Writer: Kay Ledbetter, 806-677-5608, skledbetter@ag.tamu.edu
Contact: Jonathan Ramirez, 940-552-9941, ext. 249, JHRamirez@ag.tamu.edu
COLLEGE STATION – Jonathan Ramirez, a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service associate at Vernon, has been recognized with a Superior Service award in program support by the agency.
The annual Superior Service awards, presented Jan. 9 in Bryan, recognize AgriLife Extension personnel who provide outstanding performance in education or other outstanding service to the organization and Texans.
Jonathan Ramirez receives the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Superior Service Award in program support from Dr. Doug Steele, Extension director.
Ramirez joined AgriLife Extension in 2011. His nomination cited his organization of numerous agency activities, including 74 applied research trials and 48 demonstration plots.
AgriLife Extension’s Rolling Plains agronomy program and county agents together conducted five wheat field days during spring 2017 at wheat demonstration plots organized by Ramirez, said Dr. Emi Kimura, AgriLife Extension agronomist, Vernon.
A total of 140 wheat producers attended field days, she said. The economic impact to the region was estimated at $790,776, as wheat producers can potentially improve grain yield through attending these educational opportunities and applying what they learn.
As a key member of the AgriLife Extension cotton team in the Rolling Plains, Ramirez also conducted over 30 variety trials throughout the region, and was instrumental in coordinating experiments evaluating the use of the fungicide Topguard for management of cotton root rot, Kimura said.
He also modified and designed pieces of equipment that increased the ability and efficiency to conduct on-farm trials, she said.
Dale Dunlap, AgriLife Extension district administrator at Vernon, said, “Jonathan’s strong work ethic has caused him to be highly regarded by several AgriLife Extension county agents in District 3, specifically for his enthusiasm, practical skills and ability to get things done and communicate with growers and other personnel within the farming industry.”
Ramirez participates in annual in-field AgriLife Extension county agent cotton training in District 3, where he prepares herbicide injury plots to simulate herbicide drift issues for cotton producers in the Rolling Plains, Dunlap said. He also demonstrates application of back-pack sprayers and the differences among nozzles during the training.
Ramirez participates in professional development opportunities by attending and submitting abstracts and proceedings to Beltwide Cotton Conferences since 2012, Kimura said.
“Jonathan has proven to be a dedicated worker willing to go the extra mile to complete the job at hand,” said Dr. Paul DeLaune, Texas A&M AgriLife Research environmental soil scientist in Vernon. “He is very accommodating and brings a lot of real-world knowledge to the table. As a result, he is highly respected by fellow AgriLife Extension and Research co-workers, industry partners and perhaps most importantly, producers.”