Winners of Robert E. Wagner Award for 2006
wo outstanding agrotems that increase productivnomic scientists have ity and protect the environbeen selected to receive ment. Dr. Kissel earned his the 2005-2006 Robert E. WagB.S. degree at Purdue Univerner Award by PPI. The award sity in 1965 and his M.S. in encourages worldwide candi1967 and Ph.D. in 1969 at the date nominations and has two University of Kentucky in soil categories… Senior Scientist chemistry. He studied yield reand Young Scientist, under the sponse by forages and crops at age of 45. The recipient in each the Blackland Research Center category receives $5,000 along in central Texas and identified Dr. Dr. D.E. Kissel with the award plaque. key management practices Dr. that improve N use efficiency. Kissel, Dr. David E. Kissel ProfesDr. Kissel was at Kansas State sor and Director, Agricultural and Environmental Services LaboUniversity from 1978 to 1988 where he continued research on ratories, University of Georgia, N-phosphorus (P) fertilizer receives the Senior Scientist Award. Dr. Nathan A. Slaton, Dr. placement and expanded that work to determine the effect of Associate Professor, Director of band spacing, P source, and Soil Testing, University of Arother factors on efficient fertilkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, receives the izer use and wheat yield. Dr. N.A Slaton .A. Dr. N .A . Slat on r. Slaton’s Young Scientist Award. D r. Slaton current reThe award recognizes distinguished search program focus is to update P and contributions to advanced crop yields potassium (K) recommendations in Arkanthrough maximum yield research (MYR) sas for rice, soybeans, and winter wheat by and maximum economic yield (MEY) conducting correlation-calibration studies. management. It honors Dr. Robert E. His program is also developing guidelines Wagner, President (retired) of PPI, for his for use of poultry litter as a nutrient source many achievements and in recognition of for crops, examining polymer coated-urea his development of the MEY concept…for as a potential preplant incorporated N profitable, efficient agriculture. source for flood irrigated rice, relationships Dr. Dr. Kissel is a highly respected scien- among rice diseases/nutrient management/ tist and administrator whose career has production practices, and sustainable K been devoted to enhancing and under- fertilization strategies for rotations involvstanding the fate and dynamics of fertil- ing rice and soybeans. Many of his earlier izer nutrient applications. He has worked research findings have been incorporated diligently to transfer his research results into management recommendations and into management practices that will in- adopted by growers. A native of Indiana, Dr. crease fertilizer efficiency, crop yields, and Slaton earned his B.S. degree at Murray State producer profitability. Dr. Kissel’s research University (Kentucky) in 1986, then moved on plant nitrogen (N) nutrition has signifi- to the University of Arkansas where he cantly contributed to improved efficiencies completed his M.S. in 1989 and Ph.D. in soil of urea fertilizers. His recent efforts related fertility in 1998. From 1995 to 2001, he was to variability in southeast U.S. soils have Extension Agronomist–Rice, with University had considerable impact in that he has in- of Arkansas Cooperative Extension. BC For more about the Wagner Award and 2006 recipients, tegrated the effects of soil physical and www.ppi-ppic.org/pr www.ppi-ppic.org/pr<. chemical properties into management sys- visit the website at: >www.ppi-ppic.org/pr
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Better Crops/Vol. 90 (2006, No. 3)
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