Cotton Researcher D.D. ‘Dick’ Hardee Dies In Greenville, Miss.
Dr. D.D. (Dick) Hardee, well-known cotton entomologist, passed away Nov. 19, 2015. He was 77 years old.
Dick began his 40-year career as an entomologist in 1964 when he accepted a position as research entomologist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service at the Boll Weevil Research Laboratory at Mississippi State University in Starkville.
His assignment was to work with chemists to isolate and identify the sex pheromone (attractant) produced by the male boll weevil and to develop effective and long-lasting formulations of the attractant, which he named “grandlure,” to be used in inexpensive and effective traps for eliminating this costly insect from the United States.
Dick is widely known for his many contributions, along with countless associates, in achieving U.S. eradication of the boll weevil, affectionately known in cotton circles as the “$15 billion insect.”
His other contributions include the ownership of four U.S. patents, two of which were licensed and commercialized; more than 200 publications in scientific journals; 25 chapters in books; and more than 100 invitations to make oral presentations. He served from 1989-2003 as co-chairman of the National Cotton Council’s Beltwide Cotton Insect Research and Control Conference.
New 3NV Nozzle SystemWins Two Awards
Nelson Irrigation’s 3030 Series Pivot Sprinklers with the new 3NV Nozzle System received the Irrigation Association’s New Product Award for Agriculture as well as the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineer’s AE50 Award.
The Irrigation Association’s New Product Contest winners were announced at the General Session at the IA show in Long Beach, Calif., on Nov. 20.
First-place and honorable mention winners were recognized in four categories: agriculture, golf, turf/landscape and specialty. Products were evaluated by a panel of judges based on innovative and/or “changed for the better” qualities, increased water efficiency, ease of use, cost benefits, time savings and design quality. This is the third New Product award Nelson has received from the IA since 2002 when the contest began.
AE50 awards honor the year’s most innovative designs in engineering products or systems for the food and agriculture industries.
The 3030 Series and the 3NV Nozzle will be featured in the January/February 2016 special AE50 issue of ASABE’s magazine, Resource: Engineering & Technology for a Sustainable World.
Nelson Irrigation Corporation, headquartered in Walla Walla, Wash., plans, designs, manufactures and sells proprietary products for the irrigation equipment market.
For more information, please visit www.nelsonirrigation.com.
2016 LACA Annual Meeting Scheduled For February
Paragon Casino Resort in Marksville, La., will again be the venue for the 2016 Louisiana Agricultural Consultants’ Association Annual Meeting and the Louisiana Agricultural Technology & Management Conference. The conference will begin with lunch sponsored by BASF Corp. on Feb. 17 and end with recertification for consultants and commercial applicators at noon Feb. 19. Certain sessions will qualify for Certified Crop Advisers’ Continuing Education Units.
There will be a pre-conference symposium featuring irrigation management beginning on Tuesday morning and concluding on Wednesday at noon. Pre-registration will be necessary for this workshop due to limited space. Contact Stacia Davis (sdavis@agcenter.lsu.edu) or 318-741-7430 ext. 1105 for more information.
A silent auction and raffle will be held to benefit the Ray and Dorothy Young Endowed Assistantship for Row Crop IPM at the meeting again this year.
For more information about the silent auction and raffle, contact Matt Myers, executive board director, at AMSMattM@aol.com, 318-854-4411; or Denise Wright, LACA executive director, at denise@laca1.org, 337-945-3694.
Also contact Denise for further information on the upcoming conference. The preliminary program, registration form, hotel memorandum and other conference information can be found at www.laca1.org.
Nominations Open For Agriculturalist Of The Year
The California State Fair is seeking nominations for the 2016 Agriculturalist of the Year.
The Agriculturalist of the Year award is presented to an individual who has moved the state’s agricultural industry in a positive direction through demonstrated leadership. Individuals nominated must have clearly represented the industry over a number of years in one or more of the following areas: finance, government, production agriculture, education, labor, research, communications, trade and public service.
2016 Agriculturalist of the Year nomination forms can be found on the California State Fair website under Agricultural Advisory Council (http://www.castatefair.org/agricultural-advisory-council/).
Nominations must be received by Friday, Jan. 22, 2016.