National Academy of Agricultural Sciences

Prof. Rattan Lal
FOREIGN FELLOW, ELECTED 1998

Born in Karyal, West Punjab, India on 5 September 1944. Educated at Government High School, Rajaund, Haryana 1954-59; Governmental Agricultural College and Research Institute, 1959-61, and Punjab Agricultural University, 1962-63; Indian Agricultural Research Institute, 1963-65; The Ohio State University, Columbus, USA, 1965-68; B.Sc. 1963; M.Sc. 1965; Ph.D. 1968.

Distinguished University Professor, The Ohio State University 2011 to date; Director, Carbon Management and Sequestration Center, FAES/OARDC, The Ohio State University 2001 to date.

Senior Research Fellow,University of Sydney, Australia1968-69; Soil Scientist, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Ibadan, Nigeria, 1969-87; Professor of Soil Science, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA 1987-2010.

Awards/Honours: Soil Science Society of America (SSSA) International Soil Science Award, 1988; SSSA Soil Science Applied Res. Award, 1992; The Ohio State University(OSU) Distinguished Scholar Award, 1994; American Society of Agronomy(ASA) International Agronomy Award, 1995; Soil Water Conservation Society (SWCS) Hugh Hammond Bennett Award, 1998; OSU Distinguished University Lecturer, 2001; D.Sc. (h.c.), PAU, Ludhiana,2001, Norwegian Univ. of Life Sciences, 2005, Alecu Russo Balti State University, Moldova, 2010; Dresden Technical University, Germany, 2015; University of Lleida, Lleida, Spain, 2017; Gustavus Adolphus College, St. Peter, Minnestoa, USA, 2018; PUCV, Valparaiso, Chile, 2019; SSSA Soil Science Res. Award, 2002; ASA Env. Quality Res. Award, 2004; ASA Carl Sprengel Agronomic Research Award, 2005; Borlaug Award, 2005;International Union of Soil Science (IUSS) Liebig Applied Soil Science Award, 2006; Swaminathan Award 2009; COMLAND Award of Int. Geographic Union 2009, OSU Distinguished University Professor Award, 2011; OSU Professional Achievement Award of the Ohio State Alumni Association 2012 and Medalist Award 2019; Gamma Sigma Delta International Award, 2012. President, International Soil Tillage Research Organization 1988-91,World Association of Soil and Water Conservation 1987-90, Soil Science Society of America, 2006-2007. International Union of Soil Science 2017-2018. Thompson Reutors Most Infulential Scientific Minds, 2014,and Most Cited Researcher, 2014 to 2019; Sustained Achievement Award, Renewable Natural Resources Foundation, Washington, D.C., 2017; Medal of Honor, UIMP, Santander, Spain, 2018; Distinguised Service Medal, IUSS, 2018.

Fellow: ASA, 1985; SSSA, 1986; Third World Academy of Science, 1992; Am. Association Adv. Sci., 1996; SWCS, 1997.

Research Areas: Adapation/Mitigation of climate change, soil carbon sequestration, climate-smart agriculture, sustainable management of soils, global food security, soil quality, soil health, soil-water management, erosion control, soil structure.

Address: Director, Carbon Management and Sequestration Centre, FAES/OARDC, 2021 Coffey Road, 210 Kottman Hall,The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210-1-85, USA; [Tel: Off. 614-292-9069; Res. 614-442-6963; Fax: 614-292-7432; Email: lal.1@osu.edu]