b'This year, along with ASTAs Distinguished Service and Lifetime Honorary Member Awards, ASTA gave out an additional six honors: five ASTA Heritage Awards and one Seed Science Foundation: Excellence in Science Award. The Heritage Award was created in 2022 to preserve and build history, as well as to honor and recognize individuals who have significantly impacted ASTA and the seed industry. Winners included: W. Atlee Burpee Dr. Harry Collins Dr. Owen Newlin Norman Borlaug Jerry PetersonExcellence in Science AwardThe Seed Science Foundations Excellence in Science Award recognizes the outstanding achievement by a public or private researcher whose accomplish-ments have had an impact in the areas of breeding systems, seed quality, seedRon Walcott receiving the Excellence inEdward Podleckis received the ASTA production and technology, seed healthScience Award.PHOTO: ASTA Distinguished Service Award.PHOTO: ASTAand pathology, digital agriculture or seed applied technology.This year, Ron Walcott, professorI realized what a great gift thatLynda recently relocated back to Texas to of plant pathology in the college ofassignment has been for the last fivebe closer to family and their farm as well.Agricultural and Environmental Sciencesyears, Podleckis says. The work thatOne of the nice things about this at the University of Georgia, was theI was doing was probably some of theindustry is big companies and small com-recipient. Walcott has helped the veg- most impactful work I did in my entirepanies find common interests in things etable seed industry for over 20 yearsUSDA career. I cant say enough howthat they need to accomplish together. through his researchhe focuses onmuch Ive enjoyed working with the seedThat doesnt happen in a lot of industries diseases, primarily seed borne diseases,industry.this one is unique for it, Turner says. of commercially important vegetables.Podleckis retired in April 2022 after 33Ive worked with a lot of you, and I have Particularly, hes been an invaluableyears of federal service.fond memories over the years. Thank you resource for Bacterial Fruit Blotch offor helping me grow ans an individual. cucurbits.Lifetime Honorary Member Awards Richard Denhart served as the execu-Like 2021, ASTA presented two Lifetimetive secretary and treasurer for the Illinois Distinguished Service Award Honorary Member Awards at the 2022Seed Trade Association and has been ASTA honored Edward PodleckisLeadership Summit. Rick Turner ofsince 2002. He served as the first chair of of the USDA-APHIS with the ASTABASF and Richard Denhart of the Illinoisthe ASTA state government affairs work-Distinguished Service Award. PodleckisSeed Trade Association both received aing group and was the first state associa-began his USDA career in 1988 as aLifetime Honorary Member Award.tion representative to the ASTA board research plant pathologist with USDARick Turner has forty-five years ofof directors. Hes worked in sales and ARS, where he conducted researchexperience in the agriculture industry was the chief inspector for Illinois Crop related to the detection of pome fruithes worked in sales, marketing, productImprovement from 1969-1974.and potato viruses and viroids of quar- development and leadership roles inThe first word I thought of was sur-antine significances. Not only that, butNorth American and global businesses.prise, says Denhart. And the final word Podleckis was active in helping the APHISPrior to his retirement in February 2022,is thankful. Thank you to ASTA, the board team with developing the Regulatoryhe served as senior vice president ofof directors and the management staff Framework for Seed Health (ReFReSH).seeds and traits for BASF. He and his wifeand members.SW62/ SEEDWORLD.COMSEPTEMBER 2022'