DALLAS — Dr. Allen E. Knutson, agricultural entomologist with the Texas Agricultural Extension Service based in Dallas, has received the 1998 Distinguished Achievement Award in Extension from the Entomological Society of America. Knutson will receive the award at their national meeting this week in Las Vegas.
“What sets Dr. Knutson apart is his ability to determine farmers’ needs and design both education and research to meet those needs,” said Dr. Ray Frisbie, head of Texas A&M Universitys entomology department in College Station. “His work is appreciated by the agriculture industry he serves, but he also has earned the respect of the scientific community for his high quality research. The entomology department is extremely pleased that hes received this richly-deserved award.
“Allen balances effective Extension work with exemplary applied research. He knows in the most practical terms what tools farmers need to manage pests in their crops. That led him last year to develop a pocket field guide for cotton, Recognizing the Good Bugs in Cotton, and A Field Guide to the Insects and Mites Associated with Pecans.
“His work on the pecan nut casebearer is estimated to have helped Alabama growers alone avoid a 40-50 percent crop loss. Knutson developed a monitoring tool using the insects attraction pheromone to predict the rate of infestation so that farmers knew when to scout their orchards and determine whether or not to apply pesticides. Knutson helps farmers use advanced knowledge to prevent the ‘just in case’ use of chemicals. He has been a leader in using new technologies to maximize the effect of beneficial insects as a natural pest control method.
“This award goes to the most outstanding Extension entomologist of the year,” said Dr. Chester Fehlis, deputy director of Extension. “Its very rare that a nominee receives it on the first try but Dr. Knutsons entomology work both in Extension outreach with the agricultural community and his well-respected applied research are impressive. We are very proud of him.”
Knutson, a Plano resident, came to the Texas A&M Dallas Research and Extension Center in 1989 to work with North and Central Texas farmers. Prior to that, he spent nine years on the High Plains of Texas in Castro and Lamb counties as a county Extension agent entomology.
Knutson also was a winner of the Clean Texas 2000 Governors Award for Environmental Excellence in 1995 and the Extension Superior Service Award and Ag Program Deputy Chancellors Award in Excellence.
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