Morrison Medalist
Frank Zalom, an integrated pest management (IPM) specialist and distinguished professor of entomology, is the recipient of the 2017 B.Y. Morrison Medal, established in 1968 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture/Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS). He is the first entomologist to receive the award.
Zalom was noted for his outstanding leadership and public service in IPM for horticultural crops such as almonds, grapes, olives, strawberries and tomatoes. He received the award, co-sponsored by USDA-ARS and the American Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS), on September 21 at the ASHS conference in Hawaii. He also presented the Morrison Memorial Lecture on, “Significance of Integrated Pest Management to Sustainable Horticultural Production—Observations and Experiences.”“The application of IPM concepts to horticultural crops has been particularly useful to facilitate sustainable production when presented with extrinsic challenges that arise from the presence of insect pests,” Zalom said. “Changing consumer preferences, new governmental regulations, limited pesticide availability and resistance development, and invasive species introductions are among challenges to horticultural crop production that have been mitigated with an IPM approach.”
Zalom has been a member of the UC Davis faculty since 1980. He is known for his work in the sustainability of tree crops, small fruits, vegetable crops, water quality and invasive species. He was director of the university’s statewide Integrated Pest Management Program for 16 years.
The Morrison Award memorializes Benjamin Y. Morrison (1891–1966), a pioneer in horticulture, and the first director of the U.S. National Arboretum in Washington, D.C. He also helped found the American Horticultural Society and the American Iris Society. As a plant breeder, Morrison is probably best known for his azaleas.
For additional information about Zalom and the Morrison Award, please read a blog post by entomology writer Kathy Keatley Garvey.