Dr G.S. Cheema

Dr G.S. Cheema
D.Sc., C.I.E., I.A.S. (Retd.) was born on August 2 , 1894 in Sahowala, District Sialkot, which is now in Pakistan. He took his early education at Sialkot, and Lahore. He graduated in 1915, standing First in Botany Honours. In 1917, he got his M.Sc. and was awarded the Alfred Patiala Research Scholarship. In 1920, the Government of Punjab granted him land for starting a Fruit Farm at Montgomery with the condition to go to the U.S.A. for higher training in horticulture. He completed his training in 1921 in the U.K. and U.S.A. and was selected to the post of Horticulturist to the Government of Bombay as the I.A.S. He did original research work on the “Improvement of Plants by Selection”. He was also awarded the Empire Marketing Board Scholarship, during which period he prepared a cold storage scheme. His work on marketing of fruits and vegetables and storage problems still provides a valuable reference. In 1930, he was deputed to visit Italy and Turkey to study the fig and lemon industries.

Dr G.S. Cheema worked on several prestigious positions as Horticulturist to the Government of Bombay, Principal of the College of Agriculture, Poona, Director of Agriculture, Bombay State and Fruit Development Adviser to the Government of India. During his 27 years of service, he developed a large number of improved varieties of fruits such as grape, guava and pomegranate. These varieties have recently been named after this horticultural wizard in a function held by the State Agricultural University in Poona. While, he was honoured with a plaque and a shawl, the selections were named as Cheema Sahebi (Sel. 7) grape, Lucknow-49 (Sardar) guava and Ganesh (G.B.G. 21) pomegranate, respectively. These varieties are high yielding and some are still popular till date.

He organized and successfully conducted the Army Vegetable Scheme during World War II. In recognition of his distinguished service to agriculture, he was awarded the C.I.E. (Companion of the Indian Empire). In 1949 he worked as a Chairman of the Agricultural Expert Committee appointed by the Government of Madras.

He is also the senior author of the book “Commercial Fruits of India”, published by MacMillan & Co. He retired in 1949. After retirement he settled at Poona and continued his work on improvement of flowering plants by selection. He evolved ‘Chimera gerbera’ and some novel inflorescence variants of the Temple Tree (Plumeria acutifolia).

Dr Cheema was the Founder President of the Horticultural Society of India (1942-44, 1949). He breathed his last at Poona on January 2, 1972.