Purdue News

October 21, 1999 Purdue agronomist receives 1999 Sharvelle Award Source: Floyd Branson, assistant director, Cooperative Extension Service, (765) 494-8490; Floyd_Branson@ces.purdue.edu WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Robert L. Nielsen, professor and Extension specialist in agronomy at Purdue University, received the 1999 Eric. G. Sharvelle Distinguished Extension Specialist Award on Tuesday (10/19) at the annual Extension conference at Purdue. Nielsen was recognized for his expertise about corn production in Indiana, and for his enthusiasm for teaching and working with clients. His Extension program uses science-based research results to provide timely information and technical excellence to corn growers. Nielsen's contributions to Extension include: • Creating the 22-acre Purdue Crop Diagnostic Training and Research Center. Founded in 1986, the center is used to create and simulate plant health problems for corn production. Teaching methods include both traditional lectures and hands-on, in-field exercises. • Developing the National Corn Handbook. As project leader of the handbook from 1984 to 1992, Nielsen led a committee to solicit, review and select the materials for inclusion in the handbook. The handbook now is part of the educational effort of the Cooperative Extension Service in most of the major corn-producing states. • Responding to weather-related crop crises. Nielsen monitors severe weather conditions in Indiana, including excessive rainfall, extreme drought and damaging frosts. He then works to assess crop damage, formulate appropriate management responses and distribute the information to agriculturists statewide. • Using the World Wide Web. Nielsen has developed more than 280 documents for the Web. Two of his most popular works are the Corn Growers Guidebook and Down at the Chat 'n Chew Cafe. The Corn Growers Guidebook, since renamed KingCorn, is a collection of useful corn production information for North America. This site averages about 2,000 visitors a week. Down at the Chat 'n Chew Cafe is an interactive site, allowing visitors to post questions to Nielsen or other participants at the site. Nielsen's awards include the Extension Education Materials Award in 1998 from the American Society of Agronomy; the Epsilon Sigma Phi International Service Award in 1997; a Certificate of Excellence from the 1996 American Society of Agronomy's Educational Materials Contest; and the Purdue University Cooperative Extension Specialists Association Special Team Recognition Award for team efforts during the 1988 drought. The Sharvelle Award is given each year in memory of Eric G. Sharvelle, who was a professor of botany and plant pathology at Purdue from 1946 to 1975. The award was established in 1985 by Dr. Derek and Sybil Sharvelle of Battle Ground. Writer: Samantha Cain, (765) 494-8402, news_students@aes.purdue.edu Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu To the Purdue News and Photos Page