Jan Carel Zadoks (born 6 February 1929) is a Dutch botanist and a professor emeritus of ecological plant pathology at Wageningen University & Research.

Jan Zadoks
Jan Zadoks, 2012
Born
Jan Carel Zadoks

(1929-02-06) 6 February 1929 (age 95)
CitizenshipDutch
Alma materUniversity of Amsterdam
Known forPlant disease epidemiology, research on wheat stripe rust in cereal
Scientific career
InstitutionsWageningen University & Research
Doctoral advisorprof. dr. A.J.P. Oort

Career edit

Zadoks studied biology at the University of Amsterdam [when?] and received his PhD. cum laude[1] from the same university in 1961 for his thesis Yellow rust on wheat, studies in epidemiology and physiologic specialization.[2][3]

In 1961 Zadoks joined the National Agricultural College, where he was appointed Professor of Ecological Plant Pathology in 1969. He served in various administrative roles, including Dean of the School of Agriculture, and President of the Biology Section (BION) of the Dutch Research Council (Dutch: Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek, NWO). He was a member of the Committee on Genetic Modification (COGEM) of the Netherlands ('GMO Release Committee'), chairing the Subcommittee on Plants for five years. He was a member of the Netherlands Pesticides Registration Board for 3 years.

Zadoks developed what is arguably the world's first course on plant disease epidemiology with a wet lab and field practical. He pioneered courses in 'Aerobiology', 'Crop Loss', 'Genetics of Resistance' and 'Plant Protection and Society'. The first course formed the basis of the textbook 'Epidemiology and plant disease management'.[4]

Zadoks retired in 1994.[5]

Research on cereal rust epidemiology edit

His early research focused on wheat yellow stripe rust and other fungal plant diseases. His 1974 scale to record growth stages of cereals (the 'Zadoks scale') became the internationally recognized standard as used by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)[6] and the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV).[7] He developed dynamic simulation models of plant disease epidemics, and initiated the computerized pest and disease warning system EPIPRE for wheat. Later, he became involved in various studies of focus formation in plant disease, and in alternative agriculture. Once retired, he published on the history of plant pathology.[8][9][10][11][12][13]

International agricultural outreach edit

In 1969, Zadoks founded the European and Mediterranean Cereal Rust Foundation. He performed consultancy and evaluation missions for the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), CGIAR (Consultative Group for International Agriculture) and for Dutch, French and Swiss governmental institutions with a focus on crop loss, resistance, integrated pest management (IPM) and education. For 14 years he was a member of the FAO Panel of Experts for Integrated Pest Control. He organised the XIII International Plant Protection Congress (IPPC) of the International Association for the Plant Protection Sciences at The Hague in 1995.[14]

Collection of Sinterklaas wrapping papers edit

In addition to his academic work in plant pathology, Zadoks collected 1500 items of Sinterklaas-themed wrapping paper over a period of 50 years, and wrote about the themes and changes in their design in his publication Sinterklaas verpakt - Vijftig jaar Sint Nicolaas inwikkelpapier (translates as: "Sinterklaas wrapped - Fifty years of Sinterklaas wrapping paper"). One of Zadoks' conclusions is that the portrayal of Sinterklaas' blackface companion, Zwarte Piet, has undergone significant metamorphoses from 1960-2010.[15][16][17]

Awards and honours edit

Year Award / Honour
1979 Adventurers in Agricultural Science Award of Distinction (at the International Plant Protection Congress (IPPC) by the International Association for the Plant Protection Sciences, Washington[14])
1980 Officer in the Order of Orange Nassau
1993 Knight in the Order of the Netherlands Lion
1994 Fellow of the American Phytopathological Society
2002 Biannual Award of the Royal Netherlands Phytopathological Society
2005 Honorary Doctorate in agriculture from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
2012 Honorary Life Membership of the International Association of Plant Protection Societies (IAPPS)[18]
2016 Honorary Membership of the Royal Netherlands Phytopathological Society

Publications edit

Scientific works edit

  • 1979 - Epidemiology and plant disease management (ISBN 9780195024517) - with R.D. Schein
  • 2005 - Sea lavender, rust and mildew. A perennial pathosystem in the Netherlands (ISBN 9789076998596)
  • 2008 - On the political economy of plant disease epidemics. Capita selecta in historical epidemiology (ISBN 9789086860869)
  • 2013 - Crop protection in medieval agriculture. Studies in pre-modern organic agriculture (ISBN 9789088901874)
  • 2014 - Black shank of tobacco in the former Dutch East Indies, caused by Phytophthora nicotianae (ISBN 9789088902833)

Other works edit

Literature edit

  • Dekker, J. (1993). "Jan Carel Zadoks, Professor in ecological Plant Pathology: Wageningen Agricultural University". Netherlands (European) Journal of Plant Pathology. 99 (Supplement 3): 7–18. doi:10.1007/BF03041391. S2CID 30242439.

External links edit

References edit

  1. ^ Cum laude is an honour bestowed on about 2% of candidates in the Dutch system
  2. ^ "Yellow rust on wheat. Studies in epidemiology and physiologic specialization". Album Academicum - Professors and PhD Graduates from 1632 to this day. University of Amsterdam. 14 June 1961. Retrieved 2 May 2022.
  3. ^ Zadoks, J.C. (1961). "Yellow rust on wheat. Studies in epidemiology and physiologic specialization". Tijdschrift over Planteziekten (Presently European Journal of Plant Pathology). 67. Springer Science+Business Media: 69–265.
  4. ^ Zadoks, J.C.; Schein, R.D (1979). Epidemiology and plant disease management. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 427. ISBN 9780195024517. Retrieved 8 May 2022.
  5. ^ "Professor Zadoks gifts historical maps". Wageningen University & Research. 4 September 2012. Retrieved 2 May 2022.
  6. ^ Zadoks, J.C. (October 1965). "Epidemiology of Wheat Rust in Europe". FAO Plant Protection Bulletin. 13 (5). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations: 29–46. doi:10.1080/05331846709432232. ISSN 0014-5637. OCLC 8413999.
  7. ^ Zadoks, J.C.; Chang, T.T.; Konzak, C.F. (1974). "A decimal code for the growth stages of cereals". Weed Research. 14 (6): 415–421. Bibcode:1974WeedR..14..415Z. doi:10.1111/j.1365-3180.1974.tb01084.x.
  8. ^ Zadoks, J.C. (2005). Sea lavender, rust and mildew. A perennial pathosystem in the Netherlands. Wageningen: Wageningen Academic Publishers. p. 256. ISBN 9789076998596.
  9. ^ Zadoks, J.C. (2008). On the political economy of plant disease epidemics. Capita selecta in historical epidemiology. Wageningen: Wageningen Academic Publishers. p. 256. ISBN 9789086860869. Retrieved 8 May 2022.
  10. ^ Zadoks, J.C. (2013). Crop protection in medieval agriculture. Studies in pre-modern organic agriculture. Leiden: Sidestone. p. 333. ISBN 9789088901874. Retrieved 8 May 2022.
  11. ^ Zadoks, J.C. (2014). Black shank of tobacco in the former Dutch East Indies, caused by Phytophthora nicotianae. Leiden: Sidestone. p. 203. ISBN 9789088902833.
  12. ^ Nagarajan, S.; Kogel, H.J.; Zadoks, J.C. (2014). "Epidemiological analysis of the damage potential of Pgt-Ug99 in Central, North East Africa; Iran and Punjab (India)". Indian Phytopathology. 67: 26–32.
  13. ^ Zadoks, J.C. (2017). "On social and political effects of plant pest and disease epidemics". Phytopathology. 107 (10). American Phytopathological Society: 11–15. doi:10.1094/PHYTO-10-16-0369-FI. ISSN 0031-949X. PMID 28323536.
  14. ^ a b "History of the International Plant Protection Congresses (IPPCs)". International Association for the Plant Protection Sciences. Retrieved 10 May 2022.
  15. ^ Zadoks, Jan Carel (2010). Sinterklaas verpakt - Vijftig jaar Sint Nicolaas inwikkelpapier [Fifty years of Sinterklaas wrapping paper] (in Dutch). Utrecht: Zadoks. p. 127. ISBN 9789081112574. Retrieved 2 May 2022.
  16. ^ Iris Koppe (30 November 2016). "Ook op pakpapier is Zwarte Piet bezig aan een metamorfose" [Zwarte Piets metamorphosis also happens on wrapping paper]. de Volkskrant (in Dutch). Retrieved 2 May 2022.
  17. ^ Olaf Tempelman (2 November 2013). "Een boek voor... Waarom Nicolaas van Myra Sinterklaas verpakt van Jan Carel Zadoks moet lezen" [Why Sint-Nicolaas of Myra should read Sinterklaas wrapping paper by Jan Carel Zadoks]. de Volkskrant (in Dutch). Retrieved 2 May 2022.
  18. ^ "Oud-hoogleraar krijgt prestigieuze onderscheiding". Wageningen University & Research (in Dutch). 15 August 2012. Retrieved 2 May 2022.