The awards luncheon is always a favorite event at the annual Texas Plant Protection Association conference. In addition to recognizing outstanding contributions to the Texas agricultural industry, the program also singles out accomplishments of students in a poster contest as well as awarding  prizes to crop consultants and Extension agents based on their abilities “or lack thereof,” to identify agricultural insects, weeds and disease symptoms.

Randy Rivera, Administrator for Agriculture Protection and Certification, Texas Department of Agriculture, received the Norman Borlaug Lifetime Achievement Award, TPPA’s highest honor.

Other award recipients include:

John Gordy was first place poster winner for his work, Development of Thresholds for Management of Sugarcane Aphid on Sorghum. Chase Vasbinder’s poster, Soil Nutrient Survey for Phosphorus and Potassium in the Texas Blacklands and Coastal Plains Production Regions, earned second place.

Sarah Ajayi, Spectral Vegetation Indices for Eliminating Growth and Performance of Winter Wheat Genotypes, was the third place winner.

Dan Bradshaw, a crop consultant from El Campo, earned the top spot for pest identification. Stephen Biles, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service agent for integrated pest management, in Port Lavaca, came in second and Harlingen crop consultant Webb Wallace finished third.

TPPA Awards include, Adam Hixson, BASF, Industry Award, and Darrin Biediger, Consultant Award.

TPPA President Eric Castner received an appreciation plaque from Chairman of the Board Ray Smith.

Castner passed the TPPA gavel to incoming president Elizabeth Pierson.