31st National Agricultural Plastics Congress Awards Ceremony
Sunday, August 19, 2003, Grand Rapids, Michigan
Awards Presented by
Mark Jordan, president of the American Society for Plasticulture

The growing importance of plasticulture in agricultural and horticultural crop production for the United States . . . and the world beyond our borders . . . was highlighted at the 31st National Agricultural Plastics Congress held this year in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The Congress also provided an opportunity for the American Society for Plasticulture to focus on the achievements of those who have contributed to that growth.

Pioneer Award

ASP members honored Dr. Stephen J. Olson of the University of Florida with the Pioneer Award in recognition of his work to broaden the importance of ASP by exemplary research and developmental efforts that have contemporary and future impacts to the field of plasticulture.

Dr. Olson joined the faculty at University of Florida in 1981 and currently holds Professor rank with a 70% extension/30% research appointment in the area of commercial vegetable production. He has over 30 years experience in commercial tomato production in the southeast spending 20 plus years in the southern Georgia, southern Alabama and northern Florida areas.

His extension duties include service as the vegetable specialist for northwest Florida and he has statewide responsibility for small farm program support. He was the first research/extension person to work with the thrips damage to tomato fruit in the early to middle 1980s in north Florida. He found the cause, developed the management of Tomato Little Leaf, and named it.

Dr. Olson's work has had career-long impact on vegetable production using plasticulture, particularly mulch film. Most recently, he has worked as a leading team member on developing reflective mulches for control of tomato spotted wilt virus. His research over the last 23 years has led to widespread adoption of plasticulture production techniques by vegetable producers in northern Florida.

He holds a bachelors' degree from The Citadel. He received his Masters in horticulture and Ph.D. in plant physiology from Clemson University.

Distinguished Service Award

The Distinguished Service Award was conferred on Keith S. Williamson of Sonoco Products Co. of North Carolina to acknowledge his exceptional service and activities on behalf of ASP. Mr. Williamson is well known in the industry as the Business Unit Manager for Agricultural Films in the High Density Film Products Division of Sonoco. He has been with the company for the past twelve years. His background includes 15 years farming with his father and brother at Oaklyn Plantation in Darlington, SC after his Army service. He received his bachelor's degree in French from Davidson College, Davidson, NC, and after study at Cornell University in agricultural economics, went on to earn a Master of Agriculture degree with a concentration in economics from North Carolina State University. He also achieved an MBA degree from Stanford University in California after building experience on the family farm.

As a long-time supporter of ASP, Keith has been a member of practically every Society committee. He served on the Board of Directors and moved through the ranks of officers until elected president of the Board for the inter-Congress period spanning 1999 and 2000. During that term, ASP hosted the 15th International Ag Plastics Congress as a joint Congress in Hershey, Pennsylvania in the year 2000. Most recently, he has served on the Past Presidents' Foundation Committee.

As ASP considered its future at the last Congress, Keith was a passionate spokesman for the value the organization brings to its members and the industry. He continues to be an outstanding example of the leadership and dedicated service that has made ASP the leader in the field of plastics applications for crop production systems.

Best Paper Award

The Best Paper Award for the 30th Congress was presented to Armando Suárez-Romero of the University of Arizona as the primary author on a paper entitled "Environmental And Plant Growth Experiences In A Retractable Roof Greenhouse Under Semi-Arid Conditions." Co-authors on the paper include Gene Giacomelli, Merle Jensen, Ursula Schuch, and Stephen Kania, all part of the research team at the Controlled Environment Agriculture Center at the University of Arizona.

Armando is a graduate student at the University of Arizona, who received his B.S. degree in Crop Science and Management cum laude from ITESM-CQ in Mexico. His work during his college years in Mexico included experience in tomato production and potato production, and some exposure to organic and alternative cultures. His introduction to horticulture came during his high school years in France, working as a gardener learning the basic techniques of ornamental production under controlled conditions. In addition to his studies in agriculture, he serves as a Professor of French at his alma mater in Mexico.

The recipient of the Best Paper Award is selected by a committee of ASP's Past Presidents, chaired by the Immediate Past President. Michael D. Orzolek of Penn State University chaired the committee this year, with help from Keith S. Williamson of Sonoco Products; Otho S. Wells, retired from the University of New Hampshire, and William Lamont, Jr. of Penn State.

Past Awards -- 30th National Agricultural Plastics Congress Awards Ceremony

Pioneer Award

Recognizes a member who has broadened or deepened the importance of ASP by exemplary research or developmental efforts that have contemporary and future impacts to the field of plasticulture.

ASP members honored Dr. Salvadore J. Locascio with the Pioneer Award at the 30th National Agricultural Plastics Congress.

A member of the faculty at University of Florida since 1959, Dr. Locascio has published over 200 papers on the use of polyethylene mulch and drip irrigation over the past 43 years. Sal has had numerous publications in the Proceedings dating back to a paper on "Retention of Nutrients as Affected by Plastic Mulch" presented at the second NAPA Congress in 1961.

In the early 1960's, his pioneering efforts stimulated the adoption of plastic mulch for annual strawberry production in Florida. Studies with strawberry, tomato, pepper, and watermelon provided the first published information (1972) on use of drip irrigation for these crops in Florida. His studies on fertilizer timing and placement were instrumental in preventing soluble salt injury in tomato production and in stimulating use of drip irrigation and mulch for several vegetable crops. More recent work by Dr. Locascio has shown that use of clear mulch for soil solarization is effective only with very specific timing and on certain crops.

Distinguished Service Award

Recognizes exceptional or special activity by an ASP member,
beyond the typical membership responsibilities.

The Distinguished Service Award was conferred on Dr. Katrine Anne Stewart at the 30th National Agricultural Plastics Congress.

A Past President of ASP, Dr. Stewart completed two terms on the Board of Directors. She has also served on several standing committees; has often been session moderator for the Congresses, and was Co-chair and Proceedings Editor for the 22nd National Agricultural Plastics Congress in 1989. She chaired the Past Presidents' Foundation Committee for the 29th Congress and was part of that committee's selection process for the Best Paper Award at this Congress. She continues to be an outstanding example of the leadership and dedicated service that brought ASP to the forefront in the field of plastics applications for crop production systems.

Dr. Stewart joined McGill University in 1978. She chaired the Department of Plant Sciences from 1993 to 1998 and as an Associate Professor teaches courses in vegetable crop physiology, greenhouse management, and control of the greenhouse environment. Her research expertise is on use of agricultural plastics for microclimate management of warm season crops, with application to greater productivity and earlier crop yields in the short season climate of Montreal. She has published numerous articles in the Proceedings and in other journals on microclimate changes under mulches and low (mini-) tunnels, and on crop modeling with regard to changes in light, soil temperature, and carbon dioxide.

Best Paper Award

The Best Paper Award for the 30th National Agricultural Plastics Congress was presented to Christopher L. Pagliarulo of the University of Arizona for his work entitled "Potential For Greenhouse Aeroponic Cultivation Of Medicinal Root Crops." An undergraduate student in Plant Sciences, he participated in a research project that lead to the paper. He expected to begin a Masters of Science graduate program with focus on Controlled Environment Agriculture in Plant Sciences in January 2003.

Co-author on the paper is Anita L. Hayden an adjunct faculty in the Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering dept at UA and is the Vice President and Chief Development Officer, Native American Botanics Corporation, Tucson, AZ. In 2001 she received her PhD in Arid Lands Resource Sciences, an interdisciplinary program in the University's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences with an emphasis on Economic Botany and Phytochemistry.

Both Chris and Teena have been major participants in the development of the CEA program at the University of Arizona.

Awards Committee for the 30th Congress

J. Brent Loy of the University of New Hampshire chaired the ASP Awards Committee for the 30th Congress. Committee members included: Louis Charbonneau of Plastitech, Inc.; Dennis Decoteau of Penn State; Tim Elkner of Penn State Cooperative Extension; David Martin of Baltimore County Cooperative Extension; Peter Nitzsche of Rutgers Cooperative Extension; and Otho Wells, emeritus from the University of New Hampshire.