Agricultural News
Conservation Tillage Innovator Brook Strader Named Master Agronomist by OSU
Mon, 11 Apr 2011 6:26:08 CDT
Homestead farmer Brook Strader has been named a 2011 Master Agronomist by Oklahoma State University's Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources.
The award was initiated in 1947 and recognizes Oklahoma producers who actively participate in agronomic education programs and contribute valuable public service through their efforts in soil conservation, range management or crop production.
Strader has worked with a number of division scientists and OSU Cooperative Extension specialists and educators during the past 20 years, providing his land, labor, machinery and expertise to research efforts designed to improve agricultural practices for producers throughout northwestern Oklahoma.
"Brook was a leading pioneer for no-till production systems and crop rotation in Major and Blaine counties," said Dave Porter, head of the OSU Department of Plant and Soil Sciences. "He has provided significant resources for replicated grain sorghum hybrid trials for the last seven years."
Strader's cooperative partnership with Rick Kochenower of the division's Oklahoma Panhandle Research and Extension Center has resulted in additional research projects examining production and management aspects such as planting populations, starter fertilizer, seed treatment, strip tillage work, nitrogen-sensor management, herbicide-tolerant grain sorghum and weed control.
"Brook's willingness to take on these projects with our division scientists, specialists and Extension educators has helped his fellow producers to more easily adopt technologies and become more efficient in their production of grain sorghum," Porter said. "That is extremely important and beneficial given the tight profit margins so many of Oklahoma's farmers and ranchers operate under."
Jeff Edwards, OSU Cooperative Extension small grains specialist, has been working with Strader as a cooperator for his replicated wheat variety program since 2007.
"Brook's farm was one of the first where we evaluated conventional tillage wheat systems versus no-till wheat production in a side-by-side test, which allowed producers to visually and easily examine and compare the two systems," Edwards said.
With the change in Strader's production systems, those trials have now converted to no-till crop rotation systems where wheat follows a spring planted crop.
"There is a great benefit for county and area producers by OSU being able to conduct research and educational programs that target specific growing conditions in northwestern Oklahoma," Porter said.
He praised Strader's contributions as helping to make official OSU agronomic recommendations for the area as accurate as humanly possible.
Strader is a member of the Oklahoma Crop Improvement Association, and has served on the organization's board of directors. He also serves on the board of Oklahoma Genetics Inc., a nonprofit 501c corporation that promotes stewardship, educational programs and scientific research while marketing the use of improved genetics, traits and benefits of quality Pedigreed seed and vegetatively propogated materials.
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