Theodor Pfeiffer (agricultural chemist)

Theodor Pfeiffer (born May 2, 1856 in Bremen , † May 29, 1923 in Kassel ) was a German agricultural chemist.

Pfeiffer studied natural sciences, in particular agricultural chemistry, at the University of Göttingen since 1876 . In 1881 he did his doctorate with Bernhard Tollens on a topic in the field of sugar chemistry. In 1885 he completed his habilitation in the field of animal nutrition. As head of the control station attached to the Agricultural University Institute, he stayed in Göttingen until 1890. In 1892 he followed a call to the chair for agricultural chemistry at the University of Jena . From 1900 to 1921 he was full professor and director of the Institute for Agricultural Chemistry and Bacteriology at the University of Wroclaw .

In Jena and Breslau, Pfeiffer's research focuses on the areas of plant nutrition , fertilization and agricultural bacteriology . His studies on nitrogen-collecting bacteria opened up new perspectives for further research on the problem of nitrogen conversion in arable soils during fertilization measures. Pfeiffer's main scientific work is a comprehensive manual on the technology of vessel experiments. His contribution on the understanding of the discipline of agricultural chemistry at German universities is noteworthy for the history of science in agriculture.

Fonts

• The position of agricultural chemistry at German universities . In: The agricultural experimental stations, Vol. 66, 1907, pp. 376-390.
• Nitrogen-gathering bacteria, fallow land and overexploitation . Berlin 1904, 2nd edition, ibid. 1912.
• The vegetation experiment as an aid to solving questions in the field of plant nutrition, with special consideration of sand and soil cultures in pots . Berlin 1918.

literature

• Edwin Blanck: Theodor Pfeiffer † . In: Journal for Plant Nutrition and Fertilization, Vol. 2, Part. B. 1923, pp. 337–341.
• Paul Ehrenberg: In memory of Theodor Pfeiffer . In: The agricultural test stations, Vol. 102, 1924, pp. 36–42.
• Wilhelm Zorn: The history of agricultural science in Silesia . Supplement No. 2 to the yearbook of the Silesian Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität zu Breslau. Würzburg 1964, pp. 67-72.