Page 48 - Punjab Times December 2021 Edition

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A SHINING GEM IN THE CROWN OF PAU

LUDHIANA: DR MILKHA SINGH AULAKH

Dr. Milkha Singh Aulakh was post graduate students as a He is a highly decorated and generating crop production production of prominent cropping
born on 15th August, 1950 at major advisor as well as a Scientist with several coveted technologies having many firsts systems, enhancing nutritive
historic village Attari (Known as committee member of the PG awards, honours and to his credit. His improved and quality of the produce, improving
village of General Sham Singh students to guide their research recognitions from reputed and reliable methodologies are used soil health, and minimizing
Attariwala) in the Amritsar District projects. He has played a pivotal prestigious organizations, all over the world to generate environmental pollution. His path-
in Indian Punjab in a farming role in designing and successfully institutions and universities sound data base and have breaking work on role of rice
family. After completing implementing the new certificate around the world. Recently he enhanced the understanding of plants in production and emission
matriculation from his village and degree courses at PAU, with was been placed in the list of complex biological processes of methane demonstrated
school, he studied at Khalsa the intention to enhance the World Ranking 2% most-cited under different cropping and promising approaches to mitigate
College, Amritsar and obtained intake of the students from the Scientists in the subject of tillage systems, and aided in the emissions of greenhouse gases
B.Sc. (Agri.) degree from the rural background from the Agronomy & Agriculture in an development of efficient crop from rice fields. Thus, he has
Guru Nanak Dev University Punjab. independent study conducted management practices while played a leading role in
Amritsar in 1972; and M.Sc. (Soil Dr. Aulakh has been honored by Stanford University of USA reducing environmental impacts. technology generation,
Sci.) from the Punjab Agricultural with various prestigious awards based on standardized citation He has made enormous research assessment, and transfer to
University (PAU) in 1974. Later and recognitions in his academic indicators such as Quality of contributions in developing and farmers and stakeholders, which
on, he did his Ph.D. from the career. He got the Canadian Research publications & their optimizing nutrient-management brought out sustainable increase
University of Saskatchewan, Commonwealth Scholarship citations by other Researchers. strategies for high nutrient- in agricultural production and
Saskatoon (Canada) in 1983. (1980-83) to obtain his Ph.D. in To name few among efficient, lower-unit cost crop productivity, thereby, reducing
He has served in the Canada. He was awarded the international awards, he won TSI- production while minimizing the cost of production and
Department of Soil Science at Fulbright Scholarship by the FAI Plant Nutrient Sulphur environmental impacts; and to increasing the income of farmers
PAU from 1974 to 2007 at the International Council for Research Award instituted by effective communication of to many folds side by side
various positions. He was Dean Exchange of Scholars (ICES), USA The Sulphur Institute, research findings to the state, conserving the natural resources,
of the College of Agriculture, to conduct research at University Washington D.C., USA (1990); national and international and mitigating climate change.
Dr. Milkha Singh Aulakh is a real
from 2008 to 2010 and also of Nebraska, Lincoln, and have IFA Norman Borlaug Award for agricultural community. He has GEM of PAU, because he
served as Additional Director of professional interaction at 10 Excellence in Crop Nutrition generated systematic scientific possesses a rich and upward
Research at PAU from 2007 to Universities of USA. Upon Research by International information on the judicious use moving career graph, replete with
2009. He worked as a VC of the invitations from the global Fertilizer Association, Paris, France of mineral fertilizers integrated excellence as Frontier of Science,
ND University of Agriculture and organizations like UN-FAO, (2001); Lifetime Alumni Honour with organic sources in cereals, drive and dynamism in various
Technology at Faizabad UNCCD, IAEA, IRRI, IUSS, USDA, Award by the University of oilseeds and pulses in cropping inter-disciplinary coordinated
(Renamed as Ajodhya) in India SCOPE, IPCC, IASS, NIAES, he Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, sequences, which have research and technology
in 2014. He was the founder VC has chaired and co-chaired the Canada (2002); first IMPHOS-FAI important implications for developments in three
of the Banda University of scientific sessions and delivered Award instituted by World improving the fertilizer-use Continents besides providing
Agriculture and Technology at more than 130 lectures in about Phosphate Institute, Morocco efficiency, soil fertility, crop leadership in shaping up of
Banda (Uttar Pradesh) in India 30 different countries in Asia, (2002); Pierre Becker Memorial productivity in terms of both yield National and International level
from 2011 to 2015. Africa, Australia, Europe and Award by Fertilizer International and quality, and environmental education and research of
Dr. Milkha Singh Aulakh has North America. Dr. Milkha Singh and British Sulphur Publishing, benefits by reduced Institutes, Universities and
served at many prestigious Aulakh has also worked as the London, UK (2005); and first IPNI groundwater nitrate Organizations. He made huge
positions at the national and Chief Scientific investigator in Science Award by International contamination and emissions of innovative contributions in field
international level and is a well- many research projects funded Plant Nutrition Institute, greenhouse gases causing global of agricultural education,
known personality among the by USDA, FAO, IPI, UNDP, IRRI, Norcross, Georgia, USA (2007). warming. He has provided a research, administration, and his
agricultural scientists in the world FAI, IFA and ICAR. Dr. Aulakh has He was honoured by Chief comprehensive package of ability to lead the problem-solving
due to his work as a soil scientist published more than 360 Minister of Punjab with Punjab information on balanced nutrition approach at the national and
for the crop nutrition and the publications in international and Sarkar Parman Patar (The State of field crops, better international level. His suggestion
environmental safety and national scientific journals, Award of Punjab) for his understanding of how to manage is that, PAU should start a
improvement. research & technical bulletins, outstanding research and social soil nutrients in order to achieve training center, so that our own
He has served at the various book chapters, scientific reviews, contributions in 2008. Dr. Aulakh economically the most viable students can pass the National
capacities in the scientific conference proceedings, also got notable recognitions yields with the high quality while Eligibility Test in larger numbers,
societies and the editorial boards technology-transfer, educational through Appreciation Certificates minimizing environmental so that they could enter ICAR,
of international journals of his and public-awareness papers to by Punjab State Council of pollution in Conservation and the university jobs in India
eventually developing techno-
specialization. He has traveled his credit. A great impact of his Science and Technology, and by Agriculture. To him, equally logies to guide farmers to serve
very widely to 30 countries research work can be judged Punjab Agricultural University. important has been the the humanity. His advice to the
located in five continents to gain from more than 6000 Prof. Aulakh, an outstanding knowledge transfer of agricultural graduates in general
more than 40 years of extensive international citations. He Soil Scientist, has been on the outstanding research findings to and specifically of PAU, to work
experience in education, received many rewarding offers Frontier of Science for developing farmers. He conducted extensive hard with dedication, passion and
administration, research and to serve outside the India, but methodologies, diagnostic tools fundamental, and on-station and honesty to be successful in life.
management of natural he preferred to serve his own & techniques, establishing critical farmer-field studies for harnessing Dr. Gurmail Singh Sangha
resources. He has guided many motherland. limits of essential plant nutrients, economically-viable sustainable (sanghagurmail@gmail.com)