Indianapolis - February 15, 2012
Dr. Glen Ritchie was named the 2012 Outstanding Young Cotton Physiologist at the recent Beltwide Cotton Agronomy and Physiology Conference. The prestigious award is sponsored by Dow AgroSciences.
Ritchie, a research physiologist with Texas Tech University and Texas AgriLife Research in Lubbock, Texas, was honored with this national award for his work focusing on cotton drought stress and irrigation. Ritchie received a plaque and a $1,000 award from Dow AgroSciences.
“Of all the people currently doing cotton physiology work in the early part of their career, I think Glen Ritchie is at the top of the group,” says Russell Nuti, cotton development specialist for PhytoGen cottonseed.
Ritchie received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Utah State University. During his time at Utah State, he conducted research on using remote sensing to detect water stress and nitrogen deficiency in crops. Ritchie holds a doctorate from the University of Georgia, where he studied water deficiency in cotton and its effects on boll distribution, canopy growth and reflectance. His research, which used tethered blimps to collect aerial imagery, garnered national recognition.
Ritchie oversees a research program focused on developing sustainable management systems and evaluating cotton cultivars under multiple irrigation levels. He serves as an adviser for six graduate students and is involved as a reviewer for eight refereed journals.
Dr. Guy Collins, University of Georgia (UGA) cotton specialist, and Dr. Jared Whitaker, UGA Extension agronomist, nominated Ritchie for the award.
“Dr. Ritchie has the unique ability to conduct critical scientific research and relate this information in a practical manner to stakeholders throughout the industry,” Collins wrote in his nomination. “He has both a strong physiological and applied background and is capable of relaying information to a wide array of audiences.”
Ritchie’s ability to translate cotton physiology for the benefit of the industry is coupled with a strong work ethic. Whitaker wrote that’s an industry advancing combination.
“His capabilities have helped advance the understanding of cotton growth and development while also working tirelessly to help others along the way,” Whitaker wrote.
The award was initiated by the Beltwide Cotton Agronomy and Physiology Conference to provide a means of recognition for cotton physiology researchers in the early part of their careers. It was modeled after the Outstanding Cotton Physiologist Award given by the same conference for career-long accomplishments. The criteria for the Young Physiologist Award is that nominations be submitted by a peer prior to the nominee turning 40 years old and during the first 10 years after receiving his or her highest academic degree. Dow AgroSciences has been the sponsor since the inception of the award.
PhytoGen, an affiliate of Dow AgroSciences, offers cottonseed varieties with the most advanced in-plant protection options, such as two-gene WideStrike Insect Protection, Roundup Ready®, and Genuity® Roundup Ready Flex. For more information on PhytoGen or 2012 varieties, call 800-258-3033 or go to PhytoGenYields.com.
About Dow AgroSciences
Dow AgroSciences, based in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA, develops leading-edge crop protection and plant biotechnology solutions to meet the challenges of the growing world. Dow AgroSciences is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Company and had annual global sales of $5.7 billion in 2011. Learn more at www.dowagro.com. Follow Dow AgroSciences on Facebook and YouTube or subscribe to our News Release RSS Feed.
ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW PESTICIDE LABEL DIRECTIONS. Roundup Ready® crops contain genes that confer tolerance to glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup® brand agricultural herbicides. Roundup brand agricultural herbicides will kill crops that are not tolerant to glyphosate.
®Genuity and Roundup Ready are trademarks of Monsanto Technology LLC.
®PhytoGen is a trademark of PhytoGen Seed Company, LLC.
®WideStrike is a trademark of Dow AgroSciences LLC.
PhytoGen seed company is a joint venture between Mycogen Corporation, an affiliate of Dow AgroSciences LLC,
and the J.G. Boswell Company.
For Editorial Information:
Jen Staudinger
Bader Rutter & Associates
(262) 938-9869
jstaudinger@bader-rutter.com
Megan DeVelvis
Dow AgroSciences LLC
(317) 370-5072
megan.develvis@dow.com
