A TRIBUTE TO DR S S PRIHAR: A PROFUSELY DECORATED AGRO-SCIENTIST OF INDIA
Today (22.04.2022) is 7th Death Anniversary of Dr Sohan Singh Prihar. He was an iconic soil physicist of India.
Education
Dr Prihar was born at village Karnana (District Shahid Bhagat Singh Nagar, Punjab) on 15.07.1932. After schooling at his village and Banga, he completed B.Sc. (Agri.) and M.Sc. (Soil Sci.) from Govt. Agriculture College Ludhiana in 1952 and 1961 respectively. He obtained Ph.D. degree from Ohio State University (OSU), USA in 1965.
Professional life
After graduation, Prihar had to cool his heals for a year as jobs were very scarce. His first job in 1953 was as a Research Assistant (RA) at Kota in Rajasthan. After 6 months, he relocated to Rauni Farm of PEPSU as a RA. After a short stint at Sugarcane Research Farm Jallandhar, he was transferred to Govt. Agriculture College (now Punjab Agricultural University) in 1958. He was promoted as an Assistant Soil Chemist in 1961, a position he had to resign to pursue Ph.D. studies. On return from USA, he was recruited as an Associate Professor. In an era when a Department had only one full professor, who was also Department Head, he was appointed as the third full professor in Soil Science Dept. in recognition of his outstanding achievements. He was Dept. Head from 1978 to 1980, and again from 1983 to 1987. From 1990 to 1994, he was Director, Pepsi Agro-Food Processing Research Institute. Post-retirement, he remained active in professional work.
Prihar was a Visiting Professor at Andhra Pradesh Agricultural University, International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council, and Texas A&M University.
Prihar trained and mentored more than two dozen Ph.D. and M.Sc. students. Unlike other courses which one could clear with flying colours by memorising class notes, the key requirement for the two courses taught by him was that a student had to toil really hard, read books, consult research journals, and tackle complex numericals for having a long shot at earning A grade. I recall many students, including his age-group in-service students, burning mid-night oil, and relieved on clearing the course by getting B grade. Self-evaluating, he always admitted Dr Shamsher Singh Brar (soil microbiology) was a better teacher.
Prihar made pathbreaking and commendable contributions in basic and applied areas of soil physics, water management and water-economising irrigation for crops. He pioneered deficit-irrigation scheduling technique which promoted use of water stored in lower soil layers by inducing deeper rooting. He demonstrated beneficial effects of deep chiseling on some crops by breaking sub-soil hard layers. He developed strategies for raising yields of dryland and partially irrigated crops in the submontane (Kandi) belt adjoining Himachal Pradesh. He refined science-based technology packages for soil and water conservation and rational fertilizer use.
At Pepsi, his team promoted technology packages for producing quality tomato, potato and chilli, including deep chiseling to break sub-soil hard pan to raise tomato and potato productivity. These were processed to meet global quality standards while tempting the taste buds of discerning consumers in several countries.
His modelling work has exciting implications for optimizing crop yields and resource use in different soil-climate-management scenarios.
Prihar’s team developed several simple and inexpensive methods for measuring soil physical parameters and plant growth, including a quick method of soil moisture measurement patented as Prihar flask, and a technique for measuring seedling emergence force for screening crops for better crop stand on crusty soils (ਕਰੰਡ ਹੋਣ ਵਾਲੀਆਂ ਜ਼ਮੀਨਾਂ). He was the pioneer to demonstrate that roots of wheat grow 2–3 metre deep in search of water and nutrients.
Alerting about indiscriminate mining of ground water
Around 1990, when everyone was gung-ho about Punjab agriculture going great guns and Punjab farmers being rich, Prihar was the first to raise the red flag against indiscriminate mining of ground water for rice cultivation. The landmark report “Water resources of Punjab — A critical concern for the future of its agriculture” by Prihar, Khepar and colleagues was prescient for the grim scenario, the agrarian state is staring at today. His laments that public policy should always be science-based were stonewalled by political leadership and top echelons of bureaucracy. Contrary to curtailing zero marginal cost of pumping out additional water by shifting from flat rate to metered power supply, electricity for agriculture was made free in 1997. Competitive populism went a step further, making canal water free. And the results are for everyone to see.
Awards and professional recognitions
Prihar was among the very few third world scientists (outside CGIAR centres) who were elected Fellows of the American Society of Agronomy. He was Fellow of Indian National Science Academy, National Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Indian Society of Soil Science and Punjab Academy of Sciences. Recognising his contributions in soil science, Indian Society of Soil Science made him an Honorary Member. He was early recipient of Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Memorial Prize of ICAR, the highest Indian award in agricultural sciences. He was decorated with Fertiliser Association of India Silver Jubilee Award, ICAR Team Research Award, Krishak Bharti Award, Om Parkash Bhasin Memorial Prize, National Invention Promotion Prize, and Dr N S Randhawa Gold Medal of National Academy of Agricultural Sciences for life-time achievements.
Prihar occupied eminent positions in professional scientific societies. He was Chairman and Vice-Chairman of Commission I of International Union of Soil Sciences, Vice-President of Indian Society of Soil Science, and Indian Society of Water Management. He served on several ICAR Scientific Panels, Review Committees, and Quinquennial Review Teams.
Quality education focus and commitment to India
Eldest of seven siblings, Prihar funded their education. He strongly believed quality education can transform families and societies. Not satisfied with decent Assistant Soil Chemist position, he resigned to start Ph.D. studies at OSU. After completing Ph.D. he got a job there. Using radio-tracers, he published an outstanding research paper. When the management did not raise his salary, he resigned. He phoned his colleague and friend Nirmal Tej Singh (Dr N T Singh, who was a student at University of California, Davis), to immediately send money so that he could return to India. His logic was that irrespective of how hard he worked in US, he will not be treated fairly. On the other hand, if he accomplished something in India, some people may remember him after death (ਸਸਕਾਰ ਵੇਲੇ ਚਾਰ ਆਦਮੀ ਆ ਜਾਣ). On landing at Palam airport, after touching the earth with his finger he rubbed it on his forehead “Waheguru guide me to do something for my country.” That was the character and commitment of Prihar. He always applauded his colleagues and students on their accomplishments.
Not becoming PAU Research Director
A tribute to Prihar is incomplete without reference to PAU treating him unfairly in the appointment of Director of Research in 1983. An external, high-powered selection panel, comprising five eminent scientists and administrators, unanimously selected him. In an unprecedented move, the Vice-Chancellor alone interviewed the candidates again and selected another candidate, rejecting Prihar. Simultaneously, Director of Extension Education selected by the same panel on the same day, was appointed. In this blot on the conscious of PAU, even the cult-like figure Dr M S Randhawa ICS did not cover himself with glory. Randhawa was a member of the panel which selected Prihar, and again a member of PAU Management Board which approved his rejection by the VC.
Prihar had the courage of conviction to call the spade a spade. Despite this setback, he continued to work with zeal and commitment. Perhaps he was inspired by the book “This Too Shall Pass” gifted by his daughter. Two years later, he was elected Fellow of the American Society of Agronomy.
The only time I met Dr B S Dhillon on becoming PAU VC, I suggested that the University should rectify the injustice done to Prihar by conferring on him D.Sc. (Honoris causa) degree. Obviously, he had other priorities for awarding D.Sc. degree. By the time he realized some merit in my suggestion, it was too late. Prihar had left this world.
Other misses
Impressed by Prihar’s track record, Director General, International Rice Research Institute in Philippines was keen to appoint him as a Soil Physicist in Agronomy Dept. Unfortunately, a person of much lower ability was not only the Dept. Chair, he was also prejudiced against persons of certain ethnicity. In early 1980s, Prihar was selected as Director, Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture, Hyderabad. Had he joined there, he would have certainly risen to higher echelons in the ICAR.
Other interests
Prihar was a kind, sensitive and emotional person. If he formed an opinion about an issue, it was difficult to change it. Recalling the above cited incident, Dr N T Singh told that on receiving his phone call late on a Saturday, the first thing he did next Monday was to send him the money as nothing could stop him from returning to India. He firmly contradicted the zero-tillage work by Agronomy Dept.
Prihar was a kind and sensitive person. He enjoyed Urdu poetry and music. Mirza Ghalib and Begum Akhtar were his favourites. Physically he was a sturdy person and always participated in PAU staff race. Despite being debilitated by Parkinson’s in later life, he remained mentally alert till the end. Before my relocation to Delhi, we used to enjoy our occasional drink and free-flowing discussion. Last time I visited with him in early March 2015 evening, he repeatedly offered the drink. Looking at his difficulty in walking, at the spur of the moment I did not grab the opportunity. Missing the last drink remains my regret. I could not imagine that was our last meeting. Dr N T Singh flew from USA to see him and get the last feel of Prihar’s trademark firm handshake. He died peacefully on 22.04.2015 surrounded by his family.
Prihar’s contributions are immortalized in ‘Roots Section’ of PAU’s Soil Science Museum and about 150 papers in high impact international research journals and books. Regarding his wish expressed in the phone call to N T Singh, I learned that his cremation and Antim Ardaas were attended by hundreds of admirers, colleagues, students, and friends. I was not able to travel to Ludhiana due to health challenges.
Rest In Peace Dr S S Prihar! You are remembered as an accomplished scientist, a remarkable teacher, a dependable friend, and a wonderful human being.
(Acknowledgements: Drs N T Singh, V K Arora and O P Choudhary provided the information used in this Blog. The photo is courtesy Sh. Manjit Singh.)
