are targeted toward the goal of improving agricultural sustainability. My current area of research is on the development of principles, methods, and technologies of precision farming relevant to Asian cropping systems, especially for application on small farms.

You're now based in Japan as a Team Leader/Senior Researcher in the Geospatial Analysis Centre at the Regional Science Institute. What are you working on now?

The Geospatial Analysis Center where I work comprises a small inter-disciplinary, international team of researchers hailing from Bolivia, Bulgaria, Canada, China, India, Japan, Myanmar and Russia. While all researchers have their own independent research projects, we also collaborate extensively. My research and consulting work is carried out within the context of developing efficient strategies for farm resource management in the small farms of Asia. As part of this overall framework, I am working on various topics, including:

• Research on precision farming technologies for cropping systems in Hokkaido and small farms of Asia
• Identification of opportunities for crop diversification and sustainable cropping systems
• Development of Regional Agricultural and Environmental Information Systems
• Development of Crop Information Systems and a Varietal Performance Visualisation and Analysis Tool
• Development of decision support systems for farm resource management
• Web-based agricultural mapping and spatial analysis

You've spanned the globe in your career by working, consulting and researching on four continents, including countries such as Kenya, Thailand, the US, the UK and Nepal. Why have you made it a point to travel so extensively?

Overseas research and consulting is very appealing to me. I value such experience not only for my own education but also for establishing new personal networks. I am glad that I could travel to 19 countries for research/consulting/business meetings.

Can you describe for us one or two of the most interesting projects that you've working on in your career?

In Kenya and Niger, I participated in a project on finding suitable tree-crop combinations that would generate additional income for farmers. Here, we found that the benefits of cultivating trees, especially fast-growing legumes, lie in increasing soil fertility and obtaining spatial and temporal complementarity in resource use.

In northeast Thailand, we examined land degradation problems and looked at opportunities for reforestation on those lands. Likewise, I assisted in documenting information on various environmental issues related to the development of water resources in Syria. Employing spatial information technologies such as geographic information systems (GIS) and remote sensing was very useful in these projects.

What are your personal and professional goals for the next five years?

My personal goal is to be happy and to make my family and friends happy. I enjoy activities such as gardening, photography and traveling. I enjoy playing with my daughter and assisting her in both curricular and extra-curricular activities. In all these activities, my wife has been very supportive. I reciprocate by helping her in acquiring skills in child education. I am learning French in my free time, and I hope to achieve reasonable proficiency within five years! I also like to work on improving my leadership and decision-making skills. Of late, I have also been providing support to one of my friends in starting a school for supporting the education of bright children in three Indian villages.

Professionally, my goal is to contribute further to the field of sustainable agriculture. As a researcher, I wish to examine the potential of precision farming in Asia through understanding the dynamic relationships between crops and the conditions under which they exist. My goal here is to develop a humane approach to precision farming technology transfer; one that takes into account the needs and capabilities of people. As a consultant, I would like to teach rural communities how modern technologies and inter-disciplinary approaches can address traditional problems in agriculture and environment; I am especially interested in international consulting projects that are targeted to raising the incomes of small farmers in developing countries. As a volunteer, I assist many people and organizations worldwide by providing technical information via the Internet. Within the next five years, I would like to move on to a more challenging international position, where I can serve diverse groups of clients. In all these research and consulting activities, I am committed to blending my service with scholarship.

THE ACTUAL WORK

What is crop science?

Crop science, broadly speaking, is the application of biological, chemical, and physical principles to crops and cropping systems. In practical terms, crop science can help farmers make both economically and environmentally sound decisions that lead to increases in production, quality, and profitability of food, feed, fiber, or floral commodities in a sustainable way. The subject covers the genetics, breeding, physiology, and environmentally-sound management of all crops.

You've mentioned "precision farming" several times. What exactly does this mean?

Precision farming is a holistic approach to managing spatial and temporal variability associated with all aspects of farming. The goal is to improve crop productivity, profitability and environmental quality.

As one could imagine, Asia has the largest number of small farms, small farmers and peasants in the world. Nearly 70% of the farms in Asia are less than 1 hectare, and the share of crop-based agroecosystems is high (91% and 84% in South and Southeast Asia, respectively, compared to 31% on a global basis). The rate of natural resource degradation is also high because of pressures from growing populations. For example, in South Asia, the annual loss in crop productivity was estimated at $5.4 billion by water erosion, and $1.8 billion due to wind erosion. Recent projections indicated that even cultivated areas in Asia will start to contract soon.

The decline in the water table in two of Asia's major food producing regions, namely, the Punjab and Haryana of India, and the North China Plain is another major concern. New ways of managing crops and soils are, therefore, essential for improving sustainability of agricultural systems. I believe that precision farming, or site-specific management, is one such approach to sustain yield increases in Asia.

Can you describe the work and job responsibilities of a crop scientist?

The individual job responsibilities of a crop science professional vary widely with the nature of his/her employment sector, i.e. agribusiness, education, research, extension and consulting. Typically, I spend 50% of my time on research, 25% on consulting and training, 15% on extension and about 10% on administration and other activities, including organization of workshops, meetings, etc.

In general, all crop science professionals are expected to provide technical support, maintain effective partnerships with academics and industry, and publish widely. For a professional concerned with research, primary duties may include: field and greenhouse evaluations of new varieties and crop production practices, data collection and analysis and writing reports. For a professional involved in extension, the responsibility may include dissemination of crop production information through peer reviewed extension and research publications and other outlets such as web sites, field days, and other means of grower education in the production, handling, and marketing of crops.

Is the extensive traveling that you've done par for the course in this line of work?

The degree of traveling again depends on the nature of job. For example, professionals involved in consulting, training and extension activities are more likely to travel than those involved in laboratory-based research. I attend national and international conferences and workshops mainly to interact with and learn from the other researchers and communicate my work and perspectives. Attendance at these meetings will help me grasp the latest research in a limited time. National and international consulting activities also entail some travel.

You've written and published many papers in the field. How important is this to what you do? What are a few of the most prestigious publications in the field?

Dissemination of useful information via publications is important for all professionals, including those in crop science. I am pleased to mention that I authored nearly 50 publications and edited two books. I am currently editing another book - Precision Farming: A Global Perspective, to be published by the end of this year. Some of my research was published in international journals such as Crop Science, Euphytica, The International Journal of Plant Breeding, Field Crops Research, etc. I am pleased that one of my publications on heat tolerance in food legumes published in Euphytica was cited by several researchers in their work. I also helped in evaluating five Ph.D. theses, reviewed 22 journal articles and assisted in technical editing of 112 manuscripts for publication in journals and books.

What are some of the typical misconceptions that people might have about the work of a crop scientist?

1. Crop science is a laboratory-based job.

While several crop science professionals do work 100% of their time in laboratories, the real learning for many professionals occurs in the field. Therefore, one should be ready to get their hands dirty. As for me, I enjoy my field experience and meetings with farmers, who are really helpful in knowing what they already knew, what they like to see on their lands and how crop science can help achieving their objectives.

2. Crop scientists are playing with nature without any ethical considerations by developing transgenic crops (the so-called "Frankenstein foods," in the words of Prince Charles).

While there have been such criticisms in the press, it is not always true. In general, all crop science professionals are expected to have an open and inquisitive mind with a sense of objectivity and a strong desire to reveal the technical basis.

3. Your love for crop science does not assure you will get the job of your choice.

Although motivation is important, it cannot substitute for technical expertise. Crop science professionals must be prepared to acquire new skills rapidly depending on the context and must be willing to work in a wide range of situations. They must also learn to see things from a holistic perspective. A new graduate may often have to consider a position that may not be ideal to gain the experience that he/she may wish to have. It is important to enjoy the position that you have now while looking for the job that you like to do.

What are some of the important professional organizations in the field of crop science?

There are many professional organizations in the field of crop science. As people are becoming more and more specialized, several new professional societies are springing up. I list below a few organizations of general interest:

• Crop Science Society of America
• American Society of Agronomy
• American Society of Plant Physiologists
• American Seed Trade Association (ASTA)
• American Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS)
• American Society of Plant Taxonomists
• Ecological Society of America
• Weed Science Society of America (WSSA)
• Plant Growth Regulation Society of America (PGRSA)

EDUCATION INFORMATION & ADVICE

Tell us about your formal education, including degrees, certificates or other training. What did you like and dislike about your crop science-related studies?

I earned a B.S. in agriculture from Acharya N G Ranga Agricultural University (formerly Andhra Pradesh Agricultural University) in India, an M.S. in Agronomy at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute and a Ph.D. in crop science at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom. I have attended training sessions throughout my career, including GIS, Spatial Hydrology, Remote Sensing, Environmental Stress Tolerance, Plant Hormones and Growth Regulators, Breeding and Physiology, Radio-tracer application techniques etc. Attending such training sessions is important to update your skills and learn new developments in the field. In my graduate courses, I liked courses in crop modelling, plant breeding and physiology, and biometry.

You've recently received certification in the US in Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Tell us why you considered this an important educational step in your career?

Like other computer skills, such as word processing, spreadsheets, databases, and web publishing, GIS has become another demanded skill because most agriculture-related information is geography-linked. GIS permits integration of large sets of data in a spatial framework and enables more in-depth analysis of crop and cropping system data than the non-spatial methods, so the interactions among biological, physical and chemical data can be identified, derived, evaluated and analyzed more accurately. Thus, GIS has great potential for use as a management tool in agriculture where large amounts of spatially related data accumulate over time. Moreover, GIS is the core component in precision farming. Because this is so relevant to my research, I considered training in GIS very important.

What factors should prospective crop science students consider when choosing an educational program?

Prospective students must think about their future career goals rationally and consider several factors rather than only a single factor, such as prestige of the program or faculty. Crop science programs in many schools are much better and more uniform than ever. However, there is still some variation among programs as to their faculty, philosophy, and specialty areas.

Personally, I feel that it is better to enroll in a program that offers a thorough understanding of the principles in the first two years followed by practical training in the following two years. If students wish to take up careers in industry, it is important that they also get some background on fundamentals of economic and social sciences, in addition to crop science. In such cases, a student is advised to look for a program that offers both social and biological sciences in the curriculum.

On the other hand, if your career goal is to become a researcher, look for a program that offers opportunities for practical training (especially in modern technologies such as biotechnology) and schools with reputed research staff, who are cooperative, supportive, and allow the students to be independent in learning. One way to know this is through active personal interactions with faculty members and other students who are already taking that program. I also recommend students to get as detailed information as possible from the Internet before making a short list of programs that they like to evaluate.

One of the keys to securing employment in crop science is developing an area of expertise that is both interesting to you and is likely to be in demand by others. Of course, the demand for a specialty area changes with time and it is not easy to predict. One of my undergraduate advisors always used to say "Make Right Choice for Bright Future"!! This is easier said than done but consideration of various factors will certainly lead to an informed decision.

Are there any volunteering opportunities for crop science graduates?

There are many volunteering opportunities in crop science. Young graduates can work as volunteers in agricultural projects in developing countries to get hands-on experience with problems faced by farmers in those countries. As an on-line volunteer, you can even facilitate the transfer of knowledge from the researchers to farmers and farm managers who implement day to day crop management. Volunteers in Technical Assistance (VITA) based in Arlington, Virginia, is doing a great service worldwide by offering various volunteering opportunities. The United Nations Volunteer Program also offers some opportunities, mainly for experienced professionals.

Based on what you hear in the industry, what do you think are the most respected programs for crop science that really make a difference to students who graduate from these schools?

In the US, the most respected crop science programs are offered in agronomy departments at:

• Cornell University, Department of Crop and Soil Sciences
• University of California, Davis, Agronomy & Range Science Department
• Iowa State University, Agronomy Department
• University of Wisconsin, Department of Agronomy
• Purdue University, Department of Agronomy

This does not mean that curriculum at other schools is bad! Internationally, too, there are many schools in Australia, Europe, India, China, and other countries offering good programs in crop science. All these good schools emphasize principles and theoretical background of crop science in their curricula, especially in the first two years.

Does it really make a difference in the industry to graduate from a prestigious school? Why or why not?

The prestige of a school matters to some extent especially for the entry level positions in the industry, mainly because the potential employer does not have enough opportunities to test your practical skills directly. If the curriculum and practical training sessions offered by a school are good, the employers would prefer students from those schools. For senior level positions, however, a more important criterion is how rapidly you can synthesize and apply information to the advantage of your clients, and if you can work on multiple priorities with high efficiency.

Do you have any insights as to the kinds of jobs that are available for those graduating in the US with a degree in crop science?

Crop science prepares students for meaningful and financially rewarding careers at all levels of agriculture, including scientific careers with industry, government (United States Department of Agriculture, state and local governments), and universities; technical agriculture in fields such as crop protection and soil analysis; production agriculture in farming and ranching; environmental science; natural resource management; education and agricultural extension, etc. Opportunities are mainly in the areas of seed production, crop management, crop genetics and molecular biology, plant breeding, crop physiology, crop ecology, and crop utilization. Some opportunities are available in crop consulting, insurance and banking sectors.

Entry level positions in crop science include: Assistant Research specialist, Assistant plant breeder, research associate, project specialist, greenhouse assistant, etc. For postgraduates in crop science, opportunities exist in research, training and extension. Typical jobs are faculty positions such as Assistant or associate professors in crop science, Extension crops specialist, cropping systems specialist, plant molecular biologists, crop breeder, senior research scientist for various crops, etc. Consulting companies also employ crop scientists mainly to guide farmers in identification of crop nutrient disorders, and provide various other services. The above examples illustrate the interesting and challenging opportunities ranging from basic to applied research, from laboratory to field, and from private to government.

What are the international job opportunities? How does one find out about them?

Virtually every research field today, including crop science, is becoming more global in scope. There are several multinational and international companies (e.g., Cargill, Monsanto, Pioneer, Syngenta, Unilever, etc.) doing business in crop science, and offering challenging opportunities. Also, there are many international agricultural research centers working for the development of agriculture in developing countries, under the auspices of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research sponsored by World Bank, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations. Also, there are a few opportunities at FAO and World Bank, mainly for experienced professionals. Some non-profit organizations involved in agricultural development also recruit crop scientists.

The Internet provides a good source of information on these opportunities. Some web sites are given below.

• http://www.cgiar.org/jobs.htm
• http://www.fao.org/VA/vac.htm
• http://www.uneca.org/about_eca/jobs/va/index.htm
• http://www.asa-cssa-sssa.org/cgi-bin/personnel_index_search.cgi/0?feed_objective=International
• http://www.state.gov/p/io/empl/
• http://www.cipotato.org//org/jobs.htm
• http://www.icarda.cgiar.org/jobs/jobs.htm
• http://www.icraf.cgiar.org/job_opps/job_opps.cfm
• http://www.avrdc.org.tw/positions.html
• http://www.irri.org/irsjobs.htm
• http://www.isnar.cgiar.org/about_isnar/job.htm
• http://www.warda.cgiar.org/jobs/jobs.htm
• http://www.ecojobs.com/internationaljobs.htm
• http://www.icrisat.org/text/jobs/gjobs.html

What's the pay scale for someone just starting a career? How about for those at the senior level?

Salaries vary depending on location, the candidate's skill, and previous job-related experience. Beginning annual salaries for crop science graduates range from $22,000 to $32,000, with an average salary of $26,000. For postdoctoral positions, it could be anywhere between $28,000 to $35,000 per annum. For senior level positions with 5-10 years experience, salaries are between $60,000-$80,000 per year. Normally, the highest pay scales are in industry.

What kinds of companies does one work for as a crop scientist?

There is a wide range of companies where crop scientists are employed. These include:

• Fertilizer and other agrochemical companies - crop scientists are responsible for evaluating and predicting crop responses to applied chemicals in various environments.
• Seed companies - Plant Breeders, crop nutritionists, etc.
• Agriculture consulting firms - crop advisers, etc. Precision agriculture services related companies such as John Deere have positions such as Crop Systems Specialist.

Getting certified as American Society of Agronomy's International Certified Crop Adviser, Certified Professional Agronomist, Associate Professional Agronomist, etc. will enhance job prospects, especially in the private sector.

How is the job market right now? How do you think it will be in the next five years? 10 years?

Agriculture is America's largest single industry. I heard that each year more than 10,000 new jobs requiring degrees in agriculture go unfilled. This is true to some extent in many other countries. Indeed, scientific advances are changing rapidly the way we farm our land and grow our crops. Demand for crop scientists with specialized training and expertise in advanced technologies such as biotechnology and information technology has never been higher.

In the next five years, I expect to see an increased demand for people trained in integrated crop management, biotechnology, spatial information technologies, such as GIS and remote sensing, especially in relation to more precise management of crops and cropping systems. In about 10 years, I think that there will be a great demand for students with expertise in phytoremediation, risk assessment of transgenic crops and other crop production practices, and urban and peri-urban agriculture.

INDUSTRY TRENDS

How is GIS being incorporated into the field of crop science, and what is its potential for future use?

GIS and decision support systems are important in crop science in several ways:

1. To foster a greater understanding of the environmental impacts of crop production 2. To identify potential areas for introduction of new crops, cropping systems, etc. 3. To promote efficient resource use in crop production 4. To reveal previously unnoticed relationships in crop production 5. To integrate data sets from different fields of knowledge related to crop production

GIS is useful to enhance one's problem-solving and critical-thinking skills, as it helps in developing a spatial orientation. For example, using GIS, one can map season-to-season as well as site-to-site yield variations in a field, which then provides the basis for determining the causes for such variability and managing different sites of a field differently to maximize farm profits. GIS is also used to evaluate "what if" scenarios by changing various components of a cropping system in the model. On a regional basis too, one can use GIS to characterize environmental variation and to examine relationships between environmental and crop variations.

What are some other trends that you see in the field that might help prospective students?

• Recent developments in biotechnology, information and communication technologies are providing enormous opportunities for crop science professionals. The students who can follow and catch up with these trends are in great demand. However, students must first get a thorough background in theoretical principles of crop science and then learn to integrate them with modern technologies to approach various issues.

• With the sources of scientific information increasingly available to the public, there is also a need for crop science professionals who can effectively communicate their findings to policy makers and the general public. One should remember that science alone cannot solve all problems without developing effective interactions with social and cultural and political processes. From this point of view, it is good to get an understanding of social and cultural issues related to crop science. Further, most problems in agriculture require a holistic understanding of issues. Crop science students with an ability to develop multi-disciplinary approaches to resolving problems in agriculture will be in great demand.

• As environmental risks from crop production are getting increased attention worldwide, students familiar with methodologies to assess such risks and suggest remedial measures will be necessary. As such risks are especially high in urban and peri-urban agricultural systems, students with an inter-disciplinary background in both crop and environmental sciences will be in great demand.

What do you consider to be the three greatest challenges facing crop science professionals today?

The challenges facing crop science professionals today are many in view of the changing perceptions of consumers about agriculture, quantitative and qualitative changes in food demands, globalization of farm markets, restrictions on extension of cropped area, competition for water, climate changes such as global warming, as well as dynamic changes in cropping systems. Three major challenges of widespread relevance and importance are listed below:

1. Meeting food security challenges with minimal adverse environmental impacts, including sustaining food, fiber, feed, and other crop production systems, protecting the quality of the environment, and conserving vital soil, water and biological resources. Research is essential to feed 8 billion people by 2020 in a sustainable way. Failure to do so will certainly lead to enormous repercussions with impacts on global security.

Despite substantial improvements in food production, it is estimated that about 790 million people in developing countries and 34 million people in developed countries are going hungry everyday. Scarcity of water and land resources for crop production is also expected to increase in most agricultural regions. By 2010, at least 30 percent of the population in China, India, Mexico and the US is expected to face severe water stress. By 2020, it is expected that nearly 30 percent more cereals will have to be produced from land and water resources similar to or less than those available today. FAO estimates that approximately 2 billion hectares of a total of 8.7 billion hectares of agricultural and forestry lands have been degraded since 1950. Likewise, the loss of biodiversity in agriculture following introduction of modern farming systems has been dramatic. Nearly 75% of the global genetic diversity of our crop plants has been lost during the last century. The goal of minimizing adverse environmental impacts, optimizing management of natural resources and developing agricultural systems which can sustain a high level of biological diversity is, therefore, a long-term challenge to crop science professionals.

2. Development of crops and cropping systems with a better adaptation to physical, chemical and biological stresses: The future success of crop production lies in the growth of crops with minimal stresses. Global climate changes are expected to enhance the severity of such stresses leading to wide fluctuations in crop productivity all over the world. Successes in improving plant tolerance to abiotic (mineral or nutrient deficiencies, salt toxicity, waterlogging, drought, etc.) and biotic (insect pests, diseases, weeds) stresses will essentially determine future food production capacity. Increasing the flexibility, diversity and competitiveness of crops and cropping systems in a wide range of situations is thus critical.

3. Effective and ethical use of modern technologies such as biotechnology, information and communication technologies, while adequately addressing the concerns of society in relation to safety of human food and animal feeds, gender balance, equity, intellectual property rights, etc. It is important that crop scientists, besides generating new technologies, must be able to tailor these new tools to variable but unique conditions in terms of local climate, topography, soils, resources, biodiversity, cropping systems, markets, etc. and develop holistic systems of management such as integrated nutrient management, integrated crop and soil health management.

How have computers and the Internet affected the everyday life of a crop science professional?

Computers and the Internet have potential to become a great trans-boundary equalizer. Indeed, because of the developments in information technologies, the proximity of farmers, technical advisors and crop scientists is becoming less and less a matter of geographic distance. For example, many crop science professionals in developing and developed countries are now communicating via e-mail to seek solutions, develop joint projects and exchange information. The obvious benefit of the Internet for a crop science professional is access to a vast knowledge base that can help make informed decisions quickly. Already a lot of information related to crop science is available on the Internet, but the need for providing reliable and high quality information is growing.

I give below two examples of how crop science professionals are taking advantage of recent developments in information and communication technologies.

1. ECOPORT is an innovative initiative sponsored by the FAO, Smithsonian Institution and the University of Florida. ECOPORT facilitates access to information through a public service that will enable participants to own and update the knowledge created by their collective effort. As a contributing editor, I provided information on sugar beet (http://www.ecoport.org/EP.exe$EntShow?ID=48742) that is available for all users worldwide.

2. Crop Science professions are developing several Internet-based crop decision support systems useful for researchers, extension personnel and farmers. I contributed one such example as part of the Awareness Package for GIS in Agricultural Research commissioned by the Global Resource Information Database (GRID-Arendal) of the United Nations Environment Program. An example on crop information systems for food legumes may be found at http://www.grida.no/cgiar/awpack/crop_is.htm

Crop biotechnology has become controversial in some circles. While the US and Australia favor a rapid use of transgenic crops, Europe and some developing countries prefer a wait and see attitude. What are your personal views on transgenic crops?

As the environmental, economic and social consequences of transgenic crops can vary greatly by crop, country or region, it is important to evaluate their role in sustainability based on regional considerations, needs and constraints. Biotechnology, as any other technology, has both risks and benefits. Crop science professionals have both scientific and ethical responsibilities to actively strive to increase those benefits while making efforts to minimize the potential risks.

What is the role of indigenous knowledge and intellectual property rights in crop science? How are they likely to affect future developments in crop science?

In many cases, farmers possess extensive local knowledge on crops and cropping systems that scientists often fail to appreciate. It is important to document such knowledge and integrate modern techniques with indigenous knowledge. Such integration requires a holistic understanding of crops and cropping systems.

The issue of intellectual property rights (IPR) has become controversial because some of the patents filed recently by the industry do not acknowledge the contributions made by indigenous communities. I feel that suitable mechanisms must be developed to protect IPRs, while simultaneously recognizing the value of contributions of indigenous communities. Some of my contributions to the discussion of IPRs may be found at http://www.fao.org/biotech/logs/C6/220301.htm and http://www.fao.org/biotech/logs/C6/070501.htm

The demand for organic farming and organically-grown produce is increasing in industrial countries. Do you believe that organic farming can help meet food security demands of the world?

The demand for organic farm products has increased mainly because of concerns on safety and quality of food produced using industrial farming methods. However, organic farming alone cannot meet current food demands. External inputs in the form of fertilizers and pesticides will be necessary but the problem with modern farming is that we are applying them indiscriminately. Moreover, organic farming, despite all advantages, is a labor-intensive activity, and labor availability is declining, even in developing countries. I think it is best to integrate principles of organic farming in current cropping systems to minimize the use of external inputs in crop production and improve environmental quality.

CLOSING REMARKS

Is there anything else you can tell us about yourself, your career, or the profession that would be interesting or helpful to others aspiring to enter the field of crop science?

Our world is facing several new challenges on food security front. Bright, idealistic young people are essential to revitalize the field of crop science and meet such challenges. Unfortunately, in most countries, crop science programs are unable to attract the best talent available. Crop science is a field where you can make lasting contributions that have great impact on humanity. Ideally, those entering the field of crop science must be those who can actively collaborate with others from diverse disciplines and backgrounds, and are flexible and adaptable in an era of rapid social, political and technological change. The crop science professional of tomorrow sees the big picture, understands various agricultural and environmental issues, and plans for a better future in terms of food security.

If you have any questions for Mr. Srinivasan related to this interview, please contact him directly at ancha_s@yahoo.com.

EDITOR'S NOTE: For more information about the educational and career outlook for Crop Science majors, click here.

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