Edwin John Butler facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sir Edwin John Butler
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Edwin John Butler, 1930s
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| Born | 13 August 1874 |
| Died | 4 April 1943 (aged 68) |
| Nationality | Irish |
| Known for | Contributions to mycology and plant pathology |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Mycology, Plant pathology |
| Author abbrev. (botany) | E.J.Butler |
Sir Edwin John Butler (born August 13, 1874 – died April 4, 1943) was an important Irish scientist. He studied mycology (the study of fungi) and plant pathology (the study of plant diseases).
He became the main expert on fungi in India. Later, he was the first director of the Imperial Bureau of Mycology in England. He was given the title of "Sir" (knighted) in 1939 for his great work.
During his 20 years in India, Sir Edwin studied many fungi and plant diseases. He wrote a very important book called Fungi and Disease in Plants in 1918. Because of his work, he is often called the "Father of Mycology and Plant Pathology in India."
Contents
Early Life and Learning
Edwin John Butler was born in Kilkee, County Clare, Ireland. His father, Thomas Butler, was a judge. Edwin first went to school in England. But he got sick and returned to Ireland in 1887. He then studied at home with a tutor.
A library in Cahersiveen helped him learn about many different topics. In 1890, his health got better. He went to the Christian Brothers School and then to Queen's College, Cork. There, he earned degrees in medicine and surgery in 1898. He also earned a master's degree in Botany in 1920.
Working in India
Butler became interested in plants because of Marcus Hartog, a professor. Hartog was studying a type of water mold called Saprolegnia. Butler learned how to study these tiny organisms. He later used these skills to study a similar group called Pythium.
He traveled to Paris, Antibes, Freiburg, and Kew to learn more. In Paris, he worked in the lab of a famous mycologist, Philippe Édouard Léon Van Tieghem. In 1900, he was chosen to be the first Cryptogamic Botanist for the Government of India in Calcutta. This meant he would study plants that reproduce using spores, like fungi.
In 1902, Butler moved to Dehra Dun. He studied a disease affecting sandalwood trees in Coorg. Later, in 1905, he became the Imperial Mycologist at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute in Pusa.
His important work in India includes:
- Studying rusts on Indian wheat in 1906.
- Researching Pythium in 1907.
- Publishing "Fungi and diseases in plants" in 1918. This book became a key guide for scientists studying plant diseases in tropical areas.
From 1910 to 1912, Butler also served as the Director of the Agricultural College in Pusa. In 1921, he received the Order of the Indian Empire for his service to India.
Working in England
In 1920, Butler returned to the United Kingdom. He became the director of the new Imperial Bureau of Mycology at Kew, Surrey. This bureau was created to study and share information about plant diseases across the British Empire.
He helped set up and staff this new organization, which is now known as the International Mycological Institute. He worked there until 1935.
Some of his later studies included:
- Panama disease affecting bananas.
- Witch's broom disease on cacao plants in Trinidad.
- Yellow Leaf disease on tea plants in Nyasaland.
In 1930, he published Fungi of India with Guy Richard Bisby. After leaving the Imperial Bureau, Butler became the first paid secretary of the Agricultural and Food Research Council. He retired in 1941 due to poor health.
Butler received many honors for his work:
- He became a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1926.
- He was president of the British Mycological Society in 1927.
- He was president of the Association of Applied Biologists from 1928 to 1929.
- He was given the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in 1932.
- He was knighted in 1932.
Sir Edwin John Butler passed away in 1944 after getting the flu. Many types of fungi that cause diseases were named by him. Also, many have been named in his honor.
Remembering Sir Edwin Butler
Sir Edwin John Butler's work is remembered in Ireland. A building at University College Cork (where he studied) is named the Butler Building. This building is used for teaching and research about plant science.
The university also gives a 'Butler Prize' to students studying plant science. The Society of Irish Plant Pathologists gives a Butler Medal to people who have helped plant pathology in Ireland. A special plaque honoring him was put up in Kilkee, County Clare, in May 2012.
Key Publications
Here are some of the important papers and books Sir Edwin Butler wrote:
- 1903. Report on 'Spike' disease among sandalwood trees.
- 1906. (With J. M. Hayman and W. H. Moreland) Indian wheat rusts.
- 1908. Report on coconut palm disease in Travancore.
- 1909. Fomes lucidus (Leys) Fr. a suspected parasite.
- 1918. Fungi and disease in plants. This was a very important book.
- 1924. Bud-rot of coconut and other palms.
- 1925. Meteorological conditions and plant diseases.
- 1926. The wilt diseases of cotton and sesamum in India.
- 1931. (With G. R. Bisby) The fungi of India.
