Sarah Elizabeth Smith (née Harley; 10 May 1941 – 12 September 2019) was a British-born Australian

mycologist Mycology is the branch of biology concerned with the study of fungus, fungi, including their genetics, genetic and biochemistry, biochemical properties, their Taxonomy (biology), taxonomy and ethnomycology, their use to humans, including as a so ...

specialising in

mycorrhiza A mycorrhiza (from Greek μύκης ', "fungus", and ῥίζα ', "root"; pl. mycorrhizae, mycorrhiza or mycorrhizas) is a symbiotic association between a fungus and a plant. The term mycorrhiza refers to the role of the fungus in the plant ...

. The Australian Academy of Science described her as "a world authority on the mycorrhizal

symbiosis Symbiosis (from Greek , , "living together", from , , "together", and , bíōsis, "living") is any type of a close and long-term biological interaction between two different biological organisms, be it mutualistic, commensalistic, or parasit ...

between plants and fungi". She was an adjunct and emeritus professor at the University of Adelaide, in the School of Agriculture, Food and Wine.

Early life and education

Sarah Harley, known as Sally, was born in Oxford, UK, the daughter of Lindsay (née Fitt) and

Jack Harley John Laker Harley CBE FRS FLS FIBiol (17 November 1911 – 12 December 1990) was a British botanist, known for his work on ectomycorrhizal physiology. Early life, education and war service Harley was born at Old Charlton, then in Kent, in 19 ...

. Both parents were botanists; her father was a fellow of the Royal Society, who was also known for his work on mycorrhiza, and her mother worked for a D.Phil. before the Second World War and collaborated with Jack Harley in cataloguing mycorrhiza. She gained BA (1962) and PhD degrees (1965) at the University of Cambridge, UK. Her PhD was on mycorrhizal fungi of orchids, supervised by

Denis Garrett Stephen Denis Garrett (1 November 1906 – 26 December 1989) was a British plant pathologist and mycologist who did pioneering work on soil-borne pathogens, root pathology and soil ecology. He was the first to apply ecological concepts to int ...

. She was awarded the DSc degree by the University of Adelaide, Australia, in 1991.

Research

Smith's research was on the evolution and progress of mycorrhizal symbioses, mainly the arbuscular mycorrhizas (Gleomeromycotan fungi).

Mycorrhiza A mycorrhiza (from Greek μύκης ', "fungus", and ῥίζα ', "root"; pl. mycorrhizae, mycorrhiza or mycorrhizas) is a symbiotic association between a fungus and a plant. The term mycorrhiza refers to the role of the fungus in the plant ...

l symbioses are a symbiotic or mildly pathogenic connection between fungi and the roots of a vascular plant. The investigation involved both simple and strategic analysis, comprehending operations varying from the managing of the symbiosis evolution in mutant plants through features of functions of mycorrhizas in phosphate nutrition of plants and suggestions of the symbiosis for plant competition, crop efficiency and reduction of arsenic toxicity.

Publications

Smith co-authored the textbook ''Mycorrhizal Symbiosis'', first with her father and after his death with

David J. Read Sir David Read FRS is Emeritus Professor of Plant Science in the Department of Animal and Plant Sciences at University of Sheffield. His first degree and PhD came from University of Hull, the latter in 1963. He also serves on the Rothamsted Resear ...

. It is described by the Australian Academy of Science as "the most definitive text on the subject". First published in 1983, it is now in its third edition.

Awards and honours

Smith was elected fellow of the Australian Academy of Science in 2001.Australian Academy of Science: Professor Sally Smith
(accessed 17 August 2016) She served on their council in 2005–2008. In 2000, Smith was awarded the Clarke Medal of the

Royal Society of New South Wales The Royal Society of New South Wales is a learned society based in Sydney, Australia. The Governor of New South Wales is the vice-regal patron of the Society. The Society was established as the Philosophical Society of Australasia on 27 June ...

. In 2006, she was awarded the J.K. Taylor, OBE, Gold Medal in Soil Science.Soil Science Australia: J.K. Taylor, OBE, Gold Medal in Soil Science
(accessed 17 August 2016) She is an Honorary Professor at the Research Centre for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China, and an Honorary Research Professor at the China Agricultural University, Beijing. She was also the Vice Chair of the Board of Directors of the Asian Vegetable Research & Development Centre—World Vegetable Centre.

Personal life

She married Andrew Smith, also a botanist, and with him emigrated to Adelaide, Australia, in 1967. They had two daughters. She retired in 2010. Sally Smith died on 12 September 2019.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Sally E. Academic staff of the University of Adelaide University of Adelaide alumni Alumni of the University of Cambridge Australian mycologists 20th-century Australian botanists Fellows of the Australian Academy of Science 1941 births 2019 deaths 21st-century Australian botanists