May 1, 2024

USDA-ARS researchers recognized for achievements

The USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) recently recognized researchers for work that includes improving bee health to helping farmers control phosphorus runoff.

A total of 12 researchers were honored April 23 for their scientific achievements.

“They exemplify the scientific excellence and innovation that our agency seeks in delivering solutions to agricultural challenges nationally and abroad,” ARS Administrator Simon Liu said in a news release.

Area Research Scientists of the Year included:

• Scott M. Geib, with ARS’s Tropical Pest Genetics and Molecular Biology Research Unit in Hilo, Hawaii, for his leadership and contributions to the advancement of insect genomics research and national-level initiatives such as the USDA Ag100Pests and Beenome100.
• Brian E. Scheffler, with ARS’s Genomics and Bioinformatics Research in Stoneville, Mississippi, for scientific leadership and innovation ranging from herbicide mode-of-action discoveries to high-quality crop genomes and contributions to SCINet, Ag100Pest and Beeome100.
• Gayle M. Volk, with ARS’s Agricultural Genetic Resources Preservation Research in Fort Collins, Colorado, for leadership on the clonal cryopreservation of critical plant germplasm, collections assessment and training of aspiring plant scientists and genebankers.

ARS also honored scientists in the early phases of their careers. The early-career awards recognize the achievements of ARS researchers with the agency for seven years or less. Mohamed Alburaki, with ARS’s Bee Research Laboratory in Beltsville, Maryland, received the award for incorporating epidemiological modeling and other scientific innovations to create faster, more accurate diagnoses of bee diseases and other health issues, benefiting beekeepers and regulatory agencies alike.

The agency’s ARS Technology Transfer Award recognizes individuals or groups who have done outstanding work in transferring technology to the marketplace.

This year’s winner is the Phosphorous Transport Reduction App Team, consisting of Jim R. Frankenberger and Chad J. Penn, at ARS’s National Soil Erosion Research Laboratory in West Lafayette, Indiana. Phosphorus that leaves agricultural fields in runoff or drainage water can end up in water bodies like lakes and streams, compromising water quality and causing harm to aquatic life.

The team developed a software application named the P-Trap that makes it easier for users to select, design, build and evaluate phosphorus removal systems that would work best with a specific farm operation. The team’s push to expand awareness and adoption of phosphorus removal systems also extended to furnishing content for a series of training modules and providing consultations and on-site demonstrations, including on how to recycle captured phosphorus from runoff.

Penn also lent his technical expertise to the American Society of Agronomy and the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, which developed the training modules with support from USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service. Together with NRCS, Penn worked to devise a national standard allowing for cost-sharing of the removal systems under the agency’s Environmental Quality Incentives Program.