Baumann recognized with Vice Chancellor’s Award
Writer: Kay Ledbetter, 806-677-5608, [email protected]
Contact: Dr. Paul Baumann, 979-845-4880, [email protected]
COLLEGE STATION – Dr. Paul Baumann, the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service state weed specialist in College Station, has received the Texas A&M AgriLife Vice Chancellor’s Award in Excellence for AgriLife Extension specialists.
The Vice Chancellor’s Award in Excellence recognizes the commitment and outstanding contributions of faculty and staff across Texas A&M AgriLife. The award was presented Jan. 14 at the AgriLife Center on the Texas A&M University campus in College Station.
Baumann joined AgriLife Extension in 1989 and has devoted his career to addressing and solving weed management and environmental issues facing the agency’s stakeholders, according to the nomination made by Dr. David Baltensperger, head of the department of soil and crop sciences, where Baumann is also a professor.
Weed management issues in corn, sorghum, cotton, wheat, peanut, soybean, turfgrass and pasturelands have been solved through Baumann’s 1,465 research demonstrations over his career, Baltensperger said.
Data generated from these studies have provided the foundation for more than 1,300 educational programs, over 30 publications, graduate student training and consistent program financial support, he said.
“The level of this activity is testament to his prowess as an educator and that people want to hear what he has to say,” Baltensperger wrote. “He has garnered over $3.3 million in sole program support and collaborated on another $1.2 million-plus in financial support.
“With few exceptions, his support was confined to numerous small research grants targeted toward getting herbicides cleared for use and addressing specific, pernicious weed management problems.”
Specific challenges addressed by Baumann’s program include the potential loss of the herbicide atrazine; finding herbicides for consistent grassbur control and acceptable forage tolerance; and determining the value of jatropha as an oilseed biofuel.
Additionally, Baumann has partnered with other specialists to address the issue of glyphosate or Roundup-resistant weeds in Texas. He has written AgriLife Extension publications and conducted county meetings educating clientele and recommending solutions.
“Most importantly, he has developed solutions through several research trials that are now being adopted by our crop producers,” Baltensperger said.
Baumann has engaged with agencies and foundations such as the National Park Service, conducting weed surveys and providing recommendations for management in National Parks. Internationally, he has consulted for the Borlaug Institute in Guatemala and dairy farms in Mexico. He has also presented research papers on two visits to Germany and Mexico.
“The impact that Dr. Baumann continues to make on Texas agriculture and especially in the area of weed science can be seen across the many facets and faces in our industry,” wrote Eric Castner, DuPont Crop Protection regional development manager in a letter of support.
“I feel that one of Dr. Baumann’s greatest contributions lies in his ability and the enthusiastic manner in which he shares innovative solutions with the Texas farmer,” Castner wrote. “Dr. Baumann is a trusted resource for unbiased information as well as an advocate for the innovation and technology necessary to address the challenges we face in agriculture.”
Baumann earned his bachelor’s degree in plant and soil science from Missouri State University, his master’s in agronomy from Texas A&M and his doctorate in agronomy from Texas Tech University.
