07/14/1994

Touchton Named Fellow in the American Society of Agronomists

AUBURN, Ala. - Joe Touchton, head of Auburn University's Department of Agronomy and Soils, has been named a Fellow of the American Society of Agronomy (ASA).

A native of Georgia, Touchton grew up on a farm near Valdosta where his family produced tobacco, soybeans, corn, wheat, cotton, cattle, hogs and poultry. He attended Abraham Baldwin College and went on to the University of Georgia to earn his bachelor's degree in agriculture/agronomy. After serving three years in the U.S. Navy, Touchton returned to Georgia to earn a master's degree and went on the University of Illinois for the Ph.D.

Upon graduating from Illinois, he joined the University of Georgia faculty as an assistant professor at the Georgia Agricultural Experiment Station in Griffin, Ga. He joined the Auburn faculty in 1980 and became department head in 1989.

Touchton became involved in soil fertility work because of his interest in chemistry and also because many soils in the South tend to be nutrient deficient. His research, which was conducted through the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station (AAES) at Auburn, was some of the earliest work with conservation tillage and fertility issues.

"The big strides in the past 10 years have been fine tuning fertility recommendations," he said. He noted that work in this area benefits both producer's pocketbooks and the environment.

Though environmental issues were not at the forefront when Touchton began his research, he and others recognized early that environmental concerns would soon impact on agriculture. "We knew from the information that was coming out of Washington in the mid 1970's that environmental issues would affect agriculture," said Touchton. "That's the reason we started working on conservation tillage and started doing fertility work in conservation tillage."

Touchton's research focused on row crops and winter grains, and results of his studies have been the source for a great deal of basic information about conservation tillage practices. Considered a leading authority on cropping systems and fertility management, Touchton's research on starter fertilizers and reduced tillage systems have had a major impact on agricultural production and the conservation of soil and water quality.

During his tenure as a professor, Touchton also taught numerous classes through the department, including Soil Fertility, Fertilizers and Soil Testing, Crop Production and various seminars. He was selected Outstanding Teacher by the department's student body in 1984 and 1987, and he continues to teach even now that he is department head. Through the years, he has served as chairman for 10 masters and eight doctoral students. Touchton also helped spearhead the development of an interdisciplinary program in environmental studies at Auburn.

As department head, Touchton is a strong believer in supporting his faculty and students. "My survival depends on their productivity," he stated. He believes that support of his faculty, both financial and administrative, is a key to ensuring that productivity. His department includes 33 faculty members, 50 full-time employees and large numbers of graduate and undergraduate students. Since he became department head, three of his faculty members have been given the prestigious AAES Director's Research Awards, and these and other members have also won numerous other honors.

"The transition from research to management is not always easy," noted Ben Hajek, professor of agronomy and soils who helped nominate Touchton for the ASA honor. "Dr. Touchton has managed the route with the same skill and dedication he applied to his research program and he has fully earned the right to be elected a Fellow of the ASA."

Touchton will be formally inducted as a Fellow during ASA's annual meeting to be held this fall in Seattle, Wash.

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Office of Ag Communications & Marketing

Auburn University College of Agriculture
Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station
3 Comer Hall, Auburn University
Auburn, AL 36849
334-844-4877 (PHONE) 334-844-5892 (FAX)

Contact Jamie Creamer, 334-844-2783 or jcreamer@auburn.edu
Contact Katie Jackson, 334-844-5886 or smithcl@auburn.edu

July 14, 1994