Christine Buisman
Encyclopedia
Christine Johanna Buisman (22 March 1900 - 27 March 1936) was a Dutch phytopathologist
who dedicated her short career to the research of Dutch Elm Disease
and the selection of resistant elm seedlings. In 1927 Buisman provided the final proof that Graphium ulmi (later named Ophiostoma ulmi) was the causal agent of the disease, concluding the controversy which had raged among Dutch and German scientists since 1922.
Buisman developed the inoculation method for screening large quantities of elm plants for resistance, and in 1932 discovered the generative form of the fungus, Ceratostomella ulmi. The first ever resistant elm clone released in the Netherlands in the autumn of 1936 was named for her, following her untimely death six months earlier.
in Amsterdam, her main interest at that time being marine flora. During 1923-4 Buisman joined practical courses at the phytopathology laboratory “Willie Commelin Scholten” in Baarn
, a small town near Amsterdam. The laboratory was accommodated in the leafy Villa Java alongside the Centraal Bureau voor for Schimmelcultures (:fungicultures) (CBS), where Buisman also worked as an assistant, both institutions led by Prof. Johanna Westerdijk (1883-1961), the first female professor in the Netherlands, appointed in 1917. In 1925, Buisman was awarded a doctorate
by Utrecht University
.
had done in 1921, confirming the results achieved by Wollenweber in Berlin, providing the definitive proof that Graphium ulmi caused Dutch elm disease (DED).
In 1929 Buisman left the CBS for further study in Berlin. In August that year she attended a congress of the International Federation of University Women in Geneva, where she met Bernice Cronkhite
, dean of Harvard University
’s Radcliffe College
in Boston
, USA. Buisman seized the opportunity to apply for a fellowship to study the elms and elm diseases in the USA, and by the next month began her one year’s study in Boston, with the main objective of determining whether Graphium ulmi was also present in the USA. It was not until the last days before her return to Europe that she managed to isolate the fungus in samples from Cleveland
, the first to confirm the presence of the fungus on the North American continent.
She also studied other elm diseases, helped by donations of Ulmus americana seedlings from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. She recorded this research in a paper published in the Journal of the Arnold Arboretum, Vol. XII (1931):'Three Species of Botryodiplodia Sacc. on Elm Trees in the United States'.
By 1935 Buisman had selected several promising elm clones with a significantly better resistance to DED, from the thousands of seedlings under test, notably two from France (clone no. 1) and Spain (clone no. 28) which she prepared to use in hybridization experiments in The Hague
, assisted by Simeon Doorenbos
, director of the city’s parks department.
operation. Although the surgery initially appeared successful, she died suddenly in hospital on March 27th, just five days after her 36th birthday. Buisman was buried three days later at the hilltop cemetery 'Westerveld' at Driehuis
, set in the dunes of the North Sea
west of Amsterdam.
, many mature specimens still survive in Holland, England and the USA as living proof of her achievement.
The Dutch resistant-elm breeding project continued until 1992, joined in due course by similar projects in North America and Italy, releasing into commerce many more DED-resistant elm clones.
Phytopathology
Plant pathology is the scientific study of plant diseases caused by pathogens and environmental conditions . Organisms that cause infectious disease include fungi, oomycetes, bacteria, viruses, viroids, virus-like organisms, phytoplasmas, protozoa, nematodes and parasitic plants...
who dedicated her short career to the research of Dutch Elm Disease
Dutch elm disease
Dutch elm disease is a disease caused by a member of the sac fungi category, affecting elm trees which is spread by the elm bark beetle. Although believed to be originally native to Asia, the disease has been accidentally introduced into America and Europe, where it has devastated native...
and the selection of resistant elm seedlings. In 1927 Buisman provided the final proof that Graphium ulmi (later named Ophiostoma ulmi) was the causal agent of the disease, concluding the controversy which had raged among Dutch and German scientists since 1922.
Buisman developed the inoculation method for screening large quantities of elm plants for resistance, and in 1932 discovered the generative form of the fungus, Ceratostomella ulmi. The first ever resistant elm clone released in the Netherlands in the autumn of 1936 was named for her, following her untimely death six months earlier.
Biography
Buisman was the eldest of four children raised in a liberal and socially-conscious family in Leeuwarden. She completed her secondary education at the local gymnasium in 1919, after which she studied BiologyBiology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
in Amsterdam, her main interest at that time being marine flora. During 1923-4 Buisman joined practical courses at the phytopathology laboratory “Willie Commelin Scholten” in Baarn
Baarn
Baarn is a municipality and a town in the Netherlands, in the province of Utrecht.-The municipality Baarn :The municipality of Baarn consists of the following towns: Baarn, Eembrugge, Lage Vuursche.- The town Baarn :...
, a small town near Amsterdam. The laboratory was accommodated in the leafy Villa Java alongside the Centraal Bureau voor for Schimmelcultures (:fungicultures) (CBS), where Buisman also worked as an assistant, both institutions led by Prof. Johanna Westerdijk (1883-1961), the first female professor in the Netherlands, appointed in 1917. In 1925, Buisman was awarded a doctorate
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
by Utrecht University
Utrecht University
Utrecht University is a university in Utrecht, Netherlands. It is one of the oldest universities in the Netherlands and one of the largest in Europe. Established March 26, 1636, it had an enrollment of 29,082 students in 2008, and employed 8,614 faculty and staff, 570 of which are full professors....
.
Elm disease research
At the end of 1926 funds were granted for further research into the cause of Dutch elm disease. Buisman was charged with this two-year project, and part of the villa garden was duly planted with elm seedlings. To infect so many plants, Buisman experimented the use of a syringe, a method which would be used in successive decades. In 1927 she succeeded in producing both vascular discolouration and leaf wilt, simply by inoculating them earlier in summer than Bea SchwarzMarie Beatrice Schol-Schwarz
Dr Marie Beatrice Schol-Schwarz was the Dutch phytopathologist, better known simply as Bea Schwarz, who discovered the causal fungus of Dutch elm disease whilst studying for her doctorate at the University of Utrecht in 1922, where she was Johanna Westerdijk's first PhD student.Born in Batavia,...
had done in 1921, confirming the results achieved by Wollenweber in Berlin, providing the definitive proof that Graphium ulmi caused Dutch elm disease (DED).
In 1929 Buisman left the CBS for further study in Berlin. In August that year she attended a congress of the International Federation of University Women in Geneva, where she met Bernice Cronkhite
Bernice Cronkhite
Bernice Brown Cronkhite was an educator and former dean of Radcliffe College, working there for thirty-six years...
, dean of Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
’s Radcliffe College
Radcliffe College
Radcliffe College was a women's liberal arts college in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and was the coordinate college for Harvard University. It was also one of the Seven Sisters colleges. Radcliffe College conferred joint Harvard-Radcliffe diplomas beginning in 1963 and a formal merger agreement with...
in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, USA. Buisman seized the opportunity to apply for a fellowship to study the elms and elm diseases in the USA, and by the next month began her one year’s study in Boston, with the main objective of determining whether Graphium ulmi was also present in the USA. It was not until the last days before her return to Europe that she managed to isolate the fungus in samples from Cleveland
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
, the first to confirm the presence of the fungus on the North American continent.
She also studied other elm diseases, helped by donations of Ulmus americana seedlings from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. She recorded this research in a paper published in the Journal of the Arnold Arboretum, Vol. XII (1931):'Three Species of Botryodiplodia Sacc. on Elm Trees in the United States'.
Dutch Elm Committee
During Buisman’s stay in the USA, the attitude to DED in the Netherlands changed for the better when in February 1930 a second attempt led to the founding of the Committee for Study and Control of the Elm Disease. Westerdijk invited Buisman to accept the position of researcher at Baarn on her return in October 1930. During her years at Baarn, Buisman wrote many publications on elm disease, delivered many speeches in and beyond the Netherlands (she was multilingual), and quickly established herself as the paramount elm specialist in Europe.By 1935 Buisman had selected several promising elm clones with a significantly better resistance to DED, from the thousands of seedlings under test, notably two from France (clone no. 1) and Spain (clone no. 28) which she prepared to use in hybridization experiments in The Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
, assisted by Simeon Doorenbos
Simeon Gottfried Albert Doorenbos
Simeon Doorenbos was a Dutch horticulturist best known for his work as Director of The Hague Parks Department from 1927 until his retirement in 1957, with a brief interruption during the Second World War when he was dismissed and evicted by the Nazis for refusing to remove trees and shrubs to...
, director of the city’s parks department.
Death
In March 1936, Buisman underwent a gynaecologicalGynaecology
Gynaecology or gynecology is the medical practice dealing with the health of the female reproductive system . Literally, outside medicine, it means "the science of women"...
operation. Although the surgery initially appeared successful, she died suddenly in hospital on March 27th, just five days after her 36th birthday. Buisman was buried three days later at the hilltop cemetery 'Westerveld' at Driehuis
Driehuis
Driehuis is a town in the Dutch province of North Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Velsen, and lies about 8 km north of Haarlem....
, set in the dunes of the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
west of Amsterdam.
Legacy
When the Dutch Elm Committee in the autumn of 1936 decided to release clone No. 24, the clone was named for the dedicated elm researcher. Although the ‘Christine Buisman’ elm didn’t meet the general expectations concerning its growth habit, and appeared to be susceptible to Coral Spot fungus, Nectria cinnabarinaNectria cinnabarina
Nectria cinnabarina is a plant pathogen that causes cankers on many tree species and also a disease known as coral spot.- External links :* *...
, many mature specimens still survive in Holland, England and the USA as living proof of her achievement.
The Dutch resistant-elm breeding project continued until 1992, joined in due course by similar projects in North America and Italy, releasing into commerce many more DED-resistant elm clones.