OBITUARY

Abstract

founder of the genetic resources movement, Sir Otto Frankel coined the phrase "genetic resources· with Erna
Bennett and described genetic material of plants, animals, other organisms which is so crucial now-a-days. He
couldn't celebrate his birth centenary. T/'Ie cruel destiny snatched him on 21st November 1998 at the age of 98 years,
while he was in Australia. In 1965, a panel of experts on crop germplasm exploration was set up with Sir Otto
Frankel as chair. FAO Technical conference on plant genetic resources took place in 1967, 1973 and 1981 wherein
Sir Otto Frankel, Erna Bennett, R.O. Whyte, Jack R Harlan, T.T. Chang, Jack G. Hawkes played an important role.
In 1972, Sir Otto Frankel's address to first United Nations Conference on Human Environment in Stockholm alarmed
policy makers to establish international forum in order to save depleting genetic resources world wide. After several
meetings, International Biological Programme (IBP) was evolved. Dr. Frankel published a document "FAO/IBP Survey
of Crop Genetic Resources in their centres of origin" in 1973.