Congratulations to this year’s recipients of the Gerald Mott Meritorious Graduate Student Award in Crop Science, a prestigious honor presented by the American Crop Science Society of America (CSSA). This annual award recognizes outstanding graduate students who excel in academic achievements, research, teaching contributions, leadership, service activities, and personal qualifications within crop science disciplines. Named after Gerald O. Mott, the first CSSA President, the award commemorates his legacy of training 75 graduate students during his 45-year career at Purdue University and the University of Florida, many of whom became prominent forage scientists in the United States and Latin America. The award allows multiple students from the same institution to be recognized as representatives of their departments.
Al Plucker, an MSc student in the Wildlife and Natural Resources Department at Tarleton State University, received this esteemed award for his significant contributions to agricultural research. Al designed, funded, and implemented his own research at Texas A&M AgriLife Research in Stephenville, focusing on the use of Dalea species—native North American grassland legumes—as a hay substitute for alfalfa in the southern Great Plains. His innovative work is advancing the potential for sustainable and regionally adapted forage options in agriculture, making a meaningful impact in the field.