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More about Kline: Research |
Award |
Scientists Honored for Transferring
Technology to Marketplace By
Jim Core February
14, 2002
Scientists with the Agricultural Research Service received
Technology Transfer Awards for "Outstanding Effort" from the federal research
agency on Wednesday for developing better attractants and trapping systems for
bloodsucking insects, and for transferring computer modeling technology for
managing water resources. ARS is the chief scientific research agency of
USDA.
The award winners are entomologist
Daniel L.
Kline of Gainesville, Fla., and agricultural engineers Jeffrey G. Arnold
and Kevin W. King and agronomist James R. Kiniry of Temple, Texas. The awards
recognize the scientists success in moving their research from the
laboratory to growers, educators and other users here and abroad. The winners
received plaques during a ceremony at ARS
Henry A. Wallace Beltsville Agricultural
Research Center, Beltsville, Md.
Kline, with the
Mosquito
and Fly Research Unit of the Center
for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology in Gainesville,
developed more efficient insect-trapping devices and discovered attractant
blends, based primarily on human skin emanations, that draw high numbers of
female Aedes aegypti mosquitos. He worked with private industry to
transfer the results of his research to commercial use, resulting in two
patents and two patents pending.
Klines findings could help manage mosquito population at
levels below the annoyance/disease thresholds of humans and livestock, while
reducing reliance on chemical insecticides. |
More about Arnold, King,
and Kiniry: Award
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Arnold, King and Kiniry developed the Soil and Water Assessment
Tool (SWAT) at the
Grassland Soil and Water Research
Laboratory in Temple. SWAT is a computer-based evaluation tool that
simulates climate and land management impact on water and pollutant loads from
watersheds and river basins.
The SWAT computer model takes into account factors such as
hydrology, soil erosion, plant growth and cycling of nutrients, as well as
off-site activities including channel erosion, reservoir deposition,
groundwater flow and climate variability to show the impact of land management
practices in large, complex watersheds. The model, created from 30 years of ARS
research, achieved widespread global use.
Four other researchers and two research teams were also honored
by ARS for "Superior Effort" in technology transfer accomplishments. They are:
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More about Devine: Research |
Award
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Thomas E. Devine, plant geneticist,
Sustainable Agriculture
Systems Laboratory , Beltsville, Md.
Devine bred the first forage-type soybean cultivars to be used
as high-quality, nutritious animal forage. He obtained plant variety protection
for ARS and increased the knowledge of these cultivars. |
More about Heatherly: Research |
Award |
Larry G. Heatherly, research agronomist,
Crop Genetics and
Production Research Unit, Stoneville, Miss.
He developed and adapted the Early Soybean Production System
(ESPS) for a large portion of the southern United States. ESPS is a new
production concept designed to reduce exposure of the crop to the
yield-limiting effects of drought that occurs during normal growing seasons.
For the past five years, ESPS was used on about one-third of the 8 million
soybean acres in the lower Mississippi River Valley. Use of the system, in a
six-state area, has resulted in increased income estimated at $75 million.
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More about Hunter and
Kuykendall: Research |
Award |
Microbiologists William J. Hunter,
Soil, Plant, Nutrient Research Unit,
Fort Collins, Colo., and David Kuykendall,
Molecular Plant Pathology
Laboratory, Beltsville, Md.
Hunter and Kuykendall developed a bacterial inoculant for
soybean seeds that helps produce much bigger yields. Prior to development of
this inoculant, only 5 percent of soybean farmers used an inoculant on their
soybean seeds. Now, in some states, 30 to 40 percent of soybean farmers use
inoculants, with many using the USDA strain. |
More about Okie: Research | Award |
William R. Okie, research horticulturist,
Southeastern
Fruit and Tree Nut Research Laboratory, Byron, Ga.
Okie developed peach varieties and rootstocks vital to the
survival of the southeastern peach industry. Peach growers have struggled with
obsolete varieties and reduced orchard life due to Peach Tree Short Life
disease (PTSL). Producers must grow many varieties to maintain the peach supply
from May to September and to adapt to the different climate zones, from coastal
plains to mountains. Guardian rootstock, developed by Okie and other ARS
scientists in cooperation with Clemson
University in Clemson, S.C., has resistance to root-knot nematodes and
greatly enhanced survival on sites that have had PTSL. |
More about Wong, Pavlath, Camirand: Research |
Award
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Dominic W.S. Wong,
Bioproduct Chemistry
and Engineering Research Unit, Albany, Calif., along with retired ARS
chemists Atilla E. Pavlath and Wayne M. Camirand.
The scientists developed edible films that have a variety of
potential uses. One calcium-based coating keeps cut apples, pears and other
lightly processed produce fresh for up to 28 days in appropriate packaging. A
commercial product was developed and is currently used by fresh-cut producers
and food service industries. Another commercial product, a nontoxic coating to
protect cows against mastitis caused by bacterial infection during the
post-milking period, was also developed and marketed. |
More about van Genuchten: Research |
Award |
Martinus T. van Genuchten, soil scientist,
George E. Brown, Jr., Salinity
Laboratory, Riverside, Calif.
He developed user-friendly software allowing agricultural
engineers to design irrigation and drainage systems providing optimal water to
crops while minimizing fertilizer and pesticide transport to groundwater. Van
Genuchten was a lead author of HYDRUS, a state-of-the-art computer model used
worldwide to improve water quality, reduce agricultural chemical runoff and
manage industrial and municipal wastes. The software, which he helped
commercialize, has also been distributed freely around the
world. |
Story contacts
Bioproduct Chemistry and Engineering Research
Soil and Water Research
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