John Charles Walker

John Charles Walker (1893 to 1994) was an American agricultural scientist and plant pathologist, professor emeritus at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, whose research established the chemical basis of disease resistance in plants. He used that understanding to breed disease-resistant varieties of common vegetables, including onions, cabbages, beans, peas, beets and cucumbers, work the National Academy of Sciences credited with having a fundamental impact on agriculture worldwide, and he held leadership positions in the American Phytopathological Society.