PULLMAN, Wash. — A new award created by Washington State University’s Center for Precision Agricultural Systems will recognize people who have contributed to the science and practice of precision agriculture.
Precision agriculture is the management of small areas of large fields based on intensive information collected by satellites, computers and other technologies.
The annual award will honor the memory of Max Hammond, a prominent figure in Columbia Basin agriculture, who died in 1996.
“Max Hamond was a true pioneer in precision agriculture and it seemed appropriate that any award honoring contributions to precision agriculture should bear his name,” said Fran Pierce, center director.
Hammond worked with growers throughout eastern Washington during a career with Cenex/Land O’Lakes. For many years, he held a courtesy appointment in WSU’s horticulture and landscape architecture department and also served on the Research Advisory Committee on the Washington Potato Commission.
He helped write fertilizer regulations for the state and was involved in the Certified Crop Advisor program in the Pacific Northwest. He served as president of the Washington State Weed Association in 1993. Hammond was inducted posthumously into the Ag Consultant magazine Hall of Fame in 1997.
The award carries with it an annual contribution of $1,000 from Cenex Harvest-States to the Center for Precision Agricultural Systems at Washington State University.
That money will be used to support undergraduate and graduate research in precision agriculture at WSU and will be presented to students in the name of the award recipient.
An award committee will be formed to seek nominations for the Max Hammond Award each year and to determine which student or students receive the Award stipend in support of their research on precision agriculture.
The award was announced last week at the Western Precision Agriculture Conference in the Tri-Cities. Venice Hammond, Max Hammond’s widow, and members of the Hammond family were given one of three plaques that will be updated annually with the name of each award recipient.
– 30 –
(Editors: Contact Dr. Fran Pierce at (509) 786-9212 for more information.)