Latest Postings

OXBOW OFFERS HOLIDAY CRAFT TIME DEC. 13 ( Erick Gill, SLC Media Relations )
The Perfect Gift ( Mary Holmgren )
SLC LIBRAIRES ANNOUNCE DEC. EVENTS WITH CAPT. CHOP ( Erick Gill, SLC Media Relations )
Annual Jesus' Birthday Party/Open House ( Julie dos Santos )
Church Women United Birthday Party Baby Jesus ( Church Women United )

share a story | more postings »

YourHub.com \\ Fort Pierce \\ Stories \\ Business \\ General Business

UF RESEARCH PROFESSOR HONORED EXTENSION AWARD

e-mail to a friend | print this | link to this

NEXT › ‹ PREVIOUS

Contributed by: Robin Koestoyo on 8/28/2008

Leader of the state's Best Management Practices program, Dr. Brian Boman, has been selected as the 2008 Art Hornsby Distinguished Extension Professional and Enhancement Award Winner. A research Professor of Agricultural Engineering, Boman has served the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences at the Indian River Research and Education Center near Fort Pierce since 1985. The prestigious award was presented to Boman during the Florida Association of Extension Professionals meeting in Orlando on August 14.

"On behalf of the university, our center, and members of the agricultural and environmental industries, we are proud Dr. Boman has been recognized for this well-deserved honor," said Dr. Pete Stoffella, center director for the UF/IFAS Indian River Research and Education Center.

Among Boman's many responsibilities, he coordinates a statewide program to facilitate relationships among agricultural producers, state and local governments, as they work together to sustain the environment and continue production of food and plant products. It is this program, the Best Management Practices effort, the first of its kind in Florida, and the model for the program's statewide expansion, for which Boman is being recognized with his most recent award. The effort began with a manual written for citrus growers that has been adopted by growers in all of the state's regions and by those in other industries such as container nurseries, sugarcane, vegetables and row crops and peanut growers. Dr. Stoffella said Boman has accomplished distinguished outcomes with this work. Those outcomes far exceed the program's original goals with widespread grower acceptance and implementation. At this time, nearly 4,700 farms, groves and nurseries that comprise more than 1.8 million acres have enrolled in the BMPs program.

"The BMPs program has achieved impressive results," said Stoffella. "The results were scientifically measured: growers are saving tons of fertilizer, they're able to conserve water and protect the environment."

Specific results are: a Treasure Coast water quality monitoring study found storm water retention ponds are holding agricultural chemicals that would have otherwise run off into canals and eventually into natural watersheds. Program documentation shows one Peace River grower saved 54 percent or 199 tons of fertilizer in one year with BMPs recommendations. At this time, nearly 2 Million acres statewide are now devoted to the conservation program. In addition to Dr. Boman's extension program leadership, he is also an award-winning agricultural engineer who specializes in micro-irrigation and fertigation.

Recent awards include a Blue Ribbon Award by the American Society of Agricultural Engineers, A Golden Gator Award from the UF Communications Network, two Outstanding Paper Awards from the Florida State Horticultural Society and a Best Poster Award from the International Society of Citriculture. Boman received a Doctorate in Agricultural and Irrigation Engineering from Utah State University, a Master of Science degree in Agricultural Engineering from Colorado State University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Engineering from North Dakota State University. The Art Hornsby Distinguished Extension Professional and Enhancement Award recognizes state and county faculty with a term professorship for creative contributions and outreach programs related to soil and water sciences. Recipients receive a $1,500 salary supplement and $500 for program support.

[Report this as objectionable content.]

SUBMIT COMMENT

Rate the above story