Editing Trofim Lysenko (section)

===After Odessa and first confrontation with geneticists===
In August 1936, at a visiting session of the grain section of the All-Union Academy of Agricultural Sciences in [[Omsk]], Lysenko made a report "On intravarietal crossing of self-pollinating plants," in which he entered into a discussion with Vavilov and other geneticists. In this discussion, Lysenko denied both the general theoretical views of his opponents and their practical implementation in breeding work. In particular, Lysenko denied the method of [[inbreeding]] field crops.<ref>{{cite web | title=Т.Д.Лысенко «О внутрисортовом скрещивании растений самоопылителей», 1936 г. | website=Лысенкоизм.Народ.Ру | date=2012-11-20 | url=https://lysenkoism.narod.ru/lysenko_o_vnutrisortovom_skr_samoop.htm | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090116003617/http://lysenkoism.narod.ru/lysenko_o_vnutrisortovom_skr_samoop.htm | archive-date=2009-01-16 | url-status=live | language=ru | access-date=2024-05-13}}</ref>

The discussion continued on 23 December 1936 at the 4th session of the All-Russian Academy of Agricultural Sciences, where Lysenko made a report "On two directions in genetics" (published in the collection ''Agrobiology'' by Lysenko). Lysenko, together with [[Isaak Prezent]], referred to the opinion of [[Charles Darwin]] and [[Kliment Timiryazev]] on the issue of degeneration of self-pollinating plants and the usefulness of intra-varietal cross-pollination of plants.<ref name="Voinov"/>

In the spring of 1937, the journal ''Yarovizatsiya'', founded and edited by Lysenko, published a speech by the head of the agricultural department of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks, [[Yakov Yakovlev]] (No. 2), where Vavilov's theory of homological series of plant variability and the chromosomal theory of heredity were sharply criticized.{{sfn|Medvedev|1969|p=55}} The scientific discussion on genetics in the Soviet Union was transformed into a political struggle against "the enemies of the people."{{sfn|Medvedev|1969|p=52}} Issue 3 of ''Yarovizatsiya'' published an article by Prezent, in which he accused geneticists of the classical school of supporting the [[Left Opposition|Trotskyist]]-[[Right Opposition|Bukharinist]] opposition, and an article by {{ill|Alexander Kohl|ru|Александр Карлович Коль}} that accused Vavilov of being a reactionary saboteur.{{sfn|Medvedev|1969|p=53}} The 7th International Genetic Congress in Moscow in 1937 was canceled and instead took place in 1939 in [[Edinburgh]].{{sfn|Medvedev|1969|p=52}}

On 11 January 1938, the newspaper ''Sotszemledeliye'' published an article titled “Improve the Academy of Agricultural Sciences: Ruthlessly uproot enemies and their rumps from scientific institutions,” where Vavilov, [[Mikhail Zavadovsky]], and {{ill|Pyotr Konstantinov|ru|Константинов, Пётр Никифорович}} were indicated as accomplices of the enemies of the people.{{sfn|Medvedev|1969|p=59}}

In 1938, Lysenko became president of the All-Union Academy of Agricultural Sciences.{{sfn|Medvedev|1969|p=58}} At the beginning of 1939, ''Yarovizatsiya'' published an article by Prezent "On pseudoscientific theories and genetics", in which Prezent compared the works of Vavilov with those of the anti-Marxist philosopher [[Eugen Dühring]].{{sfn|Medvedev|1969|p=59}} In the same year, the journal ''Pod znamenem marksizma'' held a discussion on genetics. At the conclusion of this discussion, its organizer, philosopher [[Mark Mitin]], sharply criticized the activities of Vavilov.{{sfn|Medvedev|1969|p=71}}

In 1939, According to official data, by changing the agricultural technology of millet, Lysenko increased the yield of millet from 2-3 to 15 centners per hectare.<ref name="Voinov"/> On 13 December 1942, at a session of the All-Union Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lysenko argued that "in 1940, millet on millions of hectares had already become the highest-yielding grain crop" and called for "a turn towards millet." Lysenko proposed a system of spring cultivation for grain, which made it possible to clear the soil of weeds before sowing, and then sow with vernalized seeds.<ref>{{cite web | title=Т.Д.Лысенко «Ближайшие задачи советской сельскохозяйственной науки», 1942 г. | website=Лысенкоизм.Народ.Ру | url=https://lysenkoism.narod.ru/lysenko_blizh_zadachi_dec_1942.htm | language=ru | access-date=2024-05-14}}</ref>

In mid-1940, by Lysenko's order, [[NKVD]] employee S. N. Shundenko was appointed deputy director of the All-Union Research Institute of Plant Industry, despite the categorical protest of Vavilov, who wrote denunciations of the institute's workers.{{sfn|Medvedev|1969|p=77}} In August 1940, Vavilov was arrested; following this, Vavilov's employees and friends, [[Georgii Karpechenko]], [[Grigory Levitsky]], {{ill|Leonid Govorov (scientist)|lt=Leonid Govorov|ru|Говоров, Леонид Ипатьевич}}, and {{ill|Konstantin Flaksberger|ru|Фляксбергер, Константин Андреевич}}, were arrested and died in custody.{{sfn|Medvedev|1969|p=77}}