Indianapolis, IN - March 03, 2010
Dr. Joel Faircloth, PhytoGen cotton development specialist for Dow AgroSciences, and Dr. Gayle H. Davidonis were recently presented with cotton physiology awards at the 2010 Beltwide Cotton Conferences. Faircloth received the first Outstanding Young Cotton Physiologist Award and Davidonis, the Cotton Physiology Researcher of the Year Award.
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"The cotton industry needs more people like Joel and Gayle," says Dr. Craig Bednarz, a professor of crop physiology at Texas Tech University with a joint appointment with Texas AgriLife Research and one of five members on the selection committee. "There are fewer and fewer people like them, so we try to reward those who have helped the industry."
Faircloth joined Dow AgroSciences in January 2007 after working three years as a cotton specialist and assistant professor of weed science at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Prior to Virginia Tech, Faircloth was an assistant professor of agronomy at Louisiana State University. He received a doctorate in crop science, a master's degree in entomology and a bachelor's degree in wildlife and fisheries from North Carolina State University.
"The purpose of the selection committee is to recognize outstanding young people in cotton physiology," Bednarz says. "Joel has had a successful career both in academia and the private industry. We applaud him for the job he's done thus far and we wish him continued success."
Over the course of his career, Faircloth has worked with research and Extension programs, secured research funding, served on various research committees and advised graduate students. His research has focused on harvest aid management, plant growth regulators and cropping sequences, which have reduced the financial risk of cotton growers. Faircloth's efforts have resulted in 19 refereed publications, various Extension publications and production guides, and several awards and grants.
"It's a great honor to be a recipient of this distinguished award," Faircloth says. "And it's an even greater privilege to be the first to receive this award."
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Davidonis received the Cotton Physiology Researcher of the Year Award for her contributions throughout her esteemed career with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Davidonis has worked in several areas of cotton physiology, and her accomplishments have had a wide-ranging impact on cotton production worldwide. Included in her research was the development of new tissue culture procedures that led to improvements in regeneration of plants and allowed the development of genetically engineered varieties of cotton and other crops.
"To be recognized by my peers for the work I've done is an honor," Davidonis says. "I'm proud of the work our industry as a whole does. My research is just one piece in a much larger puzzle."
The awards are presented to individuals who have significantly improved the knowledge of the physiology of cotton growth and development. Arysta LifeScience has sponsored the Cotton Physiology Researcher of the Year Award for more than 15 years. Dow AgroSciences sponsored the Outstanding Young Cotton Physiologist Award in an effort to recognize outstanding young people in cotton physiology.
For more information on PhytoGen® cottonseed, visit www.PhytoGenYields.com.
About Dow AgroSciences
Dow AgroSciences LLC, based in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA, is a top-tier agricultural company providing innovative agrochemical and biotechnology solutions globally. The company, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Company, has sales of $4.5 billion. Learn more at .
About Arysta LifeScience Corporation
Headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, Arysta LifeScience is the world's largest privately held crop protection and life science company with 2008 revenues of JPY134 billion (US$1.3 billion). An entrepreneurial provider of crop protection and life science products in more than 125 countries worldwide, Arysta LifeScience specializes in marketing and distribution of respected crop protection brands and life science products in harmony with the needs of global partners. More information on the company is available at: www.arystalifescience.com .
For Editorial Information:
Amanda Powell
Bader Rutter & Associates
(770) 356-1480
apowell@bader-rutter.com
Linda Frerichs
Arysta LifeScience Corporation
(919) 678-4948
linda.frerichs@arystalifescience.com
