By Robby Edwards, Director of Communications
Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Carrie Ortel, a University of Arkansas doctoral student in crop, soil and environmental sciences, was named winner of two prestigious awards by national organizations and will be recognized at their joint annual meeting in Baltimore, Maryland, in November.
AWARD WINNER — Trent Roberts, associate professor of soil fertility and soil testing, and senior graduate assistant Carrie Ortel, examine soybean plants for signs of nutrient deficiency. (U of A System Division of Agriculture photo by Fred Miller)
The American Society of Agronomy named her one of five winners of the Nelson Yield-Limiting Factors Graduate Student Scholarship. The scholarship is for $3,000.
The Crop Science Society of America named her recipient of the Gerald O. Mott Meritorious Graduate Student Award in Crop Science.
Trenton Roberts, professor and the Endowed Chair in Soil Fertility Research for the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, the research arm of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, is Ortel’s graduate advisor. She is a senior graduate research assistant conducting experiment station research on soil fertility.
Ortel earned her bachelor's degree from Virginia Tech University before earning her master's degree from the U of A and the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences. Her research evaluates late season potassium applications to Arkansas soybeans, striving to maximize yield and profit potential for producers.
She has worked as an extension agent in North Carolina, placed in several graduate student oral presentation contests and served as president of the Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Graduate Student Club.
Ortel is a repeat winner of the Nelson Yield-Limiting award, also earning the ASA honor in 2021.
The Nelson award is named for Werner L. Nelson, and recognizes leadership, accomplishments and long-term goals to research and develop improved diagnostic techniques and solutions to yield-limiting factors in agronomy. Nelson was a professor of agronomy at North Carolina State University.
The Mott award is named for the first CSSA president, who trained 75 graduate students during his 45-year career at Purdue University and the University of Florida.
ASA is an international scientific and professional society that empowers scientists, educators and practitioners in developing, disseminating and applying agronomic solutions to feed and sustain the world. It is home to 7,000-plus members and 12,000-plus certified professionals dedicated to advancing the field of agronomy.
CSSA is an international scientific society that fosters the vision to improve the world through crop science. It is home for 4,000-plus members dedicated to discovering and applying plant science solutions to improve the human condition and protect the planet.
To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu/. Follow us on Twitter at @ArkAgResearch and on Instagram at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on Twitter at @AgInArk.