October 12, 2009

Chris Schroeder, representative of Qualisoy, the national award sponsor, presents the NACAA award for top educational program in crop production to John Wilson, extension educator in Burt County.

John Wilson, Extension Educator in Burt County, was recently selected as having the top educational crop production program in the nation at the National Association of County Agricultural Agents (NACAA) annual meeting, according to Brad Brummond, chair of the NACAA Search for Excellence awards program. NACAA consists of 3,400 members from around the United States.

Wilson was selected on the basis of an innovative program that he and UNL Extension Plant Pathologist Loren Giesler are conducting in Nebraska to raise awareness of soybean cyst nematodes (SCN) and provide growers with aids for identifying and managing this yield-robbing pest. The title of his program was "How Much Did You Contribute? Soybean Cyst Nematode Educational Programs for Nebraska Farmers and Agronomic Professionals." This program was cited as having exceptional impact with the targeted audience.

Wilson and Giesler acknowledge the extent of this program would not have been possible without the support of the Nebraska Soybean Board.