Trofim Denisovich Lysenko was born in Karlovka, Poltava Governorate, Russian Empire (present-day Ukraine), to Denis Nikanorovich Lysenko and Oksana Ivanovna Burlei. His parents were peasants of Ukrainian origin.

Lysenko grew up in a rural setting, deeply involved in peasant farming. This direct experience with agriculture, particularly the challenges of crop yields, profoundly influenced his later views on genetics and plant breeding.

Lysenko attends the Poltava Horticultural Technical School, receiving an initial formal education in agricultural techniques.

Lysenko enrolled at the Kyiv Agricultural Institute (present-day National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine). He continued his agricultural education, gaining access to scientific literature and research.