Pioneer Award

ASP members honored Dr. E. Barclay Poling, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, with the Pioneer Award, given in recognition of 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.

A leading authority in strawberry plasticulture production across North America, Dr. Poling’s innovative and problem-solving research and extension program has helped fuel a significant growth of strawberry plasticulture throughout the southeastern United States. Strawberry production has changed dramatically in the last 25 years in North Carolina and in the mid-South due in large part to Dr. Poling’s innovative research and responsive multi-state extension programs that have successfully addressed the critical problems and needs of commercial strawberry plasticulture growers.

Dr. Poling went to NC State from Cornell University in 1980 where he has received his Ph.D, and began working closely with research and extension personnel to re-evaluate the possibility of utilizing newer strawberry cultivars, including the California cultivars ‘Douglas’ and ‘Pajaro,’ for their potential in the annual hill plastic mulch system in North Carolina. This region was having poor success with the conventional matted rows as the major North Carolina cultivars at that time were susceptible to summer season infections of anthracnose (Colletotrichum fragariae) and other pathogens that reduced plant stands by 50 % or more.

In research station studies and extension on-farm trials, Dr. Poling and his co-workers confirmed that fall planting on fumigated, black plastic mulch beds was a successful technique for avoiding summer disease problems. He identified a complete package of strawberry cultivars (primarily ‘Chandler’) and production practices that provided a foundation for the development of commercially viable strawberry plasticulture industries in southeastern North Carolina, as well as in Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas.

By 2003, the strawberry plasticulture acreage of 12 states represented in the Southeastern Strawberry Consortium was 4,643 acres, with an economic value of approximately $95.6 million dollars.

Distinguished Service Award

ASP’s Distinguished Service Award was presented to Mark Jordan, Techmer PM, Rancho Dominguez, CA, for “exceptional or special activity by a member, beyond the typical membership responsibilities.”

In presenting the award to Jordan, President Anusuya Rangarajan said, “Mark has been one of our champion cheerleaders, encouraging industry to sponsor the Congresses, and thinking about ways to market and generate revenue for the Society. He is an outstanding example of the leadership and partnership we enjoy within ASP. He also played an important role in keeping ASP alive through a difficult financial time, several years ago.”

Vice President for Sales and Marketing and the Industry Manager-Plastics for Techmer PM, Jordan has more than 20 years of experience in the plastics industry, beginning as the first salesman for Techmer in 1983. Prior to that he worked for Industrial Products Division of Firestone Tire and Ampacet Corporation. He has a BS degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Evansville in Indiana.

His main responsibilities at Techmer PM include identifying niche end-use markets and strategies, defining R & D projects for new additive product creations, creating product and pricing strategies for plastics markets; building corporate contact for national accounts and providing field sales support via problem-solving, new product introduction and focus selling.

Jordan chaired the 30th Congress in San Diego, and served as ASP’s president in 2002 and 2003, after several years of service on the board. He and his family reside in Newport Beach, CA.

Best Paper Award

The Best Paper Award was given to Dr. Henry (Hank) Taber of Iowa State University as the primary author on a paper entitled “Fresh Market Tomato Production with Red Plastic Mulch.” Co-authors on the paper include Vince Lawson, B. Smith, and R. Gansemer.

Click here to view this paper (pdf format)