Clemson, Georgia, USA
June 12, 2014
Paula Agudelo receives the Syngenta Crop Protection Award for Research
Excellence in the Field of Nematology. Image Credit: Clemson
Clemson University associate professor of plant nematology Paula Agudelo recently earned the Syngenta Crop Protection Award for research excellence in the field of nematology.
The award honors a researcher who has made significant advancements in agriculture and was presented to Agudelo at the International Congress of Nematology in Cape Town, South Africa.
Agudelo researches the biology and ecology of plant-parasitic nematodes. She has spent much of her career examining the population genetics, variability and biology of reniform nematodes and their potential to cause disease in cotton and other cultivated plants.
Nematodes are microscopic worms in soil that can have drastic effects on the health and productivity of agricultural crops.
She also directs Clemson’s Plant Nematology Lab where she leads a team of researchers investigating nematodes of economic importance. There are an estimated 1 million different species of nematodes of which only approximately 25,000 have been identified.
In addition to her research and outreach efforts, Agudelo mentors graduate students and teaches classes, including a plant-parasitic and nematode identification course that is attended by national and international professionals from public and private institutions and independent consultants in the fields of plant pathology and nematology.
“I am honored to receive the Syngenta Crop Protection Award on behalf of Clemson University. It is particularly gratifying to be recognized by my peers. I am also proud of how well our students represented Clemson at this international meeting,” Agudelo said.
Agudelo was accompanied by four graduate students from the Plant and Environmental Sciences Program. Nathan Redding and Wei Li won $1,000 travel stipends each from the Society of Nematologists, and Brad Shaver and Claudia Holguín won $700 travel stipends from the Organization of Nematologists of Tropical America, to attend this conference.
The Clemson students presented several papers at the conference. Holguín won third place in the student competition for her research poster, Spacio-temporal distribution of reniform nematode and relationship with soil texture.
The International Federation of Nematology Societies holds the International Congress of Nematology every six years. This year’s conference focused on ensuring the future of nematology through student engagement and empowering developing nations to ensure global food security.
Syngenta is a global company that markets seeds and agrochemicals, and is involved in agricultural biotechnology and genomic research.
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