Yenish Receives Morrison Award

PULLMAN, Wash. — Washington State University Extension Weed Specialist Joe Yenish is this year’s recipient of the Kenneth J. Morrison Extension Award in Crop and Soil Sciences.

Named for an Extension agronomist who worked at WSU for more than 35 years, the award recognizes WSU Extension faculty for significant contributions made to agronomic crop production and soil management. Yenish will be presented with the award at the Palouse Conservation Field Day on June 22.

“Joe provides our state’s growers with vital weed management strategies and information,” said Whitman County wheat producer Eric Zakarison. “His knowledge of applied weed control makes him the ‘go to’ guy for farmers needing guidance about integrated management of weeds on their farms, covering an area from the Washington-Idaho border to the Cascade Crest and beyond.”

Frank Young, a research agronomist with USDA’s Agricultural Research Service, agreed. “Joe has been the most active and sought after specialist on the Pullman campus,” he said. “He has a remarkable ability to conduct research, publish and carry out all his extension activities without sacrificing the quality of work in any area.”

With a Ph.D. from North Carolina State University, Yenish joined the WSU faculty in 1996. He has served as president of the Washington State Weed Association and as chair of the Western Society of Weed Science. In 2005 alone, he gave 61 different presentations to government, producer and Extension groups.

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