Foreword, Preface 1) Origin and Advance of Traditional Agriculture, First Farming Villages, Hypotheses on Origin, Genetically Gifted Individuals, Selection Pressures on Domesticated Plants, Adaptive Radiation and the Golden Age of Landraces, Hybridisation and Heredity, Early Concepts of Crop Nutrition : The Age of Organic Manures Saving Crops from Diseases and Pests Ancient and Traditional Irrigation Practices Traditional Farm Implements, Scientific Discoveries Paved the Way for Modern Agriculture 2) Mendel's Discoveries and Scientific Plant Breeding, Segregation of genes, Independent Assortment of Genes, Significance of Mendel's Discoveries for Plant Breeding, Multiple Alleles, Phenotype and Genotype, Role of the Environment, genes for Quantitative Traits 3) The Advent of Inorganic Fertilisers, Liebig and the Advent of Inorganic Fertilisers, Soil Fertility and Cropping Systems, The Rothamsted Experiments, Development of Fertiliser Industry, Micronutrients 4) Pest and Disease Management, Advent of Pesticides, Organic Pesticides, Scientists in Organic Pesticide Research, Chemicalisation of Agriculture and the Environment, The Balance Sheet, Integrated Pest Management (IPM) 5) Modern Systems of Irrigation, On-farm Management, Modern Methods, Irrigation Works, Growing Role of Irrigation Pumps in, Developing Countries 6) New Farm Machines, The Advent of Tractor, The Combine Harvester, Tractor in Developing Countries 7) Transition To Modern Agriculture, Traditional vs. Modern Agriculture, Early Impact of Modern Agriculture, Hybrid Maize, Sugarcane, The Scientific Breakthrough in Improvement of Sugarcane, New Methods, Crosses at Java and Barbados, Coimbatore Contributions, Potato, Improvement of Potato, Transformation into a Temperate Crop, Introgression of Genes from Wild Species, Re-tropicalisation and Extension of Potato to Developing Countries, The Developing Countries Turnaround for the Modernisation Process 8) A Breakthrough In Wheat Yields, The Green Revolution Technology, Tenetic Improvement of Wheat, Wheat Research in India, The Yield Barrier, The Fertiliser Response, Scientists Identify a New Research Priority, The European Experience, The Advent of Semidwarf Spring Wheats, Evolution of Norin 10, Norin 10 Moves to the Americas, Evolution of Gaines, The Mexican Wheat Improvement Programme, Norman E. Borlaug's Semidewarf Spring Wheats, India's First Brush with the Semidwarf Wheat Vareities, Review by Senior Wheat Scientists, Borlaug's India Visit, Wider Testing, Evaluation and Release, Government's New Policy, Reorganisation of Agricultural Research, National Demonstrations of Semidwarf Wheat Varieties, Bulk Import of Seeds From Mexico, Team of scientists Visits Mexico, Pricing Policy, Indian Wheat Scientists Takeover, The All-India Coordinated Wheat Improvement Project, The Coordinators, Borlaug's Advance Generation Breeding Material, A New Generation of Wheat Varieties, Wheat Breeders in the Coordinated Project, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, State Agricultural Universities, released Varieties in Summary, Genetic Gains, Seed Multiplication Programme, Multilines and Diversification, Homeostasis and Broad Adaptation, Norin 10 Genes and Their Yield Advantage, Wide Adaptation of Mexican Semidewarfs, Genetic Analysis of Dwarfing genes, Molecular Expression of Dwarfing Genes, The Multi-disciplinary Approach, Agronomic Management of the Semidwarf Wheat Varieties, Management of Diseases, Epidemiology of the rust Fungi, Race Nomenclature and Maintenance, Identification of Durable Resistance, Mapping the Migration of Fungal Spores, From Shortage to Surplus, Beyond India, Genes of Green Revolution, Plan-type Genes and Reverse Evolution, Akakomughi, A Forgotton Dwarf Landrace of Japanese Origin, CIMMYT's Continuing Contributions, A Retructured Wheat Genome, IB/IR Translocation, A Global Center 9) The Rice Revolution, Origin and Evolution of Rice, Genetic Improvement of Rice in India, Pureline Selections, The FAO report, The Indica-Japonica Hybridisation Project, A Breakthrough in Taiwan : The First High-yielding Indica Varieties, A wheat-Rice Parallel, International Rice Research Institute, A New Paradigm of Donor Assistance, IRRI scientists Move with their research Agenda, The Genesis of IR 8, Power of Classical Plant-breeding, First International Testing of IRRI Varieties, IRRI Becomes the Bridge, First introduction of Taichung Native 1 in India, India Missed an Earlier Opportunity, Intensification of Rice Research in India, The all-India Co-ordinated Rice Improvement Project, The New Plant-type Triggers a Massive Hybridisation Programme, Traditional Types to the Rescue, Jaya and Padma-The First Indian High-yielding Rice Varieties, Contributions of Different Research Institutions, Central Rice Research Institute, Cuttack, Rice Research Directorate, Hyderabad, Contributions of IARI Scientists, Central Soil Salinity Research Institute, State Agricultural Universities, Leadership in Punjab, Fertiliser Response, Managing Diseases and Insect Pests, Impact on Production and Productivity, IRRI Comes out with a New Generation of Disease and Pest Resistant Varieties, Evolution of IR 36, Significance of Landraces and Traditional Varieties, Genetics of Dwarfing in Rice 10) High-Yielding Varieties Across Countries and Continents : The Impact, Spread of High-yielding Wheat Varieties, High-yielding Varieties from National Institutions, The China Story, Economics Impact of High-yielding Wheat Varieties, Impact on Wheat Production in Mexico and Pakistan, The Australian Experience, Impact in Europe and American, The Impact of Semidwarf, High-Yielding Varieties of Rice, The Genetic Content of Varieties, Economics and Social Impact of the Green Revolution Technology of Rice, The Time was Right 11) Agriculture of The Future: New Directions, Determinants of Modern Agricultural Technology, Search for New Solutions, Resources of Agriculture, Energy Investments in and Returns from, Agriculture Economics of Farm Energy, Improved Photosynthetic Efficiency, Biological Nitrogen Fixation, Conservation Agriculture, Fertiliser Nitrogen Management, Precision Farming, Improved Water Management, Organic Farming, Modern Biotechnology, Author Index, Subject Index.

Dr. Hari Krishan Jain, born on 28 May 1930[6] in a Jain family in Gurgaon, in the Indian state of Haryana to Chameli Devi and Nemi Chand Jain, graduated in Botany (BSc hons) from the University of Delhi in 1949 after which he secured an associate-ship from the Indian Agriculture Research Institute (IARI) in 1951.[7] Subsequently, he pursued his doctoral studies at the Aberystwyth campus of the University College of Wales, on a Science Research Scholarship of the Royal Commission, London to secure his PhD and returned to India to start his career as a cytologist at IARI in 1956. He stayed at IARI till his superannuation from service as its Director in 1983 during which time he served as the Head of Genetics Division from 1966 to 1978. In 1984, he became associated with the International Service for National Agricultural Research of the Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) where he served as the deputy director general. Later, he continued his academic life at the Rajasthan College of Agriculture of Maharana Pratap University of Agriculture and Technology, Udaipur till he was appointed as the chancellor of the Central Agricultural University, Imphal. Jain is married to Kusum Lata and the couple has two children, Neera and Reena.