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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]