Crop and Soil Sciences News

Dr. William Vencill Receives Award at 2008 WSSA Annual Meeting (posted 02.15.08)

Dr. William Vencill has been named the 2008 Outstanding Reviewer by the Weed Science Society of America. This award was announced on February 4. 2008, at the WSSA Annual Meeting in Chicago, IL.

Chompunut Chayawat Wins 4th in Graduate Student Poster Competition (posted 02.15.08)

Chompunut Chayawat won 4th place in the student poster competition at the ASA Southern Branch Annual Meeting, held in Dallas, TX, February 3-5, 2008. Chompunut, who is jointly advised by Dr. Monique Leclerc at our Griffin campus and Dr. Chuckree Senthong of Chiang Mai University in Thailand, presented a poster entitled "Response of Soil CO2 Efflux to Rainfall Variability in Wheat and Peanut Fields." Her work, done in collaboration with Dr. John Beasley, has been funded by the Peanut Foundation and the Peanut Commission.

AMS Award Goes to Professor M. Y. Leclerc (posted 02.15.08)

At the American Meteorological Society's Annual Meeting in New Orleans, LA, January 2008, Dr. Monique Leclerc received the national award for Outstanding Achievement in Biometeorology. The American Meteorological Society Council voted to give Professor Leclerc this award for "pioneering research that has advanced our understanding of temporal and spatial patterns of local and regional carbon exchanges, and for global leadership in advancement of biometeorology."

CRSS Graduate Program Ranks in Top 10 Nationally (posted 01.31.08)

As reported by the Chronicle of Higher Education and the UGA Columns, the 3rd annual Faculty Scholarly Productivity Index, provided by Academic Analytics, has ranked the UGA Crop & Soil Doctoral program among the nation's Top 10 most productive graduate programs.

Dr. Andrew Paterson Receives 2007 Cotton Genetics Research Award (posted 01.15.08)

On Thursday, January 10, 2008, CRSS's own Dr. Andy Paterson was awarded the 2007 Cotton Genetics Research Award. Please click here to read the National Cotton Council of America press release.

2007 Christmas Potluck Lunch (posted 11.26.07)

On Tuesday, December 18, 2007, the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences will be hosting its annual Christmas Potluck Luncheon. All current and retired faculty and staff, students, alumni, and their families are invited to attend. Please bring a covered dish, and join us from 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. in Miller Plant Sciences room 2401.

2007 Fall Cookout (posted 11.08.07)

The Department of Crop and Soil Sciences will be hosting its annual Fall Cookout on Friday, November 16, from 12-3 p.m., at the Plant Sciences Farm. We will have hamburgers and hotdogs, all the trimmings, various side dishes and plenty of cold drinks. All faculty, staff and students are invited to attend. Please bring along your family, and join us for an afternoon of fun! For more information, contact Laura Burris at (706) 542-2461.

2007 Agronomy Club Peanut Sale (posted 10.08.07)

The 2007 Agronomy Club Peanut Sale is here!!! The order form is available here, and orders can be picked up November 13, 14, and 15. Please see the Agronomy Club page for more details.

Kelli Coleman receives the Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award (posted 3.22.07)

Graduate student Kelli Coleman has been recognised for both the work and the attributes which have made her teaching so compelling and her students so comfortable asking her questions. Provost Arnett Mace notified the Crop and Soil Department that Kelli has received the Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award, which "documents the fact that [her] teaching performance ranks in the top ten percent of all TA's serving the University." Kelli's contribution to the University will be recognised in the Honors Day program on April 25 at Hodgson Hall Performing and Visual Arts Center Kelli serves as a teaching assistant for Dr. Bill Miller; this semester she's teaching two of the 3060 intro to Soils and Hydrology labs. What inspires Kelli is watching her students grasp a concept — watching those "aha" moments.

Lang Shen wins Glenn and Helen Burton Scholarship (posted 3.22.07)

Lang Shen has won the Glenn and Helen Burton Feeding the Hungry Fund Scholarship, awarded to a Ph.D. student in the Deparment of Crop and Soil Sciences within the College of Agriculture and Enviromental Sciences who demonstrates a strong commitment to use his or her agronomic research to help feed the hungry in a world whose available farming acrage is dwindling. Lang Shen will receive a $2000 cash prize, and, once his Ph.D. studies are completed, the opportunity to present a public lecture discussing how his research may help alleviate the world's burden of hunger.

Weed Science Graduate Students Represent Our Department at its Best (posted 1.28.07) Two Crop and Soil Sciences graduate students performed very well at last week's Southern Weed Science Society meeting in Nashville, TN. Jay Haider won first place in the presentation contest and Aaron Wise won third place.

Department Celebrates the Holidays with Annual Potluck Gathering (posted 11.30.06) Friday, December 15, the department's Athens contingent will gather to share dishes prepared by our friends and colleagues for our annual Holiday Potluck. We'll be enjoying good company and good cooking from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., in room 2401, on the second floor of Miller Plant Sciences Building. Please try your hand in the kitchen or grocery store and join us for snacking and celebrating.

University Reviews Crop and Soil Sciences Department (posted 11.17.06) This month, from Monday, November 27 through Thursday, November 30, the university will be both reviewing and visiting the operations of the three campuses comprising the department. This review occurs only once every seven years. You may find the entire Program Review document on our site, under Department Information/2006 Program Review. To follow the agendas for committee visits and departmental presentations, visit http://www.cropsoil.uga.edu/program_review_2006/agendas.php.

UGA Soils Judging Team Participates in Regional Competition (posted 11.8.06)

Traveling to Bowling Green, Kentucky, the University of Georgia Soils Judging team spent four days in October getting low-down and dirty—for science, that is.

2006 UGA Soil Judging Team—6th place in Southeast Regional Contest—L to R Randy Snow, Chris Rickman, Steven Smith, Matt Stowe, Stephen Jones, Dustin Dinsmore (10th high individual), and Stephen Dockery

AGSA Coffee Hour, Election Day—Tuesday, November 7, 8:30-9-30 a.m. in the third-floor conference room. This month the club again features organic, shade-grown, fair trade coffee from Cafe Campesino of Americus, GA, as well as various options for you to nosh on with your coffee. Please send any breakfast food requests for this month's Coffee Hour to jhaider@alum.emory.edu. And sometime after breakfast, if you're eligible, don't forget to vote!

GEOG 8020, #56-476, a Geomorphology Seminar titled "Human Impact on Fluvial Systems," offered Spring 2007. (Posted 11/01/06) Why is this news on the CSS site? Geomorphology is the study of landforms, both of their origins and possible future states. Pedology, one of the two main branches of soil science, draws upon basic studies in Geomorphology. Fluvial Geomorphology looks at how sediment is carried in water channels, and how human activity changes these systems. To see a class synopsis and reading list, click here.

University and corporate positions now posted on site (Posted 11/01/06)
The most current listings the department receives for teaching positions, assistantships, and for crop- and soil-related industry jobs will be posted as they are received. Keep on top of what's on offer—There are several tenure track positions up now. Find it under Department Info/Employment Opportunities/Other Opportunities, or click http://www.cropsoil.uga.edu/dept_info/other%20positions.php

AGSA Offers Fresh Designs in New T-Shirts, Polos, and Hats (Posted 10/26/06)
"Crop Circle" t-shirt worn out? Need holiday gift ideas? AGSA has just what you're looking for! This year we have a NEW departmental t-shirt design, plus polos and hats available in a variety of sizes and colors. Check out the designs and find more information at our website, http://www.uga.edu/agsa/

DIRECTIONS: Use our pre-order form (available at http://www.uga.edu/agsa/pdf/preorder.pdf) to choose items that you would like to order. Please send your pre-orders as soon as possible (before FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 3) so we have a better idea of the number of items that we need to order. It is not necessary to send payment (preferably a check payable to AGSA) with your order, but it is preferred for large orders. In order to encourage you to send a check with your pre-order, we will be giving away "which dawg are you?" t-shirts to at least 10 people, drawn at random, who send pre-orders with payment before FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 3.

Please either e-mail your order to agsa@uga.edu, place in the AGSA mailbox in the main office (Rm. 3111), or mail to: AGSA, Dept. of Crop and Soil Sciences, 3111 Miller Plant Sciences Bldg., Athens, GA 30602-7272.

Thanks for your interest!
Agronomy Graduate Student Association
http://www.uga.edu/agsa

Graduate Students meet Wednesday, September 13 (Posted 9/12/06)
This is to remind you that there is a mandatory meeting for all graduate students this Wednesday, 13 September with our graduate coordinator, Miguel Cabrera, who will discuss issues important to new and returning graduate students alike. The meeting will run 5:00 p.m. through 6:30 p.m. in the third floor conference room (3113 Miller Plant Sciences). Food will be served.

Agronomy Club Hosts Fall Cookout (Posted 8/31/06)
The students of the undergraduate Agronomy Club are hosting a Crop and Soil Sciences department-wide cookout to celebrate the start of fall semester, and provide some time for the Athens students, staff and faculty to relax and interact with each other. Weather permitting, it is scheduled for next Thursday, September 7th at 5 pm, in front of the Miller Plant Sciences Bldg. Your presence is a great way to show support and appreciation towards our enthusiastic and enterprising students. See you there!

UGA Soil Judging Team Places Third in National Competition (Posted 6/5/06)

The University of Georgia Soil Judging Team competed in the National Soils Contest hosted by California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, CA on March 23 and 24. The UGA team placed both third overall and 3rd in the team competition. Tony DeMarco placed 7th in the individual scoring. 21 teams from across the country participated in this year's event. Each member of the team is an Environmental Soil Science major. Andrew McEver is from Balswin County, Tony DeMarco is from Gwinnett County, Gus McCormick is from Bullock County, Charles Moore is from Hart County and Andrew Croy is from Forsyth County.

The Soil Judging Team members pose with their backs to the San Andreas Fault: Anthony McEver, Tony DeMarco, Gus McCormick, Charles Moore, Andrew Croy.

AGSA Research Forum and Poster Contest a Success (Posted 5/19/06)

The 2006 Department of Crop and Soil Sciences Research Forum and Poster Contest was a resounding success, sparking animated conversation and exchange of ideas throughout the third-floor hallways where the posters were displayed. Thirteen department graduate and undergraduate students submitted posters detailing an area of research. Following an opening reception, Dr. Bill Miller and Dr. David Knauft reviewed the entries and selected the top three posters. To read the abstracts of the submissions, please visit the link below. To view the winning posters, click each title. Congratulations to Dave, Rob and Greg.

Abstracts

1st Place: David Butler
"Phosphorus Export from Aerated Grasslands"

2nd Place: Rob Millings
"A Comparison in Cotton of Mepiquat Chloride Activity with and without Cyclanilide Addition"

CSS Hosts Reception to Bid Ingrid Barrios Farewell (Posted 5/1/06)

A reception honoring Ingrid Barrios, Administrative Assistant, for her work with the department was a well-attended success on April 28. Ingrid will be moving to Atlanta; her last day is May 5. Her reception came with sound effects and a field trip—Just as the conference room filled with people, a (very loud) fire drill sent everyone outside for fresh air. Once back inside, guests signed a card and munched excellent food while wishing Ingrid the best. The graduate students presented her with a keyring bigger than a fist to remind her of her recent ordeal during the Department's re-keying. We wish Ingrid the best in her future endeavors. To see pictures of the event, select this link: Ingrid's Reception .

Department's Spring Fling Features Photogenic Participants (Posted 4/29/06)
Students, faculty and staff enjoyed a pleasant day out at the Plant Science Farm on April 21st. Guests ate catfish, hushpuppies, burgers and other excellent food prepared by Jason Strickland, then played games by the lakeside pavilion. Ingrid Barrios and Deb Chasteen ran a raffle for department T-shirts, cookbooks, mugs and the ever-popular Agronomy Club peanuts. Visit this link—Spring Fling 2006—for photos of the fun.

Dr. Shilling Presents Awards (Posted 4/29/06)
Dr. Donn Shilling presented Agronomy awards to young participants in the 58th Georgia Science and Engineering Fair on Saturday, April 8, 2006. The UGA Crop and Soils Department recognized the work of Haley Gilleland of Ben Hill Middle School in Fitzgerald and Abby Blocker-Joyner of Statesboro High School in Statesboro. Congratulations to these bright, dedicated young women.

From left to right: Award winners Haley Gilleland and Abby Blocker-Joyner display their awards with Department Head Dr. Donn Shillling at the Georgia Science and Engineering Fair held at UGA.

Department Hosts the Spring Fling on April 21, 2006 (Posted 4/13/06)
The Department hosts the annual Spring Fling gathering and cookout at the Plant Sciences Farm in Watkinsville on Friday, April 21, from 12 noon until 5:00 p.m. All students, faculty and staff are invited to enjoy an afternoon of games, prize raffles and a fish fry. Burgers, hot dogs and veggie burgers are also on the menu. Please RSVP by e-maililng Ingrid at ibarrios@uga.edu. We look forward to your joining us—See you there!

Departmental Banquet to be held April 13, 2006 (Posted 3/14/06)
The Department of Crop and Soil Sciences Annual Banquet sponsored by the Agronomy Club will be held April 13, 2006. It will start at 6:30PM at Flinchum's Phoenix. Tickets are on sale from any Agronomy Club member, after Spring Break. Tickets are $5.00 each. If you need more information please email Jeremy Huskey at jeremy04@uga.edu. Everyone is invited and we hope to see you there!

New Administrative Assistants for Athens Campus hired
The department has hired 2 new Administrative Assistants:

Deb Chasteen--Administrative Assistant II (Administrative support).
Deb will be starting March 20th and assume Ingrid's responsibilities.
This starting date will give her an opportunity to cross-train with Ingrid who will be leaving on May 6th.

Melissa Hannah--Administrative Assistant II (Fiscal support). Melissa will be starting March 27th. She will be primarily responsible for providing fiscal support, but will also help with various administrative duties.

Their job responsibilities will be on the web page (Department Information).

Dr. Craig Bednarz accepted research/teaching position at Texas Tech University
Dr. Craig Bednarz joined the UGA Crop & Soil Sciences Department as an Assistant Professor in Cotton Physiology and Management in December 1996 and was promoted to Associate Professor in 2002. He recently accepted a research/teaching position at his alma mater Texas Tech University and departed from UGA at the end of March 2006.

His greatest contributions to the knowledge base of cotton in Georgia, the Southeast, and U.S. include determinations of yield and fiber quality losses associated with delayed harvest, compensatory capacity of cotton following early season fruit losses, effects of reduced plant populations on fiber quality, fundamentals of yield and quality components within the cotton canopy, and basic water use requirements of modern cotton production in coarse textured, low organic matter soils. His work demonstrates the uniqueness of cotton production in the lower coastal plain as compared to many other parts of the U.S.

Recognizing the discrepancy of fiber quality measurements from small plot research samples versus commercially ginned cotton, Dr. Bednarz conceived the idea of the UGA Micro Gin. He was instrumental in securing state and federal grants in excess of $2 million and provided leadership to bring the project to completion in 2004. The MicroGin is the most modern facility of its kind in the world and is an exceptional tool for addressing current fiber quality challenges facing Georgia producers.

His creative research, strong work ethic, and cooperative spirit made him a valuable member of the UGA College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences.

2005 Fall Graduation (Posted 02/01/06)

Fall graduation was held on December 17, 2005 in the Mabler Auditorium. The graduating class in above picture from left to right: Dean Angle, Charles Moore, James Brandon Stuart, Chad Jaudon, Dr. Donn Shilling, Derek Gann, Adam Godfrey, Anthony Demarco and Bryce Coble. Click on links for additional pictures on Graduation ceremony and Reception.

Water Chemist position (Posted 1/31/06)
We are filling a position at our Griffin campus to support research and teaching in Water Chemistry.

Cropping System Agronomist position
Dr. John Baldwin left UGA for the University of Florida. We are moving forward to reestablish our effort in peanuts. this position will become a Peanut System Agronomist focused o rotation, tillage and nutrition factors affecting production.

Soil Chemist position
Drs. Kang Xia and Mark Williams have taken positions at Mississippi State. Dr. Xia's program in Soil Chemistry is critical to our research effort and teaching program in Environmental Chemistry. We are fortunate to have received a Georgia Power Professorship in Soil Chemistry and will be moving forward to fill this critical position.

New Dean for the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences
Dr. Scott Angle joined us in 2005 and has hit the ground running. He was at the Univerisy of Maryland serving as the Associate Dean of Research. His area of expertise is Environmental Science so he has his tenure in the Department of Crop and Soil Science.

Dr. Glenn Burton, 1910-2005 (Posted 11/22/05)
Dr. Glenn Burton, long-time employee of both USDA-ARS Forage and Turf Unit and University of Georgia Cropand Soil Science Dept., passed away on Tuesday, November 22, 2005. His initial responsibility was improving the breeds of grasses used by farmers in the South. It was in 1943, after seven years of experimenting with more than 5,000 varieties, that he developed Coastal bermuda grass which enabled farmers to increase cattle production through grazing year-round and at the same time reduce soil erosion far better than common bermuda grasses.

Eventually, Burton developed more than 20 varieties of forage grasses, and today more than 10 million acres of pasture land from the Carolinas to central Texas have been planted with his grasses, notably the Coastal bermuda variety. A more recent improvement is Tifton 85, which covers more than one million acres in Brazil, where farmers raise many more cattle than in the U.S.

He was one of the world's foremost agricultural scientists whose efforts in plant genetics from 1936 to the 1990s with colleagues at the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the University of Georgia at Tifton have helped "feed the hungry, protect and beautify the environment, and provide recreation for millions."

Scholarships and Internships
Scholarships

Internships

Hiring new Forage Extension Specialist
The department is losing our outstanding forage extension specialist to of all places Clemson--sorry John. We will move immediately to refill this critical position as our forage team is down to Drs. Nick Hill and Carl Hoveland. Carl has been gracious enough to continue providing his services even after his official retirement. We will provide support to our Ag. Agents and growers using our existing Forage Extension team and by adding a temporary member--Dr. John Woodruff. John will be rehired in the near future.

Interviewing for our next Forage Breeder
Dr. Joe Bouton retired from our Department to take a position at the Nobel Foundation. Although Joe will be impossible to replace, refilling this position is critical to providing Georgia growers with productive forages. We have finished an extensive international search for Joe's replacement and are fortunate to have found 3 outstanding candidates. We will be interviewing and hopefully finalizing filling this critical position in early 2006.