Meet Scott Stewart, West Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center Director
By Sabrina Bates
Staff Writer
Although Scott Stewart has served as the director of the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture’s West Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center in Jackson for only three years, he has been a fixture for more than 20 years at the facility.
Stewart came to Tennessee in 2002 and previously served as an Extension Entomology Specialist at the Center, with expertise in crop and pest management. He filled the position of director after Bob Hayes retired with more than 43 years with UTIA.
When asked to describe what it means to specialize in entomology and insect control, Stewart explained that it simply means to study insects and the management of pests and beneficial species to protect crop yields in the best way possible.
“Invasive pests are a big problem for crops, including insects and weeds. For example, Palmer Amaranth pigweed is perhaps the biggest pest problem farmers are currently dealing with in Tennessee. Once it becomes established, it’s aggressive and spreads quickly, causing all kinds of issues,” Stewart explained.
According to the USDA, it can cause devastating crop losses if left unchecked., However, Palmer pigweed is difficult and expensive to control. It has developed resistance to multiple classes of herbicides, such as glyphosate. Farmers who need help managing this aggressive weed are encouraged to reach out to their county Extension agents for help.
As director of the oldest UTIA AgResearch Center outside of Knoxville of the 10 in the state, Stewart is tasked with communication and overseeing the Hub City property. He remains in close contact with researchers and stakeholders. He ensures the equipment is available to facilitate the Center’s on-going research. The Center has 10 faculty, the most outside of Knoxville.
Stewart’s communication efforts take on a different form when it comes to the general public. The Center frequently hosts free tours for the public and interested groups throughout the growing season. Stewart has an opportunity to lead the tours and spark conversations about GMOs (Genetically-Modified Organisms) – a topic he says tends to have a negative connotation.
Genetically-Modified crops are researched extensively at the Center.
“When I start a tour, I tell the group if they don’t like GMOs, they won’t like this tour,” Stewart joked.
“It’s fun having those conversations.”
He is able to use the information gleaned from university research to communicate the importance of crop production and discuss the sometimes controversial subjects like GM crops and pesticide use.
The Center focuses on row-crop research, from effective use of pesticides, development of drought-resistant crop varieties and even the growth and development of varieties of corn, cotton and soybeans. The Center utilizes portions of its 647 acres for that research through planting and harvesting row-crops on the grounds. In addition, the Center is home to UT Gardens, Jackson, UT Extension Western Region’s central office and staff from the University of Tennessee Institute for Public Service.
Stewart explained that while insect and plant pests pose significant challenges for today’s farmers, an ever-growing world population combined with the growing loss of agricultural land to urban development also bring new sets of challenges.
“Commodity prices don’t keep up with inflation, so to remain profitable, we have to get better at growing crops,” Stewart shared. “We demonstrate new technologies to our farmers because they have to make money,” he added.
Technology in farming, he shared, has grown by leaps and bounds over the the last 50 years, and the rate of increase is faster and faster. It’s hard to keep up.
From GPS and GIS systems that show field maps in real-time, farmers are using precision technologies to plant, apply fertilizer and pesticides, and to create yield maps of their fields. Stewart said farmers are good adaptors to dynamic technology. “It’s our job to evaluate and educate farmers on the best way to use new technologies to their advantage.”
“Research is one step at a time, from the systematic aspect of evaluating new varieties to innovations in technology, you’re never really done with research. We’re fortunate to have all of this in agriculture,” Stewart said. He emphasized the research conducted by the team who is tasked with testing varieties of multiple crops, as “it is just as important now as it was 50 years ago.”
Researchers at the Center also focus their attention on factors such as planting dates, seeding rates, fertility, and irrigation and how this impacts the profitability of crop production. Stewart said their goal is to help growers make a profitable crop while minimizing any negative effects on the environment. The team at the Hub City location is reflective of its mission of creating Real. Life. Solutions.
Stewart also announced, thanks to receiving a portion of approximately $50 million in American Rescue Plan funds, the Center will undergo some upgrades and facility improvements along with adding some high-tech equipment in the near future, which reiterates his statement that “you’re never really done with research.”
* This is part of a series that will highlight the different components of the West Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center in Jackson, which will include interviews with the slate of Center researchers and leadership team and what goes on behind the scenes of UTIA’s oldest ag research facility. The grounds are open to the public daily throughout the year. There is no cost to visit or tour the Center.
Sabrina Bates, sabrina@richardsonmediagroup.net
