Yvonne Aitken

Dr. Yvonne Aitken (1911–2004) was an Australian agricultural scientist whose contributions to the field included studies of plant flowering as it depends on climate, season, and genetic factors. She was appointed as a Member of the Order of Australia in 1989.

By comparing flowering data for particular plant varieties across various latitudes, and under laboratory conditions, Aitken deduced basic factors that governed the transition of plants from the vegetative to reproductive states. In general, those plants flowering earliest under given conditions had the least dependence on climate whereas later-flowering varieties reacted strongly to the climate setup.