History of Science and Engineering Annotation << Back IVAN IVANOVICH LEONOV – AGRONOMIST, DIRECTOR, SCIENTIST V.I. Leunov Information on scientifi c and production work of I.I. Leunov, Doctor Sci. (Agr.), Hero of Socialist Labour, director of Berdsky sovkhoz (1959–1983), director of Research Institute of Vegetable Industry (1983–1995). Under the management of I.I. Leunov Berdsky sovkhoz became the most large producer of vegetables, potatoes, grain, milk and pedigree stock. Here the management structure developed by him was implemented, in which each branch of the multi-branch state farm worked as a highly specialized economy. Thus, sector of vegetable growing under management of I.I. Leunov’s wife, Anastasia Pavlovna, became a highly profi table production, annually sold 30 thousand t of vegetables and received 3 million rubles of profit on the scale of prices of that time. One of the first in the country he opposed theory of having no prospects villages and in fact proved its fallacy by preserving and developing all five villages of his sovkhoz. In his opinion, it is necessary to specialize in production, and not in the village. The village must have a wide range of vacancies and a full set of social and household services. In 1983, by the order of the Minister of the agriculture of the RSFSR he was transferred to the position of director of Research Institute of Vegetable Industry (of the Badge of Honour Order). Here he worked until the end of his life, as a director, and then as a leading research fellow and consultant. The main direction of his researches was the improvement of vegetable production technologies, rural sociology, theory of agricultural systems, and the process of crop growing technology. He made a significant contribution to the theory and practice of technological methods of weed control. He clarifi ed the concept of system of agriculture, developed the theory of crop growing technology, and gave a classification of vegetable growing technologies. Thanks to the energy of I.I. Leunov, his organizational skills and leadership talent, the Research Institute of Vegetable Industry has preserved its potential in the most difficult years for Russian science. Keywords: vegetable growing, crop growing, specialization, sovkhoz, technology. DOI: 10.25791/intstg.10.2020.1233 Pp. 140-144.