Davidcza at 17:31, 7 November 2025

2025-11-07T17:31:39Z

New page

{{Short description|Indian horticultural scientist (1936–2025)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Use Indian English|date=May 2018}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Krishna Lal Chadha
| image =
| caption =
| birth_date = {{birth date|1936|9|15|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Bhopalwala]], [[Sialkot District]], [[Punjab Province (British India)|Punjab Province]], [[British India]]
| death_date = {{death date and age|2025|3|23|1936|9|15|df=y}}
| death_place = [[New Delhi]], India
| occupation = Horticultural scientist
| spouse =
| children =
| parents =
| awards = [[Padma Shri]] [[Borlaug Award]] Om Prakash Bhasin Award Dr. H. M. Marigowda Award S. K. Mitra Memorial Award S. S. Ranade Memorial Life Time Achievement Award HSI-Shivashakthi Life Time Achievement Award AIKGA Millennium Achievement Award Dr. B. P. Pal Memorial Award [[National Academy of Agricultural Sciences|NAAS]] Leadership Award
| website = {{URL||Official web site}}
| imagesize =
| restingplace =
| restingplacecoordinates =
| othername =
| yearsactive = 1963–20??
| domesticpartner =
}}

'''Krishna Lal Chadha''' (15 November 1936 – 23 March 2025) was an Indian horticultural scientist, author and a National Professor of the [[Indian Council of Agricultural Research]].<ref name="ICAR">{{cite web | url=http://www.icar.org.in/en/node/4255 | title=ICAR | publisher=ICAR | date=2014 | access-date=10 December 2014}}</ref> He was honoured by the [[Government of India]], in 2012, with the fourth highest Indian civilian award of [[Padma Shri]].<ref name="Padma Shri">{{cite web|url=http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf |title=Padma Shri |publisher=Padma Shri |date=2014 |access-date=11 November 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151015193758/http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf |archive-date=15 October 2015 }}</ref>

==Life and career==
Krishna Lal Chadha was born to a [[Punjabi people|Punjabi]] [[Khatri]] family on 15 November 1936 in Bhopalwala, [[Sialkot District|Sialkot]], in [[British India]], presently in Pakistan.<ref name="NAAS profile">{{cite web | url=http://naasindia.org/fdetail.html#C001 | title=NAAS profile | publisher=NAAS | date=2014 | access-date=10 December 2014}}</ref><ref name="HSI">{{cite web | url=http://www.hsi1942.in/ | title=HSI | publisher=HSI | date=2014 | access-date=10 December 2014}}</ref> His schooling was at the Government High School, Jalandhar from 1948 to 1951 after which he joined [[Panjab University, Chandigarh]] from where he secured a BSc (Agriculture) in 1955 and an MSc (Horticulture) in 1960.<ref name="HSI" /> Thereafter, he joined the [[Indian Agricultural Research Institute]], New Delhi for higher research and obtained a PhD in 1964.<ref name="NAAS profile" /><ref name="IARI">{{cite web | url=http://www.iari.res.in/alumni/admin/alumnimaster.php?operation=view&pk0=1308722928&pk1=&pk2=KRISHAN+LAL&pk3=CHADHA&pk4=1+January+&pk5=INDIAN&pk6=MALE&pk7=HOUSE+NO.+7281%2C+SECTOR+-+B%2C+POCKET-+X+VASANT+KUNJ%2C&pk8=DISTT+-+NEW+DELHI&pk9=DELHI&pk10=110070&pk11=INDIA&pk12=0&pk13= | title=IARI | publisher=IARI | date=2014 | access-date=10 December 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141210204245/http://www.iari.res.in/alumni/admin/alumnimaster.php?operation=view&pk0=1308722928&pk1=&pk2=KRISHAN+LAL&pk3=CHADHA&pk4=1+January+&pk5=INDIAN&pk6=MALE&pk7=HOUSE+NO.+7281,+SECTOR+-+B,+POCKET-+X+VASANT+KUNJ,&pk8=DISTT+-+NEW+DELHI&pk9=DELHI&pk10=110070&pk11=INDIA&pk12=0&pk13= | archive-date=10 December 2014 | url-status=dead }}</ref>

Chadha started his career as an Assistant Horticulturist at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute in 1963 and worked only for a year to move to [[Punjab Agricultural University]], Ludhiana as a Fruit Specialist in 1964.<ref name="HSI" /> After working there for five years, he joined the [[Indian Institute of Horticultural Research]] (IIHR), Bengaluru in 1969 as Senior Horticulturist. In 1972, he moved to the Central Mango Research Station, Lucknow as the Project Coordinator (Fruits) and, later, got promoted as the Head of the Centre.<ref name="HSI" /> The next move was back to IIHR, Bengaluru as the Director of the institute in 1980 for a stint till 1986 when he was called to the government cadre as the Horticultural Commissioner, [[Government of India]]<ref name="Aspee Foundation" /> and later, as the Executive Director of the National Horticultural Board.<ref name="NHB">{{cite web | url=http://nhb.gov.in/ | title=NHB | publisher=NHB | date=2014 | access-date=10 December 2014}}</ref> In 1987, he was promoted as the Deputy Director General of the [[Indian Council of Agricultural Research]] from where he retired in 1996.<ref name="NAAS profile" /> In 1997, he was selected as the [[Indian Council of Agricultural Research|ICAR]] National Professor,<ref name="Aspee Foundation">{{cite web | url=http://aspeefoundation.org/awardees.asp | title=Aspee Foundation | publisher=Aspee Foundation | date=2011 | access-date=10 December 2014}}</ref> a post he held till 2001 and was an adjunct professor of the Indian Agricultural Research Institute ever afterwards.<ref name="NAAS profile" />

Krishna Lal Chadha held the chairs of the Indian Society of Agribusiness Professionals (ISAP), the International Mango Working Group and the Indian Agribusiness Systems (Agriwatch), New Delhi during 2007–08.<ref name="HSI" /> He was a president of various national-level agricultural societies such as the Indian Society of Agriculture Sciences, the [[Bougainvillea]] Society of India, the [[Orchidaceae|Orchid]] Society of India and the [[Mushroom]] Society of India. He was also the vice-president of the Indian Society of Vegetable Sciences and the [[Rose]] Society of India. He was the chief patron of the Association for Improvement in Production and Utilization of Banana and All India Kitchen Garden Association<ref name="HSI" /> and served the Board of Trustees of the [[International Potato Center]] (CIP), Lima, Peru, seven years as a member and three years as its vice-chairman.<ref name="NAAS profile" /><ref name="HSI" /> He also worked as the secretary of the sub-group on [[Viticulture]] for Southeast Asia and the vice-chairman of the Commission on Tropical and Sub-Tropical Horticulture.<ref name="HSI" /> He was a consultant to several international agencies such as [[Food and Agriculture Organization]] for the fruit production in eight countries of Asia, Genetic Resources in Thailand, [[USAID]] on mango production to Horticultural Export Improvement Association (HEIA), Cairo, Egypt, [[Bioversity International]] (former IPGRI) on [[genetic resources]] in citrus, mango and sub-tropical fruits and the [[World Bank]] on nursery production of horticulture and Forestry species.<ref name="HSI" /> He was the incumbent president of the Horticultural Society of India.<ref name="ACTA" /><ref name="Indian Journal of Horticulture">{{cite journal | url=http://anft.indianjournals.com/ijor.aspx?target=ijor:ijh&volume=69&issue=1&article=news | title=Hort News | author=IJH | journal=Indian Journal of Horticulture | year=2012 | volume=69 | issue=1 | pages=III | issn=0972-8538 | access-date=10 December 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305010227/http://anft.indianjournals.com/ijor.aspx?target=ijor:ijh&volume=69&issue=1&article=news | archive-date=5 March 2016 | url-status=dead}} </ref>

Chadha was a Fellow of the ''International Society for Horticultural Science,''<ref name="ISHS">{{cite web | url=http://www.ishs.org/ishs-awards | title=ISHS | publisher=ISHS | date=2014 | access-date=10 December 2014}}</ref> a US based forum of the scientific and technical professionals in the field of horticulture<ref name="ISHS about">{{cite web | url=http://www.ishs.org/ishs-world-wide-horticultural-network | title=ISHS about | publisher=ISHS | date=2014 | access-date=10 December 2014}}</ref> and was a member of several workgroups within the organization.<ref name="ACTA">{{cite web | url=http://www.actahort.org/members/membershiplist?keuzescw=sc&lidnummerzoek=13087&action=detail&testnumber=Zb268&magdetailzien=1 | title=ACTA | publisher=ACTA | date=2014 | access-date=10 December 2014}}</ref> He also held fellowships of the [[National Academy of Agricultural Sciences]],<ref name="NAAS profile" /><ref name="NAAS Fellow">{{cite web | url=http://naasindia.org/fellowships.html | title=NAAS Fellow | publisher=NAAS Fellow | date=2014 | access-date=10 December 2014 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150127230718/http://naasindia.org/fellowships.html | archive-date=27 January 2015 }}</ref> the Horticultural Society of India<ref name="HSI" /> and the Indian Society of Vegetable Science.<ref name="ISVS">{{cite web | url=http://www.isvs.org.in/Awards.aspx# | title=ISVS | publisher=ISVS | date=2014 | access-date=10 December 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141210210754/http://www.isvs.org.in/Awards.aspx | archive-date=10 December 2014 | url-status=dead }}</ref> He was the chairman of such government and professional agencies as [[National Planning Commission of India]] working group for Horticulture Development in India, National Committee for oilpalm cultivation, Registration Committee for Pesticides, High Power Committee on Restructuring of Department of Agriculture, High Power Committee for Horticulture in the states of West Bengal, Haryana and Gujarat.<ref name="HSI" /> He was also a member of the National Steering Committee for Organic Products, Planning Commission Committee for Mid-term Review of the eleventh [[Five Year Plan (India)|Five Year Plan]] and two Task Forces for the [[Government of Kerala]] and [[Government of Rajasthan]].<ref name="HSI" />

Krishna Lal Chadha lived in New Delhi, where the Horticultural Society of India had its headquarters.<ref name="NAAS profile" /> He died on 23 March 2025, at the age of 88.<ref>[https://www.theweek.in/wire-updates/business/2025/03/23/des34-krishna-lal-chadha-death.html Eminent horticulture scientist Krishna Lal Chadha dies after brief illness] </ref>

==Legacy==
Chadha was credited with 30 books on the topics of agriculture and horticulture,<ref name="List of Books"> {{cite web | url=http://www.dkagencies.com/doc/from/1023/to/21330/Author/Chadha,%20K.%20L.%20(Krishan%20Lal),%201935-/Books-By-Indian-Author.html | title=List of Books | publisher=DK Agencies | date=2014 | access-date=10 December 2014}}</ref> which include ''Advances in Horticulture'',<ref name="Advances in Horticulture">{{cite web | url=https://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&page=1&rh=n%3A283155%2Cp_27%3AK.L.%20Chadha | title=Advances in Horticulture | publisher=Amazon | date=2014 | access-date=10 December 2014}}</ref> a 13-volume publication covering 9410 pages.<ref name="HSI" /> He also brought out a ''Handbook of Horticulture''.<ref name="Handbook of Horticulture">{{cite book | url=http://www.dkagencies.com/doc/from/1063/to/1123/bkId/DKD56162763217313736929249628238231371/details.html | title=Handbook of Horticulture | publisher=DK Agencies | author=K L Chadha | year=2011 | pages=1031 | isbn=978-8171640065}}</ref> Some of the other notable books are ''Biotechnology of Horticulture and Plantation Crops'',<ref name="Biotechnology of Horticulture and Plantation Crops">{{cite book | url=http://www.abebooks.com/Biotechnology-Horticultural-Plantation-Crops-Chadha-Ravindran/209676207/bd | title=Biotechnology of Horticulture and Plantation Crops | publisher=Malhotra Publications | author=K L Chadha and P N Ravindran | year=2003 | isbn=9788185048420}}</ref> ''Agriculture and Environment'',<ref name="Agriculture and Environment">{{cite book | title=Agriculture and Environment | publisher=Malhotra Publishing House | author=K. L. Chadha, M. S. Swaminathan | year=2006 | pages=920 | isbn=978-8185048444}}</ref> ''The Grape : Improvement, Production and Post-Harvest Management''<ref name="The Grape : Improvement, Production and Post-Harvest Management">{{cite book | url=http://indianwine.com/cs/forums/t/268.aspx | title=The Grape : Improvement, Production and Post-Harvest Management | publisher=Malhotra Publishing House | author=K. L. Chadha and S.D. Shikhamany | year=1999 | isbn=81-85048-40-1 | access-date=10 December 2014 | archive-date=5 March 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305025909/http://indianwine.com/cs/forums/t/268.aspx | url-status=dead }}</ref> and ''The Apple : Improvement, Production and Post Harvest Management''.<ref name="The Apple : Improvement, Production and Post Harvest Management">{{cite book | title=The Apple : Improvement, Production and Post Harvest Management | publisher=Malhotra Publishing House | author=K. L. Chadha, R. P. Awasthi | year=2005 | isbn=978-8185048437}}</ref> Many books on horticulture and agriculture have cited Chadha in their works.<ref name="Citations">{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ns4vQyf-zI0C&q=Krishna+Lal+Chadha+horticulture&pg=PA241 | title=Handbook of Vegetable Science and Technology | publisher=CRC Press | author=S. S. Kadam, D. K. Salunkhe | year=1998 | pages=742 | isbn=9780824701055}}</ref><ref name="Fruit Crops">{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EpUOGrafCNgC&q=%22The+Grape%22+Chadha&pg=PA396 | title=Fruit Crops | publisher=New India Publishing | author=T. Radha, Lila Mathew | year=2007 | pages=440 | isbn=9788189422462}} </ref>

==Awards and recognitions==
Krishna Lal Chadha was conferred the doctoral degree of DSc (Honoris Causa) by the [[Chandra Shekhar Azad University of Agriculture and Technology]] in 1995. Two other universities, [[Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology]] and Rajendra Prasad Agricultural University followed suit in 2008 and 2009 respectively.<ref name="NAAS profile" /><ref name="HSI" /> He received the [[Borlaug Award]] in 1984, the Om Prakash Bhasin Award in 1992, the Dr. H. M. Marigowda Award in 1996, the S. K. Mitra Award in 1998 and the S. S. Ranade Memorial Award in 1999.<ref name="NAAS profile" /><ref name="HSI" /> He was also a recipient of honours such as the All-India Kitchen Garden Association Millennium Achievement Award (2001), [[National Academy of Agricultural Sciences|NAAS]] Dr. B. P. Pal Memorial Award (2004), HSI-Shivashakthi Life-Time Achievement Award (2007) and the National Agriculture Leadership Award (2008).<ref name="NAAS profile" /><ref name="HSI" /> In 2012, the [[Government of India]] included Chadha in the [[Indian honours system|Republic Day honours]] list for the award of [[Padma Shri]].<ref name="Padma Shri" /><ref name="NAAS profile" />

==See also==
{{Div col|colwidth=30em}}
* [[National Academy of Agricultural Sciences]]
* [[Indian Council of Agricultural Research]]
* [[Indian Agricultural Research Institute]]
* [[International Potato Center]]
{{div col end}}
{{portal|India}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
{{Div col|colwidth=30em}}
* {{cite book | url=http://www.dkagencies.com/doc/from/1063/to/1123/bkId/DKD56162763217313736929249628238231371/details.html | title=Handbook of Horticulture | publisher=DK Agencies | author=K L Chadha | year=2011 | pages=1031 | isbn=978-8171640065}}
* {{cite book | url=http://www.abebooks.com/Biotechnology-Horticultural-Plantation-Crops-Chadha-Ravindran/209676207/bd | title=Biotechnology of Horticulture and Plantation Crops | publisher=Malhotra Publications | author=K L Chadha and P N Ravindran | year=2003 | isbn=9788185048420}}
* {{cite book | title=Agriculture and Environment | publisher=Malhotra Publishing House | author=K. L. Chadha, M. S. Swaminathan | year=2006 | pages=920 | isbn=978-8185048444}}
* {{cite book | url=http://indianwine.com/cs/forums/t/268.aspx | title=The Grape : Improvement, Production and Post-Harvest Management | publisher=Malhotra Publishing House | author=K. L. Chadha and S.D. Shikhamany | year=1999 | isbn=81-85048-40-1 | access-date=10 December 2014 | archive-date=5 March 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305025909/http://indianwine.com/cs/forums/t/268.aspx | url-status=dead }}
* {{cite book | title=The Apple : Improvement, Production and Post Harvest Management | publisher=Malhotra Publishing House | author=K. L. Chadha, R. P. Awasthi | year=2005 | isbn=978-8185048437}}
* {{cite book | title=Advances in Horticulture: v. 1: History Genetic Resources Crop Improvement | publisher=Malhotra Publishing House | author=K. L. Chadha, O. P. Pareek | year=2007 | pages=567 | isbn=978-8185048192}}
* {{cite book | title=Advances in Horticulture: v. 2: Propagation and Rootstocks | publisher=Malhotra Publishing House | author=K. L. Chadha, O. P. Pareek | year=2007 | pages=586 | isbn=978-8185048192}}
* {{cite book | title=Advances in Horticulture: v. 3: Psychological Aspects, Disease Management, and Pest Management | publisher=Malhotra Publishing House | author=K. L. Chadha, O. P. Pareek | year=2007 | pages=505 | isbn= 978-8185048215}}
* {{cite book | title=Advances in Horticulture: v. 4: Pre and Post Harvest Management | publisher=Malhotra Publishing House | author=K. L. Chadha, O. P. Pareek | year=2007 | pages=514 | isbn=978-8185048222}}
* {{cite book | title=Advances in Horticulture: v. 5: Genetic Resources, Crop Improvement and Crop Production | publisher=Malhotra Publishing House | author=K. L. Chadha, G. Kalloo | year=2007 | pages=652 | isbn=978-8185048239}}
* {{cite book | title=Advances in Horticulture: v. 6: Disease Management, Seed Production | publisher=Malhotra Publishing House | author=K. L. Chadha, G. Kalloo | year=2007 | pages=580 | isbn=978-8185048246}}
* {{cite book | title=Advances in Horticulture: v. 7: Potato | publisher=Malhotra Publishing House | author=K. L. Chadha, J. S. Grewal | year=2007 | pages=827 | isbn=978-8185048253}}
* {{cite book | title=Advances in Horticulture: v. 8: Tuber Crops | publisher=Malhotra Publishing House | author=K. L. Chadha, G. G. Nayar | year=2007 | pages=746 | isbn=978-8185048260}}
* {{cite book | title=Advances in Horticulture: v. 9: Plantation and Spice Crops | publisher=Malhotra Publishing House | author=K. L. Chadha, P. Rethinam | year=2007 | pages=703 | isbn= 978-8185048277}}
* {{cite book | title=Advances in Horticulture: v. 10: Plantation and Spice Crops | publisher=Malhotra Publishing House | author=K. L. Chadha, P. Rethinam | year=2007 | pages=669 | isbn= 978-8185048284}}
* {{cite book | title=Advances in Horticulture: v. 11: Medicinal and Aromatic Plants | publisher=Malhotra Publishing House | author=K. L. Chadha, Rajendra Gupta | year=2007 | isbn=978-8185048291}}
* {{cite book | title=Advances in Horticulture: v. 13: Mushroom | publisher=Malhotra Publishing House | author=K. L. Chadha, S. R. Sharma | year=2007 | pages=680 | isbn=978-8185048314}}
{{div col end}}

==External links==
* {{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OV4F4sUV7xE | title=Civil Investiture Ceremony - Padma Shri | publisher=YouTube | work=Video | date=4 April 2012 | access-date=1 December 2014}}

{{2000s Padma Shri Award Recipients in Science & Engineering}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chadha, Krishna Lal}}
[[Category:1936 births]]
[[Category:2025 deaths]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Shri in science & engineering]]
[[Category:People from Sialkot District]]
[[Category:Indian horticulturists]]
[[Category:Om Prakash Bhasin Award recipients]]

Krishna Lal Chadha - Revision history

Davidcza at 17:31, 7 November 2025