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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) » Beltsville Agricultural Research Center » Sustainable Agricultural Systems Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #380111
Research Project: Molecular Understanding of the Nexus between Plant Bioregulators, Stress Tolerance, and Nutrient Content in Plants

Location: Sustainable Agricultural Systems Laboratory

Title: A Tribute: Ravindar Kaur-Sawhney (1931-2020): An Innovative Plant Physiologist

Author
item GOVINDJEE, GOVINDJEE - University Of Illinois
item SAWHNEY, BRIJ - Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station
item Mattoo, Autar

Submitted to: Plant Physiology Reports
Publication Type: Literature Review
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/24/2020
Publication Date: 1/29/2021
Citation: Govindjee, G., Sawhney, B., Mattoo, A.K. 2021. A Tribute: Ravindar Kaur-Sawhney (1931-2020): An Innovative Plant Physiologist. Indian Journal of Plant Physiology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40502-020-00554-0.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40502-020-00554-0

Interpretive Summary: This Tribute provides an overview of the contributions in plant biology by Dr. Ravinder Kaur-Sawhney (1931-2020). During her tenure at Yale, Dr. Kaur-Sawhney helped a large number of local and international graduate students and post-docs to settle in the new environment away from their homes. She acquired the loving nickname of "Mother Hen" of the Department of Biology at Yale. Her research provided some understanding of how polyamines delay dark induced leaf senescence via a time dependent phenomenon. Through excellent experiments, she also found that isatin (an auxin precursor) was an effective source of auxin for bud formation, while zeatin (a cytokinin) was best for growth and development of buds; the two together were best for tomato development – giving also nice color and flavor. This Tribute will be of interest to the lay public and plant scientists.

Technical Abstract: Ravindar Kaur-Sawhney (March 9, 1931- May 31, 2020), was an innovative plant molecular physiologist of her time. Her notable achievements in plant biology include demonstration of how hormones break dormancy in potatoes, how polyamines function in plants, and the processes that can prevent senescence in plants. Here, we present a glimpse of her research carried out first at the University of Allahabad, India, and in later years at the Yale University, USA. Dr. Kaur-Sawhney was known for uplifting younger students by working with them as a friendly colleague who gave of herself in a caring, and polite manner.