Shi Yuanchun (1931- ) is a native of Wuhan, Hubei Province. He is an agrologist and a professor of China Agricultural University. He graduated from the Agronomy Department of Beijing Agricultural University in 1953 and received a master's degree from Soil and Agrochemical Department of Beijing Agricultural University in 1956. He obtained an honorary PH.D. of agriculture from Tokyo Agricultural University of Japan. He was a president of Beijing Agricultural University from 1987 to 1995. He was elected as an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 1991 and of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and of the Third World Academy of Science in 1994.

Since graduation, Prof. Shi has worked on research of soil geography, genesis and reclamation of salt-affected soil. His academic contributions include discovering a water and salt movement theory in semi-wet monsoon climatic areas. He also published a report on geography, classification, and series in the development succession about the time and space of ancient soils at the Loess Plateau during the Pleistocene period. He and his team have been working on how to give a comprehensive control over drought, waterlogging and salinity in Huang-Huai-Hai plain (North China Plain). On the long-term and systematic studies of comprehensive soil development of Huang-Huai-Hai Plain, Prof. Shi has made his most important achievements as a result of his research work: (1) the theory of soil water and salt movement in semi-humid monsoon climate, (2) the monitoring and prediction theory of regional soil water and salt movement, and (3) the establishing of PWS monitoring and prediction system. All of these have contributed a lot to the practices of comprehensive reclamation of drought, waterlogging salt and saline groundwater, and agricultural development of Huang-Huai-Hai Plain. He s national key research project has been given National Science and Technology Progress Award, Special Class in 1993. At the same time, Prof. Shi has done a lot of other research work on palesol of loess, and geochemistry of salt-affected soils. He wrote 7 academic monographs and published over 80 theses. He was awarded over 10 prizes by state and ministries for his achievement. The state-level key project of Comprehensive Control over Huang-Huai-Hai plain (North China Plain) won State Science and Technology Progress Award, Special Class in 1993. He has finished his report on developing and planning agricultural sciences and technologies in a middle and long term, and he is working on his own grand program—Engineering Research on Agriculture and Forestry Biomass.