Dr. Cynthia Grant Chosen as 2015 IPNI Science Award Winner

December 1, 2015 – Peachtree Corners, Georgia, USA – The International Plant Nutrition Institute (IPNI) has named Dr. Cynthia A. Grant as the winner of the 2015 IPNI Science Award.

“We congratulate Dr. Grant on being selected as the winner of this year’s IPNI Science Award,” said Dr. Terry Roberts, IPNI President. “Dr. Grant has conducted useful and lauded research over the past 30 years. She has worked with a wide range of prairie crops and micro- and macronutrients. Her research has been incorporated into extension, training, and government recommendations not only in western Canada, but throughout the world,” added Roberts.

Private or public sector agronomists, soil scientists, and crop scientists from all countries are eligible for nomination. This is the eighth year the IPNI Science Award has been presented. Dr. Ardell D. Halvorson received the 2014 IPNI Science Award for his work as a Research Soil Scientist/Lead Scientist with USDA-ARS, located in Fort Collins, Colorado.

Background on Dr. Cynthia Grant
Dr. Grant received her B.S.A. from the University of Manitoba in 1980; her M.Sc. from the University of Manitoba in 1982; and her Ph.D. from the University of Manitoba in 1986. Since 1986, Grant has worked as a research scientist at the Agriculture Canada Research Station in Brandon, Manitoba, Canada.

Throughout her decades long career, Grant has earned respect and recognition from her colleagues and the industry for her valuable research on soil fertility, crop nutrition, as well as the trace element contaminant Cadmium.

Since the 1990s, Grant has worked to assess the usefulness of Enhanced Efficiency Fertilizers (EEFs) in cropping systems and in Canada. She has published 17 scientific papers, two review articles, a chapter on EEFs, and has prepared dozens of technology transfer articles and presentations on the topic in North America, Europe, and Asia.

Dr. Grant also worked to develop and assess beneficial management practices (BMPs) for nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, sulfur, and chloride to improve nutrient use efficiency, becoming one of the first Canadian researchers supported by the international Fluid Fertilizer Foundation.

Grant has published 165 journal articles on nutrient management, co-authored chapters on soil fertility management in dryland agriculture and sulfur management, and co-edited a book on Integrated Nutrient Management. Her research has been recognized with several awards including, the International Fertilizer Industry Association Award, The Robert E. Wagner Award, the Fluid Fertilizer Foundation Researcher of the Year Award, and the Manitoba-North Dakota No-Till Non-Farmer of the Year Award. She also served on the editorial board of several scientific journals and as Associate Editor of the Journal of Environmental Quality, Canadian Journal of Soil Science, and Canadian Journal of Plant Science.

About the IPNI Science Award
The IPNI Science Award is intended to recognize outstanding achievements in research, extension, or education; with focus on efficient management of plant nutrients and their positive interaction in fully integrated cropping systems that enhance yield potential. Such systems improve net returns, lower unit costs of production, and maintain or improve environmental quality. A committee of noted international authorities selects the recipient. Dr. Grant receives a special plaque along with a monetary award of US$5,000.

More information and nomination forms for the IPNI Science Award are available from the IPNI headquarters, its regional offices, or online at http://www.ipni.net/awards.

Contact Dr. Terry Roberts at IPNI: ph: 770.447.0335; e-mail: troberts@ipni.net or Gavin Sulewski, IPNI Editor: ph: 770.447.0335; e-mail: gsulewski@ipni.net