Agronomy

Donald William “Bill” Rains passed away surrounded by his family on Dec. 15, 2022.  He was 85.

Ivan William Buddenhagen was born in Ventura, Calif., in 1930 to Harold J. Buddenhagen, a petroleum geologist, and Pearl M. Buddenhagen, a teacher and homemaker. He died at his Davis, Calif., home on July 9, 2022. He would have approved of his simple coffin, crafted of pine that had been felled by drought and beetles, and adorned with messages and drawings from his beloved family.  A sprawling bouquet of his favorite plants, including banana, served as a botanical mantle atop his coffin.

The Department of Plant Sciences welcomes Imtiyaz Khanday as an assistant professor of plant reproductive biology and as an assistant agronomist for the Agricultural Experiment Station in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at the University of California, Davis.

The American Society of Agronomy (ASA) has presented Cameron Pittelkow, assistant professor in the Department of Plant Sciences at UC Davis, with the ASA Early Career Award for his outstanding contributions to the field of agronomy since earning his Ph.D in 2013. The ceremony was virtually broadcasted on November 12.

To be considered for the award, one must demonstrate that they have made an exceptional contribution to the field of agronomy within seven years of their most recent degree. From the award’s description, applicants are evaluated on the following contributions:

University of California Cooperative Extension Sutter-Yuba-Colusa is holding a series of webinars in September and October to provide research updates on some of the major crops in the Sacramento Valley. The classes are relevant to growers throughout California and are primarily focused on pest management and pesticide safety.