
Part One: The Russian Scientist Who Helped Kill 30 Million People
Behind the Bastards
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So, What's So Special About Winter Wheat?
In 1925, newly minted scientist Trophim Lachenko wound up in a jir by trying to breed cold resistant peas. He believed his special winter peas would turn the Caucasus Mountains green in the winter and feed the Soviet people through the coldest months of the year. They also claimed that he had created a new kind of winter wheat using a process called vernalization.
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