Helmut Becker

Becker Helmut

Dr. John Smith (1927-1990) studied at the University of Mainz, natural sciences and his PhD on the biology of phylloxera . From 1952 to 1953 he was a research associate at the National Viticulture Institute Freiburg (Germany) . As successor to Dr. Heinrich Henry Birk (1998-1973) he led from 1964 to 1989, the Institute for Grapevine Breeding and Grafting and from 1971 to 1975, the Department of Viticulture and beverage technology at the Research Institute Geisenheim in the Rheingau. Becker devoted himself particularly to the cultivation of noble grape varieties, clones of breeding and seed supply by ensuring the implementation of sanitary measures and the creation of legal regulations. Are the Members of his new varieties Bolero , encore , Ehrenbreitsteiner , Primera , Principal , Reichensteiner , Rondo and Saphira . He used also Asian varieties, particularly of the species Vitis amurensis . Important breeding goal was the Resistance against both mildew and botrytis .

He also was in the breeding of rootstocks extremely successful, and he thereby to a complete resistance to the phylloxera aimed. He created on the basis of the breeder, Dr. Carl Carl Börner (1880-1953) discovered wild grape Vitis cinerea under this discoverer named Base and rootstock - the first with a perfect resistance to phylloxera, that is, against Tuberosities and Nodositäten . His studies on the finishing led to major improvements and new techniques of reproduction. Also worth noting is that he historically significant and almost extinct species Orléans (grape) selektionierte new and revitalized. Becker worked at several universities, working together with scientists from around the world and participated in numerous conferences. Studies and lecture tours took him all over the world, a few months he has also served as a visiting scholar in Australia and New Zealand. In 1982 he was awarded the Federal Cross of Merit and in 1986 he was appointed honorary professor.