Writer: Kay Ledbetter, 806-677-5608, skledbetter@ag.tamu.edu
Contact: Dr. Gaylon Morgan, gdmorgan@tamu.edu
NEW ORLEANS – Dr. Gaylon Morgan, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service state cotton specialist, was recently recognized as the 2016 Extension Cotton Specialist of the Year by Bayer at the 2016 Beltwide Cotton Conference in New Orleans.
The prestigious award is voted on annually by Extension cotton specialists who represent every cotton-producing state across the U.S. Cotton Belt, according to Bayer officials. Each year, the recipient’s peers evaluate and select a winner based on a number of considerations including exceptional leadership and outstanding industry service.
Morgan earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in agronomy from Texas A&M University, and his doctorate in horticulture/plant pathology from the University of Wisconsin. He began working in AgriLife Extension in 2003 as an assistant professor in the department of soil and crop sciences and as the AgriLife Extension state small grains specialist. He was named the state cotton specialist in 2009.
As the state cotton specialist, Morgan is involved in multi-disciplinary fields of research pertaining to cotton production as well as the practical implementation of those scientific advances to the field in the largest cotton production state in the U.S.
“At Bayer, we have the privilege to work with some of the brightest and most dedicated individuals in the cotton industry,” said Steve Nichols, head of Agronomic Services for Bayer in a press release. “Dr. Gaylon Morgan represents the very best of scientists involved in U.S. cotton research and outreach.
“He is a standard-bearer of the partnership between science and industry, with the mutual goal to preserve the viability of the U.S. cotton industry today while simultaneously laying the groundwork for future excellence. His dedication to parlaying that scientific knowledge and experience to the grower is a critical component to the continued success of our industry.”
Morgan leads the award-winning Replicated Agronomic Cotton Evaluation, or RACE, trials, which are a collaborative effort among private seed companies; local, regional and state AgriLife Extension personnel; and local cooperators.
He also maintains the http://cotton.tamu.edu/ website, which provides rapid access to a large quantity of information pertaining to cotton production systems.
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