Lysenko was a soviet agronomist who developed the idea that plants and crops could be trained to grow in climates that were not hospitable. Lysenkoan theory follows Lamark's theories of evolution, rather than Darwin's. Lysenkoism gained favor from Stalin, and caused some massive crop failures and ecological destruction. This is at least partly responsible for the sorry state of soviet and post-soviet agriculture. Believed man could change nature. Silly man.