Janaki Ammal
Janaki Ammal | |
|---|---|
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| Nationality | India |
Janaki Ammal was the first Indian female botanist. [1][2] She was the first to receive her masters in science.[1] She was the first-known woman to get a Ph.D. in Botany in the United States.[2] She was the first to receive the Padma Shri award.[2][3] Ammal was also known as the sugar cane queen.[1] She worked on developing sweeter sugar cane varieties.[1][2]
Birth
[change | change source]Janaki Ammal was born in 1897. [2][3][4] She was born in Thalassery, Kerala in India.[2][4] She was the tenth person in her family. [2] She had 19 brothers and 19 sisters. [2] Her father was a judge. [2] He also took care of the garden. [2] This sparked Ammal’s love for botany. [2]
Early Career
[change | change source]Ammal taught for three years at a Women’s Christian College. [2] Then she was invited to the University of Michigan. [2][4] She joined the botany division. [2] She was an immigrant. [2] She was held at Ellis Island. [2] She earned her masters in science. [2] 6 years later she received her doctorate. [2] Ammal was the first woman to ever receive her doctorate degree in botany in the US. [2][3]
Research
[change | change source]Ammal worked at the Sugar Cane Breeding Institute. [2][3] Ammal helped the institute to create and support sweeter sugar cane. [2][4] This was significant because they no longer had to rely on imports from other countries. [2] Ammal moved to Norfolk, England. [2] She worked at the John Innes Institute. [2] She and C.D. Darlington co-authored Chromosome Atlas of Cultivated Plants. [2] Ammal was recommended to work at the Royal Horticulture Society. [2] She became a paid cytologist. [2] She worked on a medication that doubles a plant’s chromosomes. [2] This makes the plant grow quicker and larger. [2] One shrub was named after her. [2][3] The shrub was called Mongolia Kobus Janaki Ammal. [2][3]
Return to India
[change | change source]Ammal returned to India. [2][1]She did so at the request of the prime minister. [2][1] She worked on improving India’s agriculture and preserving indigenous plants. [2]
Late Career
[change | change source]She focused on helping Save Silent Valley.[2] Ammal’s efforts were successful.[2][1] The forest was no longer going to be flooded.[2] Ammal died months earlier.[2] She died at the age of 87.[2]
References
[change | change source]- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Shiv, S. S. (2016, Oct 17). Kolkata celebrates botany legend janaki ammal with exhibition. The Hindu Retrieved from https://www.proquest.com/docview/1829413154
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 2.16 2.17 2.18 2.19 2.20 2.21 2.22 2.23 2.24 2.25 2.26 2.27 2.28 2.29 2.30 2.31 2.32 2.33 2.34 2.35 2.36 2.37 2.38 McNeill, Leila. "The Pioneering Female Botanist Who Sweetened a Nation and Saved a Valley". Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved 2021-12-16. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/pioneering-female-botanist-who-sweetened-nation-and-saved-valley-180972765/
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 "Do You Know the Botanist Janaki Ammal, She of the Magnolia Kobus Fame?". The Wire. Retrieved 2021-12-19.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Weston, Madalyn (2018-04-25). "Celebrating Women in STEM: Dr. Janaki Ammal | UMKC Roo News" Archived 2018-11-25 at the Wayback Machine. info.umkc.edu. Retrieved 2021-12-19.