Pierre-Marie-Alexis Millardet

Who was Pierre-Marie-Alexis Millardet?

Pierre-Marie-Alexis Millardet was a French botanist and mycologist born in Montmirey-la-Ville.

He was a student at the Universities of Heidelberg and Freiberg, and later became a professor of botany at the Universities of Strasbourg, Nancy, and Bordeaux.

Millardet is chiefly remembered for his work dealing with plant pests. In the 1860s the vineyards of France were infested by the destructive Phylloxera, an aphid-like pest inadvertently introduced to Europe from the United States. Millardet and fellow botanist Jules Émile Planchon controlled the infestation by using American grape vines that were resistant to Phylloxera as grafting stock.

He was also responsible for protecting grape vineyards from downy mildew fungus. He accomplished this feat by implementing a fungicide consisting of hydrated lime, copper sulfate and water, a mixture that was to become known as the "Bordeaux mixture". It was the first fungicide to be used worldwide, and is still used today.