Agent TypePersonActivities & OccupationsAcademics - AgricultureHistoryYvonne Aitken was born in Horsham, Victoria, in 1911 and educated at St Arnaud and Ballarat prior to entering the University of Melbourne (B.Ag.Sc. 1936, M.Ag.Sc. 1939, D.Ag.Sc.1970). Prof Wadham suggested she research day length, flowering time and other factors in crop maturity in an effort to improve productivity in both food and fodder crops. This research, which included also variables in altitude and others factors took her to many parts of the globe conducting field trials,and occupied the rest of her life. As well, until she retired in 1975, she lectured in Agriculture at the University. For some years she was vice-principal and fellow of Janet Clarke Hall, where she had lived as a student. She produced many publications including her magnum opus Flowering Time, Climate and Genetics (1974). The main crops she researched were wheat, maize, sub clover, and peas (she collected many varietie of the latter, sorting them into genetic groups and depositing 100 of them at the World Wheat Seed Collection in America). In 1989, in recognition of her significant contribution to plant sciences and teaching, she was made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM).
![[2005.0027] Papers of Yvonne Aitken](/img/placeholder.gif?1768336552 "[2005.0027] Papers of Yvonne Aitken")