December 2022 - 16

Nair helps growers diversify production systems
By William J. Lamont Jr.
Pennsylvania State University
In this article I continue to recognize and
profile researchers, Extension specialists
and county Extension agents (educators)
who are serving vegetable growers around
the country. This piece highlights Ajay
Nair, an energetic associate professor
and Extension vegetable specialist in
the Department of Horticulture at Iowa
State University (ISU), who possesses an
extremely interesting background.
I have known Nair through our
interactions at the American Society of
Horticulture Science (ASHS) where we both
presented the results of our research and
shared our passion for different production
technologies for vegetable crops.
Nair grew up in the state of Uttar
Pradesh in the northern part of India, a
large and fascinating country. Throughout
Nair's childhood and into his high school
years, he made annual trips to visit his
grandparents in the southern part of the
country. These trips exposed him to the
concept of " homestead farming. "
According to Nair's definition, a
homestead is a functional/operative and
self-sustaining farm unit that consists of a
conglomeration of crops and multipurpose
trees, planted arbitrarily, with or without
animals/poultry/apiculture, owned and
primarily managed by the dwelling farm
family, with the objectives of satisfying
the basic family needs (food, fuel, timber)
and producing marketable surplus for the
purchase of non-producible items.
This sounds like the definition of
homestead farming that I have read
in numerous
publications over
the years and a
lifestyle that nonfarmers
are seeking
today.
This exposure to
his grandparents'
farm got him
interested in
agriculture
and in 1998 he
matriculated to Kerala Agricultural
University (KAU), in Kerala, India, to
pursue his bachelor of science degree in
agriculture. The agricultural program at
KAU provided him with both theoretical
knowledge and hands-on learning
experiences in a wide range of subjects
including agronomy, biotechnology, plant
pathology, entomology, ag economics,
statistics, horticulture and soil chemistry.
Like others in our profession from
AJAY NAIR
outside the United States, Nair moved
here in 2004 and began his master's
degree program in horticulture at the
University of Maine. His master's research
thesis, titled " Propagation of Stewartia
pseudocamellia Maxim, " focused on
over-wintering of cuttings of Stewartia, a
member of the tea family.
Nair said it was a practical project,
because over-wintering rooted stem
cuttings of Stewartia was a major problem
for the nursery and landscape industry.
He finished his master's degree program
in 2006, and then joined the doctoral
program at Michigan State University
(MSU) in the Department of Horticulture,
focusing on adoption of strategies that
facilitate the seamless transition to organic
production systems.
Within that broad framework, his Ph.D.
research targeted all phases of organic
production from seed to harvest. More
specifically, his work involved transplant
production, organic amendments, cover
crops and intercropping to promote and
enhance organic vegetable production
systems. Nair obtained his doctor of
philosophy degree from MSU in 2011, and
then joined the faculty in the Department
of Horticulture at ISU. In his role at ISU,
Nair has a three-way appointment with
Extension, research and teaching, and more
recently a small service percentage was
added to better reflect his efforts.
His overall program aims to support
vegetable growers of Iowa in diversifying
their production systems through the use
of sustainable production techniques. The
focus of his research is on strategies that
enhance crop production, soil health and
cropping system profitability. He also has
a special interest in supporting local food
production by developing new tools and
production techniques needed to meet the
rising demand in local food consumption.
Nair said that working at ISU has been
very rewarding, given his deep connections
with current and former graduate students,
colleagues, fellow researchers, Extension
personnel and vegetable growers of Iowa.
To say that Nair is very energetic and
passionate about his work would be an
understatement. Just review his curriculum
vitae and you can see the depth and
breadth of his work.
In addition, he has assumed several
leadership roles in the department, and
he is highly engaged with his professional
society, the American Society for
Horticultural Science (ASHS), where he has
served as chair of several working groups,
and recently was elected the vice presidentelect,
for the Extension Division of the
ASHS, one of the positions that I also had
when I was active in the profession.
Nair has embraced and taken to heart
the true value and essence of a land grant
institution and its principles. In his words,
that is " to deliver impactful education,
research, and Extension and outreach to
increase the vitality and sustainability of
the citizens we serve in our communities
and the world. "
Nair lives with his wife and kids in
Ames and in their spare time they like to
bike, hike and spend time with family and
friends. VGN
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For information on these and other Clifton Seed
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find a sales representative in your area.
ftil
16 | VegetableGrowersNews.com
http://www.cliftonseed.com http://www.VegetableGrowersNews.com

December 2022

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