University of Arkansas weed scientist Jason Norsworthy received the Outstanding Research Award during the recent Weed Science Society of America’s Annual Meeting in Arlington, Virginia. He also was named a WSSA Fellow, the society’s highest recognition.
In presenting the Oustanding Research Award, the WSSA noted Norsworthy’s work in the field of weed resistance management and developing new strategies to minimize herbicide resistance from developing.
“Dr. Norsworthy’s publication in the journal Weed Science outlining best management practices to mitigate the evolution of herbicide resistance has been one of the most highly cited papers in the journal over the past few years,” according to the awards program.
In 2011, Norsworthy and his colleagues received the John W. White Team Award from the University of Arkansas, System Division of Agriculture for their efforts on glyphosate-resistant Palmer amaranth.
Most recently, the University of Arkansas Extension Service honored Norsworthy and his colleagues with the Extension Excellence State Team Award in 2017 for their dicamba research and educational efforts. Field trials conducted as part of that work highlighted dicamba volatility and the potential for off-target herbicide movement.
Norsworthy received a bachelor of agronomy from Louisiana Tech University in 1995 and a master’s of plant sciences form the University of Arkansas in 1997. He received a Ph.D. in plant sciences from the University of Arkansas in 2000, after which he spent six years on the faculty of Clemson University.
He returned to the University of Arkansas in 2006. He currently holds the rank of professor.
The research award, sponsored by Dow AgroSciences, is presented to a researcher who has “demonstrated originality and creativity and whose work has had an impact in the field of weed science,” according to the awards’ program description. “The award is established to recognize outstanding contributions to both applied and basic weed science research.”
Also honored for “Outstanding Paper: Weed Science” were Drs. Gary Cundiff, research scientist with Valent U.S.A.; Daniel B. Reynolds, professor of weed science at Mississippi State University; and Thomas Mueller, professor of plant sciences at the University of Tennessee. Their work was titled, “Evaluation of Dicamba Persistence among Various Agricultural Hose Types Plant and Cleanout Procedures Using Soybean (Glycine max) as a Bio-Indicator.”
Named “Outstanding Paper: Weed Technology” was an article titled, “Influence of Cover Crops on Management of Amaranthus spp. in Glyphosate- and Glufosinate-Resistant Soybean.”
It was authored by Drs. Mark Loux, professor and Extension weed specialist at Ohio State University; Bryan Young, professor of weed science at Purdue University; Kevin Bradley, professor and state Extension weed scientist, University of Missouri; Bill Johnson, professor of weed science at Purdue University; Anthony Dobbels, research specialist at Ohio State University; Doug Spaunhorst, weed researcher with the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service in Houma, Louisiana; Larry Steckel, weed science Extension and researcher, University of Tennessee; and Jason Norsworthy. Matheus Palmano, a graduate student working under Norsworthy, also contributed to the article.
Chris Meyer, a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Arkansas, received the Outstanding Graduate Student Award. Working under the direction of Norsworthy, Meyer’s dissertation focused on understanding tankmix interactions with glufosinate and identifying strategies to mitigate the risk of evolving glufosinate resistance.