Ron Barnett, small grains breeder at the University of Florida North Florida Research and Education Center in Quincy, Fla., recently was honored for "Distinguished Service to Oat Improvement" during the American Oat Workers Conference.
Barnett has been a small grains breeder with UF/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences since he began working at the NFREC-Quincy in 1970. During his 36 years at the NFREC-Quincy Barnett has conducted a diverse and productive small grain breeding program. He has been very successful in developing improved varieties and germplasm of oats, wheat, rye, and triticale.
Barnett has released five oat varieties and co-released two additional oats. He also has released five rye varieties, five triticale varieties and has released or co-released 20 wheat varieties, including Florida 302, which was the dominant wheat variety across the southern U.S. in the late 1980's.
For more information on Barnett and the UF/IFAS small grain breeding program at the NFREC-Quincy, visit nfrec.ifas.ufl.edu.