The American Society of Agronomy (ASA) announces the following 2018 award recipient. The annual awards are presented for outstanding contributions to agronomy through education, national and international service and research. The award recognizes a CCA who contributes substantially to the exchange of ideas and transfer of agronomic knowledge.

Harold Watters was recognized at the Commodity Classic on February 28. He will also be recognized at the ASA Annual Meeting in November.

“Growers and the fellow agronomists submit the nominations. We are proud to honor Watters on a stage surrounded by those individuals,” says Luther Smith, director of certification. “His contributions highlight the many science-informed decisions applied to agriculture.” 

Watters’ work as an associate professor in Extension at The Ohio State University puts him at the center of a communication hub. Weekly newsletters, monthly columns, field days, academic papers, and presentations at various conferences are part of his repertoire. Experimentation on the 400-acre university research farm (and informally on Watters’ own 200-acre farm) gives growers confidence.

In Ohio, growers with more than 50 acres need to be certified in fertilizer application—a training Watters helped spearhead. Approximately 17,600 producers were trained in four whirlwind years to comply with new Ohio legislation. In addition, employees at more than 40 retail locations were certified in the 4R Nutrient Stewardship Program.

These opportunities don’t stop at the state line for Watters. Over the last six years, he’s taken his agronomic expertise to Ukraine through a USAID program.