Paul Christiaan Struik | |
---|---|
Born | November 27, 1954 |
Nationality | Dutch |
Occupation(s) | Agronomist, academic and author |
Academic background | |
Education | MSc PhD |
Alma mater | Wageningen Agricultural University |
Academic work | |
Institutions | Wageningen University |
Paul Christiaan Struik is a Dutch agronomist,academic and author. He is an Honorary Professor of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences and Adjunct Faculty staff member of the University of Bangalore,as well as an emeritus Professor in Crop Physiology at Wageningen University. [1]
Struik's research primarily focuses on agrobiodiversity,potato physiology,seed systems science,integration of social and natural sciences,and modelling of photosynthesis. [2] He has authored and co-authored more than 650 journal articles and edited or wrote more than 15 books including Seed Potato Technology,Plant Production on the Threshold of a New Century,Crop Systems Biology:Narrowing the Gaps between Crop Modelling and Genetics and Crop Science:Progress and Prospects. He is the recipient of awards,such as the 2019 International Crop Science Award from the Crop Science Society of America, [3] the 2022 World Potato Congress Industry Award, [4] and he was appointed Officer in the Order of Orange-Nassau by King Willem-Alexander in 2022. [5]
Struik is a Fellow of the Association of Applied Biologists [6] and the Editor-in-Chief of Potato Research . [7]
Struik earned an MSc in 1978 and a PhD in 1983,both from Wageningen Agricultural University,on research on the agronomic aspects of digestibility of forage maize. He worked as a Scientific Assistant from 1978 to 1981 and Research Agronomist from 1982 to 1986 at the same university. [1]
Struik continued his academic career as a professor in Field Crops' Science at Wageningen Agricultural University from 1986 to 1995. He became Professor in Crop and Grassland Science at Wageningen University from 1995 to 1998,and later Professor in Crop Physiology from 1998 to 2023,since when he has been serving as emeritus Professor. [1]
In 2019,Struik founded Stichting Corona to research the ethical implications of technological interventions in crops,farm animals,and ecosystems,including soil,and disseminate findings to society. [8] He held positions on committees at ICARDA,including Vice Chair of the board of trustees in 2021, [9] and organized international congresses,while also being involved in the European Association of Potato Research,initially as Secretary and Treasurer,and later as a Council Member. [10] Furthermore,he has made media appearances through television and radio interviews for programmes such as the RTL4 late-night talk show Barend &Van Dorp, AVRO/TROS EenVandaag , TROS Nieuwsuur [11] and OBA Live (Radio 5). [12]
Struik has contributed to the field of agronomy by studying crop physiology,plant breeding and various socioeconomic dimensions of agriculture,including food security,governance and ethics. [2] In the 1980s and 1990s he collaborated with farmer activists and politicians,such as Cees Veerman,Dick de Zeeuw and Sicco Mansholt,to create change in the Dutch agricultural systems.
Struik has published books on crop science and plant production. He co-edited Plant Production on the Threshold of a New Century,discussing challenges and advancements across plant production sectors,aiming for sustainability by aligning policy,economics,environment,and crop science with farming practices and systems. With Xinyou Yin,he focused on bridging the gap between genomics and crop physiology through research in Crop Systems Biology:Narrowing the Gaps between Crop Modelling and Genetics,aiming to improve crop productivity under changing environmental conditions. Additionally,in Crop Science:Progress and Prospects,he compiled keynote papers from the Third International Crop Science Congress,offering an overview of challenges and prospects in the field. Thomas A. Lumpkin commented,"While this publication was designed by the editors to serve as a 'textbook for advanced professionals',many of its chapters will be of interest to all parties involved in this issue." [13]
Struik's 2023 book Impact of Hybrid Potato:The Future of Hybrid Potato from a Systems Perspective discussed the potential of hybrid breeding technology in potatoes to address challenges related to poverty,food security,and climate change,particularly in remote and harsh environments. He also authored Seed Potato Technology,looking into global seed potato production,including propagation,quality assessment,multiplication techniques,and diverse seed supply systems. In a review for Experimental Agriculture,D.K.L. MacKerron remarked,"...the authors have presented us with a very wide-ranging overview of potato production and have done an excellent job of relating the underlying science of the potato plant to the practicalities of producing seed potatoes... This book is required reading for anyone wanting a well-written and readable account of potato production –seed or ware." [14]
Struik researched crop physiology throughout his career. During the final decades,he was active in the field of modelling photosynthesis at different levels of biological organization. He analyzed complex processes of leaf-level photosynthesis,emphasizing the balance between photon-induced electron transport,Rubisco-mediated carbon fixation,and triose phosphate utilization,highlighting key physiological mechanisms in plant and crop growth. Moreover,he assessed the interdependence between micro-scale and whole-plant sink limitations by manipulating sink-source ratios in rice plants and studying gas-exchange data across different leaf treatments and nitrogen levels. [15] [16] [17]
Struik studied seed systems by analyzing their breeding and genetic diversity. He explored the perspectives of commercial plant breeders on hybrid breeding systems,highlighting their effectiveness in crop improvement but noting challenges,such as high production costs,in their commercial application. [18] His research highlighted the importance of seed degeneration for various crops,including cassava and sweet potato,underlining the potential benefits of techniques like positive selection, [19] particularly in understanding the factors influencing viral load in plants. [20] In addition,he investigated epidemics like purple top disease in Ecuador [21] and bacterial wilt in Ethiopia, [22] emphasizing the importance of coordinated responses and collective action to address such public health threats effectively,which endanger the potato crop. [23]
Alongside colleagues,Struik investigated potato seed degeneration in the Andes,finding that farmers' varieties are resistant to degeneration and on-farm practices play a key role,suggesting partial seed replacement as a viable strategy. [24] He also examined the impact of agroecological settings and seed recycling on potato seed degeneration in low-income countries,revealing heterogeneous effects across different altitudes and propagation cycles,highlighting the complexity of seed degeneration processes. [25]
Struik's work on food security and conservation focused on their global influencing factors. In a collaborative paper that was conferred the 2017 Elsevier-Atlas Award,he showed how empowering rural women through participatory barley breeding programs can improve seed governance and,consequently,household food security in dry temperate regions. [26] In another joint study,global changes in crop contributions to national food supplies were demonstrated,indicating increased reliance on a few globally distributed crops and greater interdependence among nations in food supplies and genetic resources. This paper received an International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) Original Research Publication Award in 2014. [27]
Struik contributed to a study that presented an inventory of crop wild relatives in the United States,prioritizing 821 taxa for conservation efforts and highlighting the necessity for partnerships and prompt action. [28]
Agricultural science is a broad multidisciplinary field of biology that encompasses the parts of exact,natural,economic and social sciences that are used in the practice and understanding of agriculture. Professionals of the agricultural science are called agricultural scientists or agriculturists.
The potato is a starchy root vegetable native to the Americas that is consumed as a staple food in many parts of the world. Potatoes are tubers of the plant Solanum tuberosum,a perennial in the nightshade family Solanaceae.
Wheat is a grass widely cultivated for its seed,a cereal grain that is a worldwide staple food. The many species of wheat together make up the genus Triticum;the most widely grown is common wheat. The archaeological record suggests that wheat was first cultivated in the regions of the Fertile Crescent around 9600 BC. Botanically,the wheat kernel is a caryopsis,a type of fruit.
Trofim Denisovich Lysenko was a Soviet agronomist and pseudoscientist. He was a strong proponent of Lamarckism,and rejected Mendelian genetics in favour of his own idiosyncratic,pseudoscientific ideas later termed Lysenkoism.
Yuan Longping was a Chinese agronomist and inventor. He was a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering known for developing the first hybrid rice varieties in the 1970s,part of the Green Revolution in agriculture. For his contributions,Yuan is known as the "Father of Hybrid Rice".
Genetically modified crops are plants used in agriculture,the DNA of which has been modified using genetic engineering methods. Plant genomes can be engineered by physical methods or by use of Agrobacterium for the delivery of sequences hosted in T-DNA binary vectors. In most cases,the aim is to introduce a new trait to the plant which does not occur naturally in the species. Examples in food crops include resistance to certain pests,diseases,environmental conditions,reduction of spoilage,resistance to chemical treatments,or improving the nutrient profile of the crop. Examples in non-food crops include production of pharmaceutical agents,biofuels,and other industrially useful goods,as well as for bioremediation.
Hybrid rice is a type of Asian rice that has been crossbred from two very different parent varieties. As with other types of hybrids,hybrid rice typically displays heterosis or "hybrid vigor",so when grown under the same conditions as comparable purebred rice varieties,it can produce up to 30% more yield. To produce hybrid seeds in large quantity,a purebred sterile rice variety is fertilized with fertile pollen from a different variety. High-yield crops,including hybrid rice,are one of the most important tools for combatting worldwide food crises.
Biofortification is the idea of breeding crops to increase their nutritional value. This can be done either through conventional selective breeding,or through genetic engineering. Biofortification differs from ordinary fortification because it focuses on making plant foods more nutritious as the plants are growing,rather than having nutrients added to the foods when they are being processed. This is an important improvement on ordinary fortification when it comes to providing nutrients for the rural poor,who rarely have access to commercially fortified foods. As such,biofortification is seen as an upcoming strategy for dealing with deficiencies of micronutrients in low and middle-income countries. In the case of iron,the WHO estimated that biofortification could help cure the 2 billion people suffering from iron deficiency-induced anemia.
A crop wild relative (CWR) is a wild plant closely related to a domesticated plant. It may be a wild ancestor of the domesticated (cultivated) plant or another closely related taxon.
Plant genetics is the study of genes,genetic variation,and heredity specifically in plants. It is generally considered a field of biology and botany,but intersects frequently with many other life sciences and is strongly linked with the study of information systems. Plant genetics is similar in many ways to animal genetics but differs in a few key areas.
Perennial rice are varieties of long-lived rice that are capable of regrowing season after season without reseeding;they are being developed by plant geneticists at several institutions. Although these varieties are genetically distinct and will be adapted for different climates and cropping systems,their lifespan is so different from other kinds of rice that they are collectively called perennial rice. Perennial rice—like many other perennial plants—can spread by horizontal stems below or just above the surface of the soil but they also reproduce sexually by producing flowers,pollen and seeds. As with any other grain crop,it is the seeds that are harvested and eaten by humans.
A perennial grain is a grain crop that lives and remains productive for two or more years,rather than growing for only one season before harvest,like most grains and annual crops. While many fruit,nut and forage crops are long-lived perennial plants,all major grain crops presently used in large-scale agriculture are annuals or short-lived perennials grown as annuals. Scientists from several nations have argued that perennial versions of today's grain crops could be developed and that these perennial grains could make grain agriculture more sustainable.
Plant breeding is the science of changing the traits of plants in order to produce desired characteristics. It has been used to improve the quality of nutrition in products for humans and animals. The goals of plant breeding are to produce crop varieties that boast unique and superior traits for a variety of applications. The most frequently addressed agricultural traits are those related to biotic and abiotic stress tolerance,grain or biomass yield,end-use quality characteristics such as taste or the concentrations of specific biological molecules and ease of processing.
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Bruce Bugbee is an American scientist. His work includes research into space farming with NASA and at Utah State University,where he is the Director of the Crop Physiology Laboratory.
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