Mandya & the Canadian link

Canadian-born Lesli C Coleman, regarded as one of the ‘makers of modern Mandya’, worked in Mandya district of princely Mysore province from 1908 for more than 40 years. Coleman is said to have worked tirelessly, helping farmers get better yields from their crops through pest control and better farming techniques.

Coleman is known to have designed several innovative agricultural implements many of which are found to have been used by farmers even today.

But that’s not all. Lesli Coleman has mainly been remembered by the people of Mandya for his initiative and efforts in setting up the sugar factory (with a 600-tonne cane crushing capacity) which was started in Mandya in 1933. A major milestone for the region.

In Chikmagalur district

He also worked in Chikmagalur district, where a research centre named Coffee Experimental Station (present-day Central Coffee Research Institute) was founded under his guidance, in 1925.

Coleman, who was basically an agricultural scientist, carried out extensive research in the field of agricultural science.

His major contributions have been research and teaching of entomology of agricultural pests and plant pathology.

source: http://www.DeccanHerald.com / Home> Supplements> Spectrum / by S V Upendra Charya / October 30th, 2012