Rowland Biffen facts for kids
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Sir Rowland Harry Biffen (born May 28, 1874, died July 12, 1949) was a famous British scientist. He studied plants, fungi, and how living things inherit traits. He was a professor at the University of Cambridge. Sir Rowland was best known for his work on growing better types of wheat. He was also a talented artist who painted beautiful landscapes. He even started a science magazine called the Journal of Agricultural Science.
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Early Life and Studies
Rowland Biffen was the oldest child of Henry John and Mary Biffen. His father was a school headmaster. Rowland went to Cheltenham grammar school. Later, he studied botany at Cambridge University, finishing in 1898.
After university, he traveled to the Caribbean and South America. He went there to learn about how rubber was made. When he came back, he worked on studying fungi. He published many papers about fungi between 1898 and 1902. He even became the president of the British Mycological Society twice.
Becoming a Professor
In 1908, Rowland Biffen became the first professor of agricultural botany at Cambridge University. He held this important job until 1931.
In 1920, he won the Darwin Medal from the Royal Society. This award is given for important work in biology.
Improving Crops with Genetics
Sir Rowland Biffen was the first director of the Plant Breeding Institute. This institute later became part of the John Innes Centre. He was one of the first scientists to use genetics to make crop plants better.
His main research was on wheat. He created some very important types of wheat. These included Little Joss (in 1910) and Yeoman (in 1916). These new types of wheat helped farmers grow more food.
Other Achievements and Interests
Biffen started the Journal of Agricultural Science. He also helped create the Genetical Society in 1918. This society is for people who study genetics. He also helped start the National Institute of Agricultural Botany.
He became a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1914. This is a big honor for scientists. In 1925, he was made a knight, so he became "Sir" Rowland Biffen. He also received an honorary science degree in 1935.
Sir Rowland Biffen had many hobbies. He enjoyed painting with watercolors. He also loved gardening, especially growing a type of flower called auriculas. He was interested in botany, photography, and archaeology. He passed away in Cambridge in 1949.
