Yvonne Aitken

Yvonne Aitken
Born(1911-10-17)October 17, 1911
DiedNovember 29, 2004(2004-11-29) (aged 93)
EducationUniversity of Melbourne
Known forAgricultural science
Scientific career
InstitutionsUniversity of Melbourne

Yvonne Aitken AM (17 October 1911 – 29 November 2004)[1] was an Australian agricultural scientist whose contributions to the field included studies of plant flowering as it depends on climate, season, and genetic factors. She was appointed as a Member of the Order of Australia in 1989.[2]

Aitken's primary goal was to produce a greater range of consumable crops.[2] By comparing flowering data for particular plant varieties across various latitudes, and under laboratory conditions, Aitken deduced fundamental factors that governed the transition of plants from the vegetative to reproductive states. In general, those plants flowering earliest under given conditions had the least dependence on climate whereas later-flowering varieties reacted strongly to the climate setup.[3]

  1. ^ Profile of Yvonne Aitken
  2. ^ a b "Aitken, Yvonne (1911 - 2004)". Encyclopedia of Australian Science.
  3. ^ Allen, Nessy. "Dr Yvonne Aitken, agricultural scientist (1911-2004)". Australian Academy of Science. Retrieved 12 April 2017.