Pierre-Marie-Alexis Millardet
| Pierre-Marie-Alexis Millardet | |
|---|---|
 Pierre-Marie-Alexis Millardet |
|
| Born | 13 December 1838 |
| Died | 15 December 1902 |
| Nationality | France |
| Fields | botany and mycology |
| Institutions | Strasbourg |
| Alma mater | Heidelberg Freiberg |
| Known for | Phylloxera |
| Influenced | Jules Émile Planchon |
Pierre-Marie-Alexis Millardet (13 December 1838 – 15 December 1902) was a French botanist and mycologist born in Montmirey-la-Ville.
He was a student at the Universities of Heidelberg and Freiberg, and later became a professor of botany at the Universities of Strasbourg (1869), Nancy (1872), and Bordeaux (1876).
Millardet is chiefly remembered for his work dealing with plant pests. In the 1860s the vineyards of France were infested by the destructive Phylloxera, an aphid-like pest inadvertently introduced to Europe from the United States. Millardet and fellow botanist Jules Émile Planchon controlled the infestation by using American grape vines as grafting stock, which were resistant to Phylloxera. He was also responsible for protecting grape vineyards from downy mildew fungus (Plasmopara viticola). This he accomplished by implementing a mixture of hydrated lime, copper sulfate and water, which was to become known as the Bordeaux mixture. This mixture was the first fungicide to be used worldwide, and is still used today.
[edit] Writings
- Monographie sur la croissance de la vigne et la technique d'hybridation artificielle.
- Un porte-greffe pour les terrains crayeux et marneux les plus chlorosant.
- Notes sur les vignes américaines et opuscules divers sur le même sujet.
- Pourridié et Phylloxéra. Etude comparative de ces deux maladies de la vigne. 1882
- Histoire des principales variétés et espèces de vignes d'origine américaine qui résistent au phylloxera. (1885)
[edit] Sources
- This article is based on a translation of equivalent articles from the French and German Wikipedia.
- Dixon, Bernard (Sep. 2004). "Pushing Bordeaux mixture". The Lancet infectious diseases (United States) 4 (9): 594. doi:10.1016/S1473-3099(04)01136-3. ISSN 1473-3099. PMID 15336227.
