World renowned Sugarcane Pathologist Dr. B.L. Chona (Bihari Lal Chona) passed away on 23rd December. 1994. Born at Sanghoi, District Jhelum (now in Pakistan) on 24th September, 1906, completed his school education in Rawalpindi and then moved to Lahore. He earned the B.Sc. degree with Botany and Zoology as major subjects from Punjab University in 1926. To prosecute further studies in his chosen field of Plant Pathology in 1927 he moved to Imperial College of Science and Technology, London and worked under the able guidance of Prof. William Brown F.R.S. on physiology of fungi which got him the degree of Ph.D. in 1930. He continued to work there as a Research scholar before returning to India in 1932. 

After a brief stint as Research scholar at the Punjab Agricultural College and Research Institute, Lyallpur, in 1933. Dr. Chona joined Agra College, Agra as LeCturer in Botany. In 1936, he was appointed Sugarcane Plant Pathologist at the Indian (then Imperial) Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi to conduct research on sugarcane mosaic, which had posed a serious threat to sugarcane in different sugarcane growing countries in the world especially nearer home in Java & Sumatra (now Indonesia). Through a careful and meticulous survey, he established that mosaic was not a serious problem in India as the Indian sugarcane varieties were resistant to the pathogen and caused From 1962 to 1965. Dr. Chona was Head of  the Division of Mycology and Plant Pathology at the I.A.R.I. and after retirement became Visiting Professor of Plant Pathology at the University of Science & Technology, Kumasi, Ghana. Later he became Adviser to the Government of Ghana and helped in establishing an Agricultural Research Station. Ghana (Africa) till 1972. During his service at the IARI. Dr. Chona was on deputation for six months (1947-48) to Ministry of Education. Govt. of India and then as State Mycologist and Professor of Plant Pathology at Bihar Agricultural College, Sabour for almost two years. In 1953, he was deputed to U.S.A. under TCM programme to study Mycological and Plant Pathological Techniques at the various Universities and Research Institutions. He represented India at the Common­wealth Mycological Conference held at London in 1960. 

Dr. Chona was member of several learned scientific societies. He was a founder member and Honorary Fellow of the Indian Phytopathological Society; President of the ninth International Society of Sugarcane Technologists held at New Delhi in 1956; President of the Indian Phytopathological Society (1957-58) and President of the Agricultural Sciences section of Indian Science Congress. 1961. 

Delivered 17th Mundkur Memorial Lecture of Indian Phytopathological Society in 1980. 

Endowed with handsome personality, polished manners, he endeared himself to all. He was a highly respected teacher. Many of his students and associates e.g. Drs R.K. Grover. Pritam Singh. D.N. Srivastawa, B.S. Bajaj, H.S. Sohi and Kishan Singh occupied positions of pre-eminence in the country and abroad. 

He is survived by wife Mrs. Ranajana, son Ravi and a daughter.

Dr. Chona's contributions to sugarcane Pathology in India remain unparalleled.