Pierre-Marie-Alexis Millardet
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Pierre-Marie-Alexis Millardet (December 13, 1838 - December 15, 1902) was a French botanist and mycologist. He studied 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 concerning his work 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. Millardet was also responsible for protecting the grape vineyards from downy mildew fungus (Plasmopara viticola). He accomplished this by using 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:
- Histoire des principales variétés et espèces de vignes d'origine américaine qui résistent au phylloxera. (1885)
[edit] Sources:
- French & German Wikipedia pages; Pierre-Marie-Alexis Millardet
