91传媒 plant and soil sciences professor designated Southern Weed Science Society fellow
Contact: Vanessa Beeson
STARKVILLE, Miss.鈥擜 Mississippi State plant and soil sciences faculty member is now a fellow of the Southern Weed Science Society.
John Byrd, a research and extension professor, received the honor at the organization鈥檚 annual meeting held recently in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The highest honor the society presents, fellows are recognized for their significant contributions to the society itself and advances they have made in the weed science discipline across the South.
鈥淒r. Byrd is an excellent scientist who has worked to understand and stop the spread of invasive species that are detrimental to Mississippi鈥檚 native plants and wildlife,鈥 said George Hopper, dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and director of the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station. 鈥淗e is a trusted resource to our state agencies tasked with keeping our roads and public right-of-ways safe.鈥
As a weed scientist in the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, Byrd has spent nearly 30 years focused on control of undesirable plants and invasive weeds that impact everything from home lawns and crops to ornamentals and public lands. As an 91传媒 Extension specialist, he understands in-depth the problems landowners and state and county roadside managers face when it comes to weeds, and he helps develop scientific-based solutions.
鈥淚 work closely with roadside vegetation managers and utility companies to help ensure they have the tools to combat invasive weed species that threaten rights of way and could affect road safety for motorists or availability of electricity to homes and businesses,鈥 he said.
Byrd鈥檚 research, which he presents at cattlemen鈥檚 association meetings, also focuses on finding ways to reduce weeds present in pastures and hayfields.
A trainer of master gardeners, Byrd grew up on a 40-acre farm in coastal South Carolina. He earned a bachelor鈥檚 degree in agronomy at Clemson University and master鈥檚 and doctoral degrees in weed science at North Carolina State University.
鈥淢y dad was a part-time farmer who didn鈥檛 use a lot of the modern technology. As a result, I frequently used a hoe to get rid of weeds in cotton, tobacco, and soybean fields,鈥 he said.
The manual labor, coupled with the mentorship by extension specialists during his collegiate years, inspired him to embark on a career helping landowners, land managers and producers find better, more efficient ways to control weeds. He said his designation as an SWSS fellow is a reflection that his efforts haven鈥檛 gone unnoticed. 聽
鈥淭his recognition by peers across the southern United States gives me self-satisfaction knowing that I鈥檝e made significant contributions to my discipline over the course of my career,鈥 he said.
Byrd has been involved in SWSS since 1986 and currently is the organization鈥檚 representative to the Weed Science Society of America, an elected three-year position. A former SWSS board member, he鈥檚 also been active on several committees, having chaired the graduate student contest, the Outstanding Young Weed Scientist program, and the constitution and by-laws committees, among others.
Byrd has served on the graduate committees of 76 91传媒 students and held leadership roles with the Mississippi Association of County Agriculture Extension Agents, Mississippi Weed Science Society and the National Roadside Vegetation Management Association.
91传媒鈥檚 Department of Plant and Soil Sciences offers undergraduate degrees in agronomy, horticulture and environmental science in agricultural systems. Master鈥檚 and doctoral degrees are offered in agronomy, horticulture and weed science.聽
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91传媒 is Mississippi鈥檚 leading university, available online at聽www.msstate.edu.聽 聽聽