Pullman, Washington
November 15, 2007
Steven R. Lyon, a senior
scientific assistant in Washington
State University’s winter wheat breeding program, received
the O.A. Vogel Crop Improvement Award Tuesday at the annual
meeting of the Washington State Crop Improvement Association in
Pasco.
The award is given annually to an individual in WSU’s College of
Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences, WSU
Extension or USDA who has made significant contributions to the
pure seed program or crop production in Washington state.
“He is the heart, soul and often the brains of the winter wheat
breeding program and as such has done much to contribute to crop
improvement in the state of Washington,” wrote Steve Jones in a
nomination letter. Jones is WSU’s winter wheat breeder and
Lyon’s supervisor.
“He not only has followed and selected our most recent variety,
Xerepha, through all phases of field selection, he also was the
one who made the initial cross in the greenhouse that produced
the line,” Jones wrote.
Lyon, who has worked for WSU for 15 years, manages all aspects
of the winter wheat breeding program on a day-to-day basis,
including staff and student employees. He has given numerous
talks to grower groups at field tours, represented the winter
wheat breeding program at meetings outside of Pullman and
written articles about the research program for popular media.
The Washington State Crop Improvement Association is a
non-profit organization delegated by the Washington State
Department of Agriculture to certify chickpea, field pea,
lentil, soybean, sorghum, small grains (including wheat, barley,
oats, millet, triticale, and buckwheat) and forest reproductive
material.
Lyon received a $1,000 cash award and a plaque. The WSCIA Vogel
award was first presented in 1974. |
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