Extension Horticulturist Wins ISHS award

Photo Submitted

Amanda McWhirt

ZURICH, Switzerland – An Arkansas extension horticulture specialist has been honored by the International Society for Horticultural Science with its 2019 Young Minds Award for best presentation.

Amanda McWhirt, extension horticulture crops specialist for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, earned the honor during the society's Rubus and Ribes Symposium in June, where she presented on "Effects of Rotating Arm Trellis on First Year Blackberry Yield, Fruit Quality and Pest Pressure." McWhirt has been studying this trellising system since 2017 (http://bit.ly/2XE59V0) at the Fruit Research Station in Clarksville.

Rubus and Ribes are the genera for blackberries, raspberries, currants and gooseberries and the symposium was for researchers in those fruits to present their work.