ASTA Unveils New Annual Awards

During the inaugural ASTA Leadership Summit in June, ASTA unveiled two new annual awards: the Heritage Award and the Seed Science Foundation’s (SSF) Excellence in Science Award.

The Heritage Award was created to preserve and build seed industry history by honoring and recognizing individuals who have significantly impacted the seed industry and ASTA. The 2022 winners are: W. Atlee Burpee, W. Atlee Burpee & Co.; Dr. Harry Collins, Delta and Pine Land Company (D&PL); Dr. Owen Newlin, Pioneer Hi-Bred International; Dr. Norman Borlaug, CIMMYT; and Jerry Peterson, Peterson Seed Co.

The Seed Science Foundation’s Excellence in Science Award recognizes the outstanding achievement by a public or private researcher whose accomplishments have had an impact in the areas of Breeding Systems, Seed Quality, Seed Production and Technology, Seed Health and Pathology, Digital Agriculture, or Seed Applied Technology. The first-ever SSF Excellence in Science Award was bestowed upon Dr. Ron Walcott, University of Georgia. Dr. Walcott has been a friend and resource for the vegetable seed industry for over 20 years through his research that focuses on diseases, especially those that can be seed borne, and of commercially important vegetables. He has been a major source of technical knowledge on vegetable pathogens to ASTA and the seed industry.

Nominations are open for both awards for 2023. Information on the nomination process for the Heritage Award can be found here. To nominate someone for the SSF Excellence in Science Award, click here.