Ivan Stebut

Born Jan. 31 (Feb. 12), 1833, in Velikie Luki, in present-day Pskov Oblast; died Oct. 20, 1923, in Moscow. Russian agronomist.

In 1854, Stebut graduated from the Gory-Goretsk Agricultural Institute (now the Byelorussian Agricultural Academy); he became a professor at the institute in 1860. From 1865 to 1894 he was a professor at the Petrovskoe Farming and Forestry Academy in Moscow (now the K. A. Timiriazev Moscow Agricultural Academy), where he held Russia’s first chair of plant growing. Stebut organized an experiment station at the academy and conducted extensive research on the techniques of growing field crops. He campaigned for the implementation of agronomic advances in agricultural practice.

Stebut was the author of The Fundamentals of Field-crop Cultivation and Measures for Its Improvement in Russia (issues 1–2, 1873–79) and the coauthor of The Farmer’s Home Companion (vols. 1–3, 1875–80). He defended agricultural education for women in Russia. He helped draw up the Statute on Agricultural Experimental Institutions (1901–02) and fought for its approval. Stebut was editor of the journal Russkoe sel’skoe khoziaistvo (Russian Agriculture) in 1869–70.