Varietal timelines and leadership challenges affecting the legacy of Nikolai Ivanovich Vavilov

Abstract

AbstractIn 1941, Nikolai Vavilov was imprisoned just after his election as President of the International Congress on Genetics. How could a prominent Russian geneticist and plant explorer simultaneously earn distinction and animosity? This is directly answered by Stalin using Vavilov as a scapegoat for the failure of collective farming, declining yields, and continued famine. Not as apparent is that Vavilov's defamation was made easier because of four scientific and managerial challenges, not previously noted explicitly, which aided Stalin's accusations. These include: (a) clarifying the time required for crop improvement and new varieties, (b) authorizing continued support for germplasm investments that would benefit countries other than Russia alone, (c) lacking yield‐enhancing genes for wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), and, (d) politicizing the term of his directorship, thus detracting from its impact. Stalin exploited these challenges to demean Vavilov while advancing Trofim Lysenko, setting Russian agricultural back for 25 years. Commemorating Vavilov not only restores honor and meaning to his life but also reminds society of the central nature of agriculture, the scientific integrity required to ensure food security, and the resources required to preserve genetic diversity.