American Society of Agronomy honors Engelke
8 Nov, 2006Turfgrass expert Dr. Milton C. Engelke, Dallas, has been selected to be a Fellow of the American Society of Agronomy. This is the highest honor bestowed on members by the Society.
Engelke also will be recognized as a Fellow of the Crop Science Society of America, said Sara Uttech, communications manager for the Society. He is one of two Texas Agricultural Experiment Station researchers chosen for the honor.
Engelke is the leader of the statewide Turfgrass Genetic Improvement Team within the Texas A&M University System that has developed and released cultivars of improved annual ryegrass, bentgrass, buffalo grass, St. Augustine grasses, zoysia grasses and Texas Bluegrass hybrids for use worldwide.
Breeding goals target influences on plant performance, development of disease and insect resistance, as well as physiological stresses influencing the plants ability for rapid establishment.
He utilizes molecular technology to more precisely define the genetics of the factors controlling plant performance, including genetic mapping, developing marker assisted selection procedures, gene identification, isolation, insertion and implementation.
Engelke earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville and his master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
The agronomy society chose 21 individuals from its 8,000 members, based on their professional achievements and meritorious service, to receive this honor in 2006, Uttech said. The crop science society chose 10 individuals to receive this honor in 2006. Engelke and the others will received their recognition Nov. 15 in Indianapolis.
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