Barbara Pickersgill

Barbara Pickersgill (born 1940) is a British botanist with a special interest in the domestication of crops, the genetics, taxonomy, and evolutionary biology of cultivated plants, and the preservation of crop diversity. Her 1966 dissertation for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy from Indiana University concerned the taxonomy of Capsicum chinense.[1] Her doctoral advisor was Charles B. Heiser.

Barbara Pickersgill
Pickersgill in 2006

In 2005 she retired from the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Reading, to become an Honorary Research Associate. Her research projects include:

• The molecular systematics and the use of wild species in the improvement of farmed chilis (Capsicum)
• Research on the domestication of crops, notably the common bean, Phaseolus vulgaris, working with the Centro Internacional de Agricultura Tropical (CIAT) in Colombia
• The genetic diversity, conservation and improvement of tropical crops such as:
  • Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa), working with the Centro Internacional de la Papa (CIP) in Peru
  • Banana (Musa species) from the East African Highlands

Honours

In 1993 the Linnean Society of London presented Pickersgill with the Linnean Medal for her contribution to botany.

In 2000 she was the president of the Society for Economic Botany.[2]

On 4 August 2006 the Linnean Society of London organised a one-day conference in honour of Pickersgill.[3]

References

1. Barbara Pickersgill (1966). The Variability and Relationships of Capsicum Chinense JACQ. Indiana University.
2. "Past Presidents (listed by first year of office)". The Society for Economic Botany. Archived from the original on 2013-07-04.
3. Plants, people and evolution: a meeting in honor of Barbara Pickersgill, August 2006, held by the Linnean Society of London
4. IPNI.  Pickersgill.

External links

• Harvard University Herbaria, Index of Botanists, Author Query for 'Pickersgill'