Delaware soil scientist looks back on 40-year career NEWARK, Del. - University of Delaware soil scientist Leo J. Cotnoir will retire December 31 after a career spanning nearlyfour decades. He joined the College of Agricultural Sciences in 1947 as a member of the plant science department faculty and director of the Delaware Agricultural' Ex periment Station’s soil testing laboratory. Under his direction that laboratory has grown from a few vials, simple bench equipment and hand written reports to a University of Delaware soil scientist Leo Cotnoir will retire on Dec. 31, after nearly four decades of service as soils lab head and teacher. SAVE!!! *2.00 per bag on all quality alfalfas CIMARRON MEDISTAN SARANAC AR • Offer good thru Jan. 31,1986 highly sophisticated, fully automated operation with com puterized reports. A Connecticut native, Cotnoir holds a bachelor degree in chemistry from Assumption College in Worcester, Mass., and a master’s degree in soils from the University of Connecticut. Before coming to Delaware he completed all requirements except the dissertation for a doctorate in soil physics from Purdue University. As director of the University of IWW WL3I6 WL 320 Delaware soil testing program-a post he held until last spring- Cotnoir coordinated the development and updating of fertilizer recommendations for all crops grown in the state-field and vegetable, turf, home garden, ornamental, nursery and greenhouse. He also collaborated on an effort to standardize soil test recom mendations for the mid-Atlantic region. The resulting cooperatior among soil specialists at ex periment stations in Delaware New Jersey, Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia, North Caroline and South Carolina is unique in thi U.S. It has increased the credibility of the soil test program* in all seven states and has alsc made it possible to maximize soi research efforts at each ex periment station. As lab director, Cotnoir ha; watched fertilizer use dramatically increase over the past 38 years in response to highei yielding crop varieties and more information on crop fertility practices. “The soil test has had e tremendous influence on fertilizei usage,” he says. “There’s no doub in my mind that it has sub stantially increased the use o fertilizer. On the other hand, a; farm economics have worsenec over the last decade, farmers havt been able to take advantage of higl soil test readings to maintair optimum fertility without usin§ more fertilizer than they need.” When Cotnoir joined thi university in the late 19405, the Delaware Agricultural Ex periment Station and U.S Department of Agriculture wen engaged in a project to survey al the soils in the state. He par ticipated in this effort, helpini develop guidelines for the projec and interpret soil samples. In the 1960 s he played a sup porting role in reclassifying th< soils in that original survey “Delaware was the first state to b< completely remapped according t< contemporary soil standards,’ Cotnoir recalls. Today, th< resulting soil maps serve a numbe of purposes. As indicators of lam productivity they are used foi farmland tax assessment and at management aids for crop far mers. They also provide essentia information for soil conservatior purposes. Though he never held an ex tension appointment, over the years Cotnoir generously sup ported educational activities of the Delaware Cooperative Extension Service. As an authority on soils and fertilizers, he contributed frequently to statewide programs for farmers, home gardeners and producers of turf and nursery crops. He also participated in programs dealing with soil con servation, waste disposal and water quality. During the late 1970 s and early 1980 s, he was the guiding force behind a series of soils-related workshops for extension agricultural agents and specialists. Cotnoir played a leading role in assembling research data and updating the university’s fertilizer recom mendations in order to help financially hard-pressed farmers reduce production costs. He also served on the college’s Soybean Task Force, a joint research/extension project aimed at identifying key yield-limiting factors for this crop in Delaware. In recognition of his untiring support of these and other programs, the extension service presented Cotnoir with its Friend of Extension award at its annual conference in 1984. Much as he enjoyed his soil lab work, Cotnoir-the father of eight always felt special enthusiasm for his faculty responsibilities. “Teaching has been one of my joys over the years,” he says. “I’ve had the privilege of teaching just about every course in the department including field crops and plant breeding-though of course I taught mostly soil-related subjects.” He likes to follow the careers of for mer students, many of them now living in other parts of the country. After retiring he says he will probably miss teaching the most. As for his retirement plans, Cotnoir expects to continue his present involvement with the Longwood Foundation’s professional gardener’s training program. He also hopes to do some consulting, in addition to tackling household projects he’s had little time for in the past. *Mertect 9 label expanded' RAHWAY, NJ - ‘Mertect’® 340- F (thiabendazole) Fungicide has received approval of supplemental labeling to suppress growth of the fungi Aspergillus spp. and Pen icillium spp. during low tem perature drying and during long term storage of grain. The additional labeling comes after two years of research by University of Illinois professors Dr. Barry Jacobsen and Dr. Donald White, with the assistance of Dr. Dave Burnette, who con ducted his post doctoral research on this project. The new approval is an ex perimental use permit from the United States Environmental Agency (EPA), allowing ‘Mer tect’ to be used on more than a quarter of a million bushels of corn in Illinois, Indiana, lowa, and Michigan. The treated corn can be used only for animal feed at this point. “If results continue to be as good in large scale testing, we hope to receive full registration on this new use in time for the 1906 com crop,” said George Gosen, Director, Agricultural Products in U.S. Operations, MSD AGVET. “This use of ‘Mertect’ can represent tremendous savings in several ways. The farmer can reduce his energy costs of drying grain, reduce shrink loss by being able to store grain at higher moisture levels, and still reduce fungal damage, and stress cracks caused by high temperature drying. The elimination of cracks and improved moisture level should bring a better price forthe higher quality grain, so that’s even greater profit potential, which the
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